GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Out of the Black Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Royal Blood
Royal Blood · 2010s+ · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gretsch G2220 Electromatic Junior Jet II Bass
Pickups
Gretsch Mini Humbuckers
Amp
Fender Super-Sonic (guitar amp) + Bass amp (model unspecified, likely Fender Rumble or similar)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2014 debut album. Mike Kerr uses a short-scale Gretsch bass split into guitar and bass amps with octave and fuzz effects. The solo section uses the same bass rig, not a traditional guitar. No evidence of a separate guitar for the solo. All sources confirm the unique bass-into-guitar-amp setup for the album recording.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain7.5
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Electro-Harmonix POG2 Polyphonic Octave Generator · modulation
- Z.Vex Mastotron Fuzz · fuzz
- Boss Harmonist (likely PS-6) · modulation
Gretsch G2220 Bass → Electro-Harmonix POG2 → Z.Vex Mastotron Fuzz → (Boss Harmonist for divebombs, if used) → Fender Super-Sonic guitar amp (with spring reverb) + Bass amp (split signal)
Tone Matcher
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Tone Character
- fuzzed-out and saturated
- aggressive upper midrange bite
- tight and punchy low end
- singing sustain on lead lines
- harmonic-rich fuzz texture
- compressed and thick
- distinct octave-up guitar-like presence
- crunchy and percussive attack
- wall-of-sound effect
- clear separation of bass and lead frequencies
Notes & Caveats
- No explicit numeric amp settings found for 'Out of the Black' solo; values estimated based on typical Marshall/Fender guitar amp settings for high-gain rock and genre/era conventions.
- No evidence of a traditional guitar used for the solo; all sources confirm bass with octave/fuzz into guitar amp.
- Pedal order and exact settings are not fully disclosed by the artist; pedal models inferred from multiple interviews and gear rundowns.
- No explicit mention of pickup selector position; bridge pickup inferred based on solo tone characteristics.
- No evidence of time-based or modulation effects (delay, chorus, flanger, etc.) in the solo; only octave and fuzz are confirmed.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Royal Blood's 'Out of the Black' solo section features a saturated, aggressive, mid-forward tone with tight low end and minimal ambience, typical of Mike Kerr's bass-into-guitar-amp setup using fuzz/distortion and British-voiced amps. The settings reflect the crunchy, cutting, and dry character of the tone, with strong mids and presence for clarity.