GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Song for the Dead Guitar Tone Settings — Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age · 2000s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Marauder
Pickups
Stock Gibson Marauder pickups (single-coil neck, humbucker bridge, both custom-wired)
Amp
Ampeg V-4
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2002. Gear confirmed for Songs for the Deaf album sessions. Pedalboard and amp choices based on direct source evidence for this album and song. Not live rig.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass7
Gain7.5
Reverb1.5
Treble6
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive · overdrive
- Boss GE-7 Graphic Equalizer · eq
- ZVEX Super Hard On Boost · boost
Gibson Marauder → Boss SD-1 → Boss GE-7 → ZVEX Super Hard On → Ampeg V-4 (spring reverb on)
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Tone Character
- thick and mid-forward
- aggressive and saturated
- tight and focused attack
- singing sustain
- cutting lead presence
- punchy, compressed dynamics
- articulate note separation
- modern stoner rock lead sound
- slightly scooped highs
- dense, harmonically rich distortion
Notes & Caveats
- No direct amp knob settings for the solo section found; amp settings estimated based on Ampeg V-4 typical usage in stoner rock and Homme's known mid-forward tone.
- Pedal settings for Boss SD-1 are from Guitar World (level and tone at 10, drive at 0), but other pedal settings are not specified.
- No explicit mention of time-based or modulation effects for the solo; no delay, chorus, flanger, or phaser is clearly audible or cited for this section.
- Signal chain order inferred from typical Josh Homme studio setup and pedalboard photos from the era.
- Guitar pickup choice inferred from solo tone characteristics and Homme's known preference for bridge pickup on leads.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Josh Homme's solo tone on 'Song for the Dead' is thick, saturated, and mid-forward with a fuzzy, stoner-rock edge—likely using a cranked amp (often a Matamp or Orange) with high gain, boosted bass, strong mids, and restrained treble/presence to avoid harshness. The production is dry, with little to no reverb, matching the band's signature desert rock sound.