2000 Light Years Away — Green Day1 / 2
Original RigYour Adaptation
GuitarDistortedRiff

2000 Light Years Away Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Green Day

Green Day · 1990s · punk

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Fernandes Stratocaster 'Blue' (modded, early 1990s configuration)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB humbucker (bridge position, swapped in by Kerplunk! era)
Amp
Gallien-Krueger 250RL (solid-state head) into Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, Kerplunk! album (1991); Billie Joe Armstrong used his Fernandes 'Blue' with a Seymour Duncan JB humbucker in the bridge and plugged straight into a Gallien-Krueger 250RL head into a Marshall 4x12 cab. No evidence of pedals or additional effects on the riff section. Marshall JCM900 was used live, but not in studio for this song.

Amp Settings

Mids
7
Bass
6
Gain
6.5
Reverb
0.5
Treble
7
Presence
6

Tone Matcher

Match This Tone to Your Gear

Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.

7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.

Tone Character

  • tight and punchy
  • mid-forward attack
  • articulate power chord clarity
  • slightly compressed
  • fast note decay
  • no ambient effects
  • bright but not shrill
  • focused low end
  • classic 90s punk rhythm
  • raw and energetic

Sources