TonesMatch
Wake Up — Rage Against the Machine1 / 2
Original RigYour Adaptation
GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence

Wake Up Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine · 1990s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Custom 'Arm the Homeless' (Tom Morello's main guitar, custom body, graphite Kramer neck, EMG pickups, Ibanez Edge tremolo)
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge), EMG H (neck) active humbuckers
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2205 head into Peavey 4x12 cabinet
Pickup Position
Neck pickup (EMG H), as per Morello's own comments about the 'front pickup' sound on RATM riffs

Studio recording, 1991-1992, Rage Against the Machine debut album. Flanger pedal run in the amp's effects loop after preamp distortion for the main riff. No evidence of other guitars or amps for this section.

Amp Settings

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

Effects Chain

  • Ibanez DFL Digital Flanger · flanger

Guitar (Arm the Homeless, neck pickup) → Marshall JCM800 preamp/distortion → Ibanez DFL Flanger (in effects loop) → Peavey 4x12 cabinet

Tone Matcher

Match This Tone to Your Gear

Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.

Adapt to MY Gear →

7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.

Tone Character

  • sweeping flanger modulation
  • tight and percussive attack
  • aggressive, saturated distortion
  • mid-heavy British crunch
  • dry, no reverb
  • articulate, punchy riffing
  • active pickup clarity
  • dynamic, riff-driven groove
  • distinctive flange sweep
  • studio-polished, present mids

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp knob settings for 'Wake Up' studio recording found; settings estimated based on Marshall JCM800 typical usage for 1990s RATM and genre.
  • ⚠️Pedal settings for Ibanez DFL Flanger not specified in sources; only pedal model and effects loop usage confirmed.
  • ⚠️Pickup choice inferred from Morello's own statements about using the neck pickup for RATM riffs, but not explicitly stated for 'Wake Up' riff.
  • ⚠️No evidence of delay, reverb, or other effects used in the riff section; only flanger is confirmed and clearly audible.
  • ⚠️Signal chain and effects loop usage confirmed by multiple forum discussions and interviews, but not by official studio documentation.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Tom Morello used a Marshall JCM800 with moderate-high gain, strong mids, and a tight, punchy low end for 'Wake Up.' The tone is dry, mid-forward, and aggressive, with no audible reverb and just enough treble and presence to cut through the mix without harshness.

Sources