GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Machine head Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Bush
Bush · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Jaguar (likely 1990s Japanese reissue, as used by Gavin Rossdale on Sixteen Stone)
Pickups
Fender Jaguar single-coil pickups
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Trem-O-Verb head (used in studio for Sixteen Stone, including 'Machinehead')
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1994-1995. Gavin Rossdale used a Fender Jaguar into a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Trem-O-Verb for the main riff tones on 'Machinehead'. No evidence of live/touring substitutions or alternate guitars/amps for the studio recording. Pedal use is debated, but the core riff tone is widely attributed to guitar → amp with minimal effects.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb1.5
Treble6.5
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Noise gate (model unknown) · noise_gate
Fender Jaguar → (Noise gate, if used) → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Trem-O-Verb (spring reverb low)
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Tone Character
- thick and crunchy
- tight and percussive
- mid-heavy punch
- articulate note separation
- bassy but not muddy
- dynamic and responsive
- aggressive pick attack
- British-voiced crunch
- full-bodied modern rock
- slightly compressed
Notes & Caveats
- No official studio pedalboard photo or direct interview confirming exact pedal use for 'Machinehead' riff; most sources agree the core riff is Jaguar → Mesa/Boogie Trem-O-Verb with minimal effects.
- Amp settings are estimated based on typical 1990s Mesa/Boogie Rectifier usage for modern rock, as no direct knob settings for the recording are published.
- Some sources mention Big Muff or Tube Screamer pedals in Bush's later or live rigs, but there is no evidence these were used on the original 'Machinehead' studio riff.
- Effects listed are based on what is clearly audible in the recording and common practice for the era/genre.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Bush's 'Machinehead' riff uses a saturated, punchy Brit-rock tone typical of mid-90s post-grunge, likely from a Marshall amp with moderate mids, tight bass, and clear but not harsh treble. The gain is high but not extreme, presence is boosted for clarity, and the recording is quite dry with minimal reverb.