GuitarDistortedRiff
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
Mids7
Bass6
Gain7
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6.5
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
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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