Instrumental Rock1987Surfing with the Alien
Surfing with the Alien Amp Settings
by Joe Satriani
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Original Recording Settings
Well-SourcedResearched tone data for "Surfing with the Alien" by Joe Satriani
Original Gear
- Guitar
- Kramer Pacer (two humbuckers) for leads; Boogie Bodies Strat-style hardtail for rhythm
- Pickups
- Seymour Duncan ’59 (neck), JB (bridge) in Kramer Pacer (bridge humbucker for main lead tone)
- Amplifier
- Marshall Model 1959 Super Lead 100W head into 4x12 with Celestion G12T‑75 speakers
- Channel
- Bright (Volume I) input
- Tuning
- E standard
- Pickup Selector
- bridge
- Strings
- Not documented
Guitar World article quotes Satriani’s exact Super Lead settings for this track, including Presence, Bass, Middle, Treble and Volume I.[web:17][web:20]
Amp Settings
Gain
7.0
Bass
3.0
Mid
8.0
Treble
6.0
Presence
6.0
Volume
7.0
Effects Chain
→
Dunlop Cry Baby
wah
→
Chandler Tube Driver
overdrive
→
→Eventide H949 (rack)
pitch/modulation
1.Dunlop Cry Baby — Used to create vocal-like midrange emphasis on leads.[web:17]
2.Chandler Tube Driver — Primary source of distortion and sustain in front of relatively clean Super Lead.[web:17]
3.Eventide H949 (rack) — Slight detune thickens tone and gives abrasive, chorus-like texture; settings quoted in Guitar World.[web:17]
Playing Technique
Highly articulate legato, fast alternate picking, and wide whammy-bar vibrato into a very touch-sensitive high-volume Marshall.
Sources+
- The secrets behind Joe Satriani's tone on Surfing With The Alien — https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/the-secrets-behind-joe-satrianis-tone-on-surfing-with-the-alien — Provides exact amp and Tube Driver settings plus H949 parameters.[web:17]
- Surfing with the Alien – Wikipedia (recording section) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfing_with_the_Alien — Confirms limited budget, Kramer Pacers, Strat-style guitar, Marshall ’68 half‑stack, Rockman, and Eventide H949 usage.[web:20]
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