GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Celebrity Skin Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Hole
Hole · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Rickenbacker 360
Pickups
Rickenbacker Hi-Gain single coils
Amp
Randall Commander II RG-120 212
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1998. Gear confirmed as used by Courtney Love for the 'Celebrity Skin' album. No direct evidence for alternate guitars/amps for the riff section; Univox Hi-Flier is also associated with Love, but Rickenbacker 360 is most cited for this era and song.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain7
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi · fuzz
Rickenbacker 360 → Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi → Randall Commander II RG-120 212 (minimal spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- gritty and aggressive
- fuzz-laden
- bright and cutting
- tight and focused
- raw power
- jangly clarity
- robust and commanding
- punchy attack
- melodic over heavy rhythm
- anthemic energy
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source gives exact amp knob settings; values estimated based on typical Randall RG-120 usage for 90s alternative rock and the described tone.
- No explicit pickup selector position found; bridge pickup inferred due to bright, cutting, aggressive riff tone.
- No direct evidence of pedal settings or exact pedal order; Big Muff Pi fuzz pedal is cited as a key part of Courtney Love's sound for this era.
- No evidence of modulation or time-based effects (chorus, delay, flanger, etc.) in the riff section; only distortion/fuzz is clearly audible.
- No evidence of effects loop usage or amp-based effects beyond minimal reverb.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson favored Marshall JCM800s with moderate-high gain and forward mids for punchy, cutting alt-rock tones. The riff is crunchy and bright but not overly scooped or saturated, with minimal reverb typical of late-90s radio rock production.