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Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine) guitar tone and amp settings

Killing in the Name guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Crunch amp type, medium gain (Gain 6.5), forward mids (Middle 7), bright top (Treble 6.5), bridge pickup.

Tuning: Drop D

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

The song has distinct sounds: Solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.

Killing in the Name settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every song

AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

VariationOff
Amp TypeCrunch
Gain6.5
Volume6Set amp-section level to balance the room volume.
Bass5.5
Middle7
Treble6.5
Booster0
Mod0
FX0
Delay0
Reverb ColorGreen
Reverb1.5
Set to your roomMaster
Set to your roomPower Control

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the crunchy amp response firm.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Variation
Off
Amp Type
Crunch
Gain
6.5
Volume
6
Bass
5.5
Middle
7
Treble
6.5
Booster
0
Mod
0
FX
0
Delay
0
Reverb Color
Green
Reverb
1.5
Master
Set to your room
Power Control
Set to your room

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Killing in the Name settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40

Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every song

AmpPositive Grid Spark 40

Amp TypeCrunch
Gain6.5
Bass5
Mid7
Treble6
Set to your roomMaster
Mod0
Delay0
Reverb0
Set to your roomOutput
App Amp ModelPlexiglasin the app, optional

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the riff forceful and drives the amp.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Type
Crunch
Gain
6.5
Bass
5
Mid
7
Treble
6
Master
Set to your room
Mod
0
Delay
0
Reverb
0
Output
Set to your room
App Amp Model
Plexiglas

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

A Whammy-style pitch-shifter is needed to reproduce the solo.

Killing in the Name settings on a Fender Mustang LT25

Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every song

AmpFender Mustang LT25

Amp Model80S ROCKin the menu
Gain6.4
Volume6Set for a solid input level; match loudness to the room.
Treble6.5
Bass5
Middle6.5in the menu
Set to your roomMaster
StompNonein the menu
ModNonein the menu
DelayNonein the menu
ReverbNonein the menu

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output for strong amp drive.
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Model
80S ROCK
Gain
6.4
Volume
6
Treble
6.5
Bass
5
Middle
6.5
Master
Set to your room
Stomp
None
Mod
None
Delay
None
Reverb
None

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
7

A Whammy-style pitch shifter adds expressive pitch sweeps unavailable here.

Killing in the Name settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

Amp

Gain7
Bass5
Mid7
Treble6

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output drives the amp for a firm, aggressive crunch
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
7
Bass
5
Mid
7
Treble
6

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Add a DigiTech Whammy WH-1 to approximate the solo’s pitch-shift effect.

Song parts

Positive Grid Spark 40

  1. Solo:

    Gain 7.5

    .

    Use an external Whammy-style pitch sweep.

Song parts

Any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

  1. Solo:

    Pickup Selector Neck + Bridge

    .

    Select both pickups for a smoother solo approximation.

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

The riffs are heavy drop-D riffs played on a Fender Telecaster. A Les Paul was overdubbed over the Telecaster, doubling the riff with a second guitar. The solo comes from a DigiTech Whammy pedal. The amp is a Marshall JCM 800 head into a Peavey cabinet, a setup that stayed unchanged across the Rage albums. The pedalboard stayed small, with few effects, from the first album onward.

  • For the solo, run a DigiTech Whammy pedal, as the recording does.
  • Double the Telecaster part with a second guitar in the overdubs, as Morello did with a Les Paul.

What amp did Tom Morello use on Killing in the Name?

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

Tom Morello

Guitar
Fender Telecaster[1][2]
Amp
Marshall JCM 800 2205[5]
Effects
DigiTech Whammy WH-1[1][2]
  • Morello played this song on his Telecaster, with a Les Paul backing it up. (on this song)[1][2]
  • Solo: Riffology says the solo on this song is played through a DigiTech Whammy pedal. (on this song)[1]
  • Riffology says the song is built on heavy drop-D riffs. (on this song)[1]
  • Morello lists Killing in the Name among his drop-D songs. (on this song)[3]
  • Morello's Telecaster was one of his two guitars going into the album. (on the album Rage Against the Machine)[3]
  • Morello describes his stock 1982 Fender Telecaster as one of his two main guitars. (in a later era)[4]
  • Morello said in 2008 that he uses a Marshall JCM 800 2205 head through a Peavey 4x12 cabinet. (in a later era)[4]
  • Morello has used the same pedalboard and effects since the start of Rage. (on the album Rage Against the Machine)[4]
  • Morello said his amp and cabinet were unchanged for every Rage album. (on the album Rage Against the Machine)[5]
  • Morello named a DigiTech Whammy WH-1 among his four main pedals. (in a later era)[4]
  • Morello overdubbed his Les Paul over his Telecaster on this song. (on this song)[2][3]
  • Riffology says the riffs were found while Morello showed a student drop-D tuning. (on this song)[1]
  • Bonedo reports that Tim Commerford tuned his low E string down to D, which it calls drop D tuning, to get more low end. (on this song)[6]

Questions

What amp did Tom Morello use on Killing in the Name?

The sources on this page document Tom Morello's gear on Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine: guitar, Fender Telecaster [1][2]; amp, Marshall JCM 800 2205 [5]; effects, DigiTech Whammy WH-1 [1][2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the Killing in the Name settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?

For the Killing in the Name guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 6.5, Volume 6, Bass 5.5, Middle 7, Treble 6.5, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb Color Green, Reverb 1.5; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. 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 Killing in the Name settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?

For the Killing in the Name guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0, App Amp Model Plexiglas; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Output to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Killing in the Name settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?

For the Killing in the Name guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 80S ROCK, Gain 6.4, Volume 6, Treble 6.5, Bass 5, Middle 6.5, Stomp None, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb None; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What tuning is Killing in the Name in?

Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine is played in Drop D, according to the cited source [3][6]. Tune to it before you set the amp, or the riff will not sit right against the record.

Can I get the Killing in the Name 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 Killing in the Name, 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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