GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction Guitar Tone Settings
The Rolling Stones · 1960s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone into Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1959 or 1960, but some sources suggest a Harmony Meteor or Les Paul Custom; the most credible is Les Paul Standard for the studio recording)
Pickups
Gibson PAF humbuckers
Amp
likely Fender Twin or Fender Showman (exact model not confirmed in sources, but period-correct and most likely for the Stones' 1965 US sessions)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1965. Keith Richards used the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone pedal for the main riff. The fuzz was used to imitate a horn section. No evidence of additional pedals or amp effects. Guitar is most likely a Gibson Les Paul Standard with PAF humbuckers, as per most credible sources for the original studio recording.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain4
Reverb1
Treble7.5
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone · fuzz
Guitar → Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone → Fender Twin or Showman amp
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Tone Character
- raspy, horn-like fuzz
- biting, compressed attack
- midrange-forward, honky tone
- saturated, buzzy sustain
- tight, focused riff articulation
- aggressive, percussive edge
- distinctive, nasal fuzz character
- notably compressed and clipped
- no clean blend, all-out fuzz
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source confirms the exact amp model or settings; Fender Twin or Showman is inferred based on era and Stones' US studio gear.
- Some sources mention a Harmony Meteor or Les Paul Custom, but the Les Paul Standard is most credible for the studio recording.
- No numeric amp settings found; values estimated based on typical Fender clean amp settings for 1960s rock with fuzz pedal.
- No evidence of additional pedals or amp-based effects (delay, chorus, etc.) beyond the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone.
- Pickup position is inferred as bridge based on tone and typical usage for riff clarity.
- No evidence of effects loop or additional signal processing.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The iconic 'Satisfaction' riff was recorded with a Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz into a clean or barely breaking-up amp (likely Fender or Vox), so the amp itself is set clean with mids and treble boosted for cut and clarity, little bass to avoid muddiness, and no reverb as was typical for early 60s British rock recordings.