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Seven Nation Army Riff Guitar Tone Settings — The White Stripes
The White Stripes · 2000s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Early-'60s Kay K6533 archtop hollowbody
Pickups
Kay “cheese grater” single-coil (neck pickup only)
Amp
Mid-'60s Sears Silvertone 1485 (head) with 6x10 Silvertone 1485 cabinet
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 2002-2003. Guitar tuned to Open A (E A E A C# E). Riff section uses neck pickup only. No bass guitar used; the riff is played on guitar with octave-down effect. No evidence of live rig or alternate gear for this part.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass5.5
Gain6
Reverb0
Treble6.5
Presence5
Effects Chain
- DigiTech Whammy 4 · other
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi · fuzz
Kay K6533 archtop hollowbody (neck pickup) → DigiTech Whammy 4 (octave down) → Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi → Sears Silvertone 1485 amp (no reverb, tremolo off) → 6x10 Silvertone cab
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Tone Character
- fuzzed-out and saturated
- thick, compressed single-note riff
- octave-down bass-like effect
- raw and garage-inspired
- mid-heavy with pronounced treble
- aggressive and punchy attack
- minimal sustain from fuzz
- no reverb or ambience
- slightly nasal, vintage character
- slide-enhanced sustain
Notes & Caveats
- Amp settings (Volume: 6, Bass: 5, Treble: 7) are from Guitar World and are for the Silvertone 1485; mid and presence estimated based on typical amp voicing for this genre/era.
- No explicit mention of mid or presence knob settings; estimated based on amp and genre.
- No evidence of reverb or modulation effects; reverb and tremolo were off per source.
- Pedal order inferred from multiple sources and typical usage.
- No evidence of additional pedals or effects beyond Whammy and Big Muff for this section.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Jack White used a semi-hollow guitar with a pitch shifter into a vintage tube amp (Silvertone 1485), creating a thick, mid-forward crunch with little to no reverb. The tone is punchy, not overly bright, with prominent mids and moderate gain for a raw, garage rock sound.