GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
(Beginning of What's About to Happen) Hwy 74 Guitar Tone Settings
Kyuss · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Epiphone Dot
Pickups
Epiphone Alnico Classic humbuckers
Amp
Ampeg VT-40
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1991 (from the album 'Wretch'). Gear confirmed for Josh Homme in Kyuss studio era. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this riff section. Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive pedal also cited as part of Homme's core studio rig for this period.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass8
Gain8
Reverb1
Treble5.5
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive · overdrive
Epiphone Dot → Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive → Ampeg VT-40 (with spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- thick and saturated
- earthy and organic
- weighty low end
- gritty and aggressive
- raw and uncompressed
- mid-heavy punch
- fuzzy and dense
- resonant and sustaining
- slightly scooped highs
- ferocious intensity
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings found for this song; settings estimated based on typical Ampeg VT-40 usage in stoner rock and Kyuss's described tone.
- Pedal model (Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive) confirmed for Homme's Kyuss era, but no explicit pedal settings or signal chain order for this specific song.
- No explicit mention of pickup selector position; bridge pickup inferred from tone and genre.
- No evidence of time-based or modulation effects (delay, chorus, flanger, etc.) in sources or audible in the riff section; only overdrive/fuzz/distortion present.
- Amp reverb is set low, as is typical for Kyuss studio tones.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Josh Homme's Kyuss era tone is thick, saturated, and dark, using high gain, huge bass, and rolled-off treble/mids for a desert/stoner vibe. Typical of his Matamp/Ampeg setup, the tone is dry (no reverb), with presence set to keep clarity without harshness.