GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Black Flag Riff Guitar Tone Settings — King's X
King's X · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Elite Stratocaster (early 1980s, CBS era)
Pickups
Fender Elite Stratocaster stock pickups (active, single-coil style with dummy coil for hum cancelling)
Amp
Lab Series L5 solid-state combo amp
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1989. Ty Tabor used the Elite Stratocaster with all controls maxed into a Lab Series L5 amp for the heavy rhythm/riff tone on 'Black Flag'. No drive/distortion pedals; distortion comes from amp and picking attack. Effects (chorus, delay) were used sparingly and mostly for solos, not main riff. Chorus occasionally used for rhythm on some tracks, but not confirmed for 'Black Flag' riff.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass5
Gain7.5
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6
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Tone Character
- richly distorted yet crisp
- tight and percussive
- clear note separation
- articulate attack
- cutting upper mids
- massive rhythm guitar sound
- solid-state saturation
- not a lot of low end from guitar
- aggressive pick attack
- defined rhythm
Notes & Caveats
- No explicit amp knob settings for 'Black Flag' found in sources; settings estimated based on Lab Series L5 typical usage for Ty Tabor's heavy rhythm tones as described in Guitar World and MusicRadar.
- No evidence of pedal use for distortion or boost on the riff section; all sources state distortion is from amp and picking attack.
- Chorus and delay effects are confirmed for solos and some rhythm parts on other songs, but not specifically for 'Black Flag' riff; not included in pedals array for this section.
- Pickup position inferred from Ty Tabor's typical use of bridge pickup for heavy rhythm sections.
- Bass setting is lower than typical rock tones, matching source comment that 'the L5 didn't give him the bass he wanted'.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Ty Tabor's 'Black Flag' riff tone is classic early-90s King's X: thick, mid-forward, and crunchy but not ultra-high gain, likely achieved with his Lab Series L5 or Mesa/Boogie amps, mids pushed for note definition, moderate bass for tightness, and minimal reverb as per the dry, punchy mix style of the era.