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29. Electronic Guitar Tone

Chad

• 5 min read
29. Electronic Guitar Tone

Start with a Basic Starting Tone

  • Set the bass, middle, and treble knobs on your amp to the middle position with no additional effects.
  • This is your basic starting tone.
    • You start here and then make one small adjustment after the other until you have an amazing guitar tone.

EQ (Equalization)

EQ controls the balance of frequencies in your guitar tone.

Bass Knob

  • Adjusts the lower frequencies.
  • Lower settings create a tighter, thinner sound.
  • Higher settings produce a thicker, warmer tone.
  • Commonly boosted for rhythm sections or in metal and funk bands.
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Middle Knob

  • Adjusts the midrange frequencies.
  • Lower settings make the guitar less prominent in the mix.
  • Higher settings make the guitar more prominent in the mix.
  • Increased middle frequencies make the guitar stand out more, ideal for blues, rock, and lead playing.
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Treble Knob

  • Adjusts the high frequencies; also known as the "treble".
  • Lower settings make the sound smooth and less sharp.
  • Higher settings produce a sharp and defined tone.
  • Typically boosted for lead parts to cut through the mix.
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Tip: Keep EQ knobs between 3 and 7 unless a specific tone requires extreme settings to prevent unwanted distortion.

Gain

  • Higher gain = More distortion, sustain, and compression.
  • Lower gain = A cleaner sound with more dynamics.
  • This knob controls the level of distortion on overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedals.
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Overdrive

  • Produces a slightly gritty or warm sound, often used for blues, classic rock, and more dynamic styles.
  • Lighter playing = Less distortion.
  • Harder playing = More distortion.
  • Maintains clarity, especially at lower gain settings.
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Distortion

  • Used in hard rock, metal, and high-gain styles.
  • Tighter and more intense distortion than overdrive, with less sensitivity to subtle picking dynamics.
  • Adds compression, creating a thicker, sustained tone.

Common Knobs:

  • Gain/Drive – Controls distortion intensity.
  • Tone – Adjusts treble or bass.
  • Volume/Level – Sets volume level.
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Fuzz

  • Produces heavily compressed, extreme distortion.
  • Common in psychedelic/stoner rock.
  • Iconic in Jimi Hendrix’s "Purple Haze".

Common Knobs:

  • Fuzz – Controls fuzz distortion intensity
  • Tone – Adjusts treble or bass.
  • Volume/Level – Sets volume level.
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Wah-Wah