GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Sex On Fire Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon · 2000s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Epiphone Sheraton II
Pickups
Epiphone mini-humbuckers
Amp
Selmer TruVoice Treble-N-Bass Fifty
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2008 (Only by the Night). The Selmer TruVoice Treble-N-Bass Fifty was confirmed by producer Jacquire King for the studio recording of 'Sex On Fire'. The Epiphone Sheraton II was used for the riff in studio lesson recreations. No evidence of pedal overdrive/distortion; tone is amp-driven. Delay applied in studio post-processing.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain6
Reverb2.5
Treble7
Presence6
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Tone Character
- gritty and up front
- dynamic and touch-sensitive
- edge-of-breakup crunch
- tight and percussive attack
- slightly compressed
- raw, anthemic
- melodically rich
- British-voiced amp crunch
- breaks up when played hard
- clear and articulate
Notes & Caveats
- No exact numeric amp settings found; estimated based on Selmer TruVoice typical settings for British crunch and genre/era.
- Epiphone Sheraton II confirmed for studio riff recreation, but not 100% confirmed for original studio take; Selmer amp confirmed by producer.
- Delay effect is confirmed as studio post-processing, not pedal or amp effect.
- No evidence of pedal overdrive/distortion; all gain from amp.
- No evidence of modulation, wah, or chorus effects in riff section.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Sex On Fire' riff features a crunchy, mid-forward British rock tone typical of a Vox AC30 or similar amp, with moderate gain, solid bass, and pronounced mids/treble for clarity and bite. The production is fairly dry with just a touch of reverb for space, matching Kings of Leon's late-2000s arena rock sound.