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Testify — Rage Against the Machine1 / 2
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Testify Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine · 1990s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
1982 Fender American Telecaster (Tom Morello's main Drop D Telecaster, with stickers)
Pickups
Stock Fender single-coil (neck position only, as per Morello's statements)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2205 head into Peavey 4x12 cabinet
Pickup Position
Neck pickup

Studio recording, 1999 (The Battle of Los Angeles). Guitar always in neck pickup position for all Drop D Rage tracks including 'Testify'. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this riff section. Effects chain unchanged from early RATM era.

Amp Settings

Mids
7
Bass
5.5
Gain
7
Reverb
0
Treble
6.5
Presence
6

Effects Chain

  • DigiTech WH-1 Whammy · modulation
  • Dunlop Cry Baby Wah (early 80s model) · wah
  • Boss DD-2 Digital Delay · delay
  • MXR Phase 90 · phaser

Fender Telecaster (neck pickup) → DigiTech WH-1 Whammy → Dunlop Cry Baby Wah → Boss DD-2 Digital Delay → Marshall JCM800 2205 → Peavey 4x12 cab

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Tone Character

  • warm and thick neck pickup sound
  • aggressive, saturated distortion
  • tight, percussive attack
  • mid-forward punch
  • distinctive filter sweep (wah pedal)
  • dry, unprocessed amp tone (no reverb)
  • dynamic, expressive riffing
  • compressed, focused sound
  • heavy, drop D riffing
  • clear articulation despite high gain

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No explicit numeric amp settings found for 'Testify' studio session; settings estimated based on Morello's statements about never changing his carved-in JCM800 settings and typical Marshall 2205 usage for RATM.
  • ⚠️No evidence of reverb used on amp or pedals; sources and isolated tracks confirm dry tone.
  • ⚠️Pedal settings not specified in sources; pedal models and order confirmed by multiple interviews and pedalboard photos.
  • ⚠️All effects listed are confirmed for the riff section; no evidence of additional modulation (chorus/flanger/phaser) or reverb.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Tom Morello's 'Testify' riff tone is aggressive, mid-forward, and dry, using a Marshall JCM800 with high gain, mids pushed for punch, moderate bass for tightness, and little to no reverb; these settings reflect his typical amp setup and the song's raw, in-your-face production.

Sources