GuitarDistortedRiff
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