GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Sleep Now In the Fire Guitar Tone Settings
Rage Against the Machine · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Custom 'Arm The Homeless' guitar (Tom Morello's main guitar, custom body, EMG H active humbuckers, Kahler tremolo, killswitch)
Pickups
EMG H active humbuckers
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2205 head into Peavey 4x12 cabinet
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1999, Battle of Los Angeles sessions. All gear confirmed for studio use on this track. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for the riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass5.5
Gain7
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Vox Tone Bender (vintage fuzz/distortion) · fuzz
Guitar → Vox Tone Bender → Marshall JCM800 2205 head → Peavey 4x12 cabinet
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Tone Character
- aggressive and biting
- tight and percussive
- mid-forward punch
- articulate note separation
- raw and in-your-face
- compressed and focused
- minimal ambience
- fuzz-like saturation
- dynamic response to picking
- slightly nasal upper mids
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings found; values estimated based on typical JCM800 settings for Morello's tone and genre/era.
- Pedal order inferred from known Morello signal chain and audible tone; no direct studio photo for this session.
- No evidence of time-based or modulation effects in the riff section; only distortion/fuzz is clearly audible.
- Some sources mention MusicMan amp, but all reputable sources and interviews confirm Marshall JCM800 for studio recording of this song.
- Pickup choice inferred from tone and Morello's typical usage for riffs.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Tom Morello used a Marshall JCM800 with moderate-high gain, strong mids, and tight bass for aggressive punch and clarity. The tone is dry (no reverb), mid-forward, and cutting but not harsh, matching both the song's production and Morello's signature sound.