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First It Giveth Guitar Tone Settings — Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age · 2000s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar

Ovation Ultra GP

Pickups

DiMarzio Super Distortion humbuckers

Amp

Ampeg V-4

Pickup Position

Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 2002. Josh Homme is known to have used the Ovation Ultra GP with DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups and Ampeg V-4 amps for the main riff tones on 'Songs for the Deaf', including 'First It Giveth'. No evidence of live substitutions or alternate guitars/amps for the studio riff section.

Amp Settings

Mids

Bass

Gain

7.5

Reverb

Treble

Presence

5.5

Effects Chain

Boss GE-7 Equalizer · eq
Univox Super-Fuzz · fuzz

Ovation Ultra GP → Boss GE-7 Equalizer (mid boost) → Univox Super-Fuzz → Ampeg V-4 (no reverb)

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Tone Character

thick and mid-forward
fuzzy and saturated
tight and percussive attack
aggressive midrange emphasis
dry with no reverb
compressed and focused
slightly scooped highs
cranked amp gain
articulate pick attack
dense, wall-of-sound rhythm

Notes & Caveats

⚠️No direct numeric amp settings for 'First It Giveth' studio riff found; settings estimated based on known Ampeg V-4 usage, era, and genre.
⚠️Pedal models inferred from era and multiple sources referencing EQ and fuzz/boost, but no photo of exact pedalboard for this song's studio session.
⚠️No evidence of time-based or modulation effects (delay, chorus, flanger, etc.) on the riff section; only fuzz/distortion and EQ are clearly relevant.
⚠️Presence and reverb set to typical values for this genre/amp, as no direct source found.
⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Josh Homme's tone on 'First It Giveth' is thick, mid-forward, and fuzzy with a crunchy, saturated drive typical of his Matamp/Orange setup. He favors high mids and bass for punch and warmth, moderate treble to avoid harshness, and a dry, room-mic'd sound with little to no amp reverb.