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All My Life Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters · 2000s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Trini Lopez (1967, cherry red, semi-hollow, stock pickups)
Pickups
Gibson '60s-style humbuckers (stock on Trini Lopez, likely original or PAF-style)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio recording, 2002)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'All My Life' (2002). Dave Grohl tracked most Foo Fighters guitar parts with his 1967 Gibson Trini Lopez through a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier. No evidence of live/tour gear or alternate guitars for this specific riff section. No pedalboard effects confirmed for the studio recording; all distortion is amp-based.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb1.5
Treble6.5
Presence6
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Tone Character
- tight, percussive palm-muted attack
- aggressive, saturated high-gain rhythm
- focused midrange punch
- clear note separation under heavy gain
- crisp, defined pick attack
- slightly scooped but not hollow
- controlled low end, no excessive boom
- modern hard rock/alternative crunch
- minimal ambience, dry and direct
- articulate and punchy
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source provides exact amp knob settings for the studio recording; settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier usage for modern rock in the early 2000s.
- No evidence of pedal use for the main riff in the studio version; all gain/distortion is amp-based.
- Some sources mention live gear (Firebird, Explorers, Telecasters, Friedman/Marshall/Vox amps), but these are not confirmed for the studio recording of 'All My Life' riff.
- Pickups are assumed to be the original humbuckers in the Trini Lopez based on period-correct photos and interviews.
- Reverb is set low as the recorded tone is dry and direct; any ambience is likely from studio mixing, not amp or pedal.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Dave Grohl and Chris Shiflett used Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers and Marshall amps with mid-forward, punchy, high-gain tones for 'All My Life.' The riff is aggressive but not overly scooped, with tight low end, present mids, and a cutting but not harsh top. The track is very dry with little reverb, matching early 2000s hard rock production.