Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers) guitar tone and amp settings
Californication guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Clean amp type, low gain (Gain 2.5), bright top (Treble 6.5), balanced lows (Bass 4), bridge pickup.
Settings for your amp
Californication settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every songAmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Variation
- Off
- Amp Type
- Clean
- Gain
- 2.5
- Volume
- 6
- Bass
- 4
- Middle
- 5.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Booster
- 0
- Mod
- 0
- FX
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 0
- Master
- Set to your room
- Power Control
- Set to your room
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 8
- Tone
- 7
Californication settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40
Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every songAmpPositive Grid Spark 40
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Type
- Clean
- Gain
- 3.5
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 5.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Mod
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 0
- Output
- Set to your room
- App Amp Model
- Black Duo
- App Drive
- Off
- App Comp/Wah
- LA Comp
- App Mod/EQ
- Off
- App Delay
- Off
- App Reverb
- Off
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 7.5
- Tone
- 7
Californication settings on a Fender Mustang LT25
Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every songAmpFender Mustang LT25
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Model
- TWIN CLEAN
- Gain
- 2.5
- Volume
- 6
- Treble
- 5.5
- Bass
- 4.5
- Middle
- 5.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Stomp
- COMPRESSOR
- Mod
- None
- Delay
- None
- Reverb
- None
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 8
- Tone
- 7
Californication settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
Amp
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 2.5
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 6.5
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 8
- Tone
- 7
Why it sounds like that
John Frusciante used a ’62 Strat on Californication. It showed up during the sessions and was used a lot on the record, and a ’58 Strat always seemed to sound better for what he wanted on the album. The album’s clean tones came from a Fender Showman amp. He played fairly loud, so the amplifiers compressed, and the engineer also compressed the guitar as it was recorded. The guitar was miked with one SM57 and one U87 on each cabinet, and he used only a few pedals.
- Build the intro from open-position A minor and F major arpeggios, with open strings adding color.
- For the solo, repeat and develop simple melodic ideas, varying the rhythm or the ending rather than chasing speed.
What amp did John Frusciante use on Californication?
- Dave Lee recalls the ’62 Strat first showing up during the Californication sessions. (on the album Californication)[1]
- Dave Lee said Frusciante used this Strat a lot on Californication. (on the album Californication)[1]
- Frusciante said the ’58 Strat always seemed to sound better for what he wanted on Californication. (on the album Californication)[2]
- The clean tones on the Californication album came from a Fender Showman amp. (on the album Californication)[2]
- Frusciante said he used the bridge pickup quite a bit for a period that included Californication. (on the album Californication)[3]
- Jim Scott said Frusciante played fairly loud, which created amplifier compression on the album. (on the album Californication)[4]
- Jim Scott said he compressed Frusciante's guitar with a Urei 1176 as he recorded it. (on the album Californication)[4]
- Jim Scott said Frusciante uses a few pedals and is not really a pedal guy. (on the album Californication)[4]
- Jim Scott said the guitar was miked with two SM57 and two U87 microphones, one of each on each cabinet. (on the album Californication)[4]
- Jim Scott said Frusciante added only a few guitar overdubs, maybe two or three on some songs. (on the album Californication)[4]
- Frusciante said his main guitar was the ’62 Strat he got when he rejoined the band in 1998. (in a later era)[5]
- Guitar World says Frusciante bought his Stratocaster in the late 1990s when he rejoined the band for the Californication era. (on the album Californication)[5]
- Intro: The intro uses open-position A minor and F major arpeggios with open string notes to add color. (on this song)[2]
- Solo: The solo changes key to F# minor, with a tone more typical of funk rhythm than rock lead. (on this song)[2]
- Solo: The solo repeats and develops simple melodic ideas, varying the rhythm or the ending, without the need for speed. (on this song)[2]
- Verse: The end of the verse changes chords twice as often to build momentum. (on this song)[2]
Questions
What amp did John Frusciante use on Californication?
The sources on this page document John Frusciante's gear on Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers: guitar, ’62 Strat [1]; amp, Fender Showman [2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Californication settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?
For the Californication guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Clean, Gain 2.5, Volume 6, Bass 4, Middle 5.5, Treble 6.5, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 8, Tone 7. Set Master and Power Control to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Californication settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?
For the Californication guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Clean, Gain 3.5, Bass 4, Mid 6, Treble 5.5, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0, App Amp Model Black Duo, App Comp/Wah LA Comp; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 7.5, Tone 7. Set Master and Output to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Californication settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?
For the Californication guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model TWIN CLEAN, Gain 2.5, Volume 6, Treble 5.5, Bass 4.5, Middle 5.5, Stomp COMPRESSOR, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb None; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 8, Tone 7. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the Californication tone on my own amp?
Yes. The settings above cover 3 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for Californication, using only the controls your gear has.
Get it for your exact rig
KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for this song.
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