GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
First Date Riff Guitar Tone Settings — blink-182
blink-182 · 2000s · punk
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Tom DeLonge Signature ES-333
Pickups
Seymour Duncan SH-5 Custom (bridge humbucker, stock for Tom's ES-333 signature)
Amp
Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier (blended with Marshall JCM900 4100 in studio)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'First Date' (2001, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket). Tom DeLonge used his signature Gibson ES-333 with a single Seymour Duncan SH-5 Custom bridge humbucker. The amp tone was a blend of Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and Marshall JCM900 4100, both into 4x12 cabinets. No evidence of other guitars or amps used for the main riff in the studio. Effects were mostly rack-based (TC Electronic G-Force) and/or pedals. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6.5
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
Adapt to MY Gear →7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm-muted attack
- saturated high-gain crunch
- bright and articulate
- slightly scooped mids
- chunky low end
- compressed pick response
- minimal ambience
- dry, in-your-face
- modern pop-punk clarity
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp knob settings for 'First Date' studio session found; settings estimated based on typical Mesa Triple Rectifier/Marshall JCM900 pop-punk studio blends and era.
- No evidence of modulation, delay, or reverb effects in the riff section; all effects settings inferred from genre, era, and audio.
- Pedal and rack effects (e.g., TC Electronic G-Force) were used for other songs/sections, but not audible or cited for the main riff.
- Guitar model confirmed as Tom DeLonge Signature ES-333 with Seymour Duncan SH-5 Custom bridge humbucker for this era and song.
- If new evidence of pedal use for the riff emerges, update accordingly.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Tom DeLonge's 'First Date' tone is a tight, mid-forward pop-punk crunch with high gain but not modern metal saturation, using a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (mid knob higher than typical metal), moderate bass for punch, and bright but not harsh treble. The track is dry with little to no reverb, matching early 2000s pop-punk production.