Under The Bridge (Red Hot Chili Peppers) guitar tone and amp settings
Under The Bridge guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Clean amp type, clean (Gain 2), balanced lows (Bass 4), smooth top (Treble 6), neck pickup.
Settings for your amp
The song has distinct sounds: Bridge. Each rig below lists what to change for them.
Under The Bridge settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every songThese settings play the bridge.
AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Variation
- Off
- Amp Type
- Clean
- Gain
- 2
- Volume
- 5
- Bass
- 4
- Middle
- 5
- Treble
- 6
- 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
- Neck
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
Under The Bridge settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40
Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every songThese settings play the bridge.
AmpPositive Grid Spark 40
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Type
- Crunch
- Gain
- 2
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Mod
- 1.5
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 1.5
- Output
- Set to your room
- App Amp Model
- Plexiglas
- App Drive
- Off
- App Comp/Wah
- Off
- App Mod/EQ
- Chorus
- App Delay
- Off
- App Reverb
- Room Studio A
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Neck
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 9
Under The Bridge 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
- 70S ROCK
- Gain
- 2.2
- Volume
- 5.5
- Treble
- 6.2
- Bass
- 4.3
- Middle
- 5.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Stomp
- None
- Mod
- CHORUS
- Delay
- None
- Reverb
- SMALL ROOM
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Neck
- Volume
- 8.5
- Tone
- 7.5
A Strat-style single-coil guitar would better capture the original’s chime.
Under The Bridge settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
These settings play the bridge.
Amp
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 2
- Bass
- 4.5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Neck
- Volume
- 8.5
- Tone
- 8
A chorus pedal and Strat-style single-coil guitar would get closer.
Song parts
Fender Mustang LT25
Bridge:
Gain 3.2
.Strum the chords more firmly for a fuller section.
Why it sounds like that
The intro is plucked with thumb and index finger only, with the line at the end of each bar struck with the thumb and palm-muted. The high notes over it are a later overdub, not the main guitar. On the album, John Frusciante's main guitar was a '58 Strat, and for most of the basics he ran two Marshalls, a guitar head for edge and a bass head for punch and low end, with the signal split between them by a stereo chorus pedal. The Fender Jaguar from the video is believed to have been used for overdubs on the recording.
- Pluck the intro with thumb and index finger.
- Palm-mute the line at the end of each bar, striking it with the thumb.
What amp did John Frusciante use on Under The Bridge?
- Guitar.com says Frusciante used a 1958 Sunburst Stratocaster and a 1957 Stratocaster, the second turned fretless, on the album. (on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)[1]
- Frusciante said his main guitar on the album was a '58 Strat, with a Les Paul reissue on a couple of things. (on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)[1]
- Guitar.com says the Jaguar featured in the Under the Bridge video is believed to have been used for overdubs on the recording. (on this song)[1]
- Frusciante said he used two Marshalls for most of the basics, a guitar head for edge and a bass head for punch and low end. (on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)[1]
- Frusciante said he split the signal with a DOD stereo chorus pedal. (on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)[1]
- Frusciante said he used a Fender H.O.T. practice amp for some overdubs. (on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)[1]
- Frusciante said that for a lot of parts, even solos, he went straight into the board. (on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)[1]
- Mixdown says Frusciante tended to favour a beat up late ’50s model with a rosewood fretboard, which is on almost all of the main guitar tracks. (on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)[2]
- Mixdown says a 1962 Fender Jaguar appears at various points on the album. (on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)[2]
- Accounts differ: Mixdown says the Jaguar now in the Hard Rock Cafe is a 1962 model, while Guitar.com says that Jaguar is a 1966 model. (on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)[2][1]
- Accounts differ: Mixdown says a Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble was primarily used to split the signal between amps, while Frusciante names a DOD stereo chorus pedal for that job. (on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik)[2][1]
- Intro: Bonedo says the intro is plucked only with thumb and index finger. (on this song)[3]
- Intro: Bonedo says the lines at the end of each bar are struck with the thumb and muted with the heel of the hand. (on this song)[3]
- Intro: Bonedo says the high notes heard over the intro are not played by the main guitar, and John added them later as an overdub. (on this song)[3]
- Intro: Bonedo advises playing the chord picking lighter in each bar and the muted line at the end of each bar harder. (on this song)[3]
Questions
What amp did John Frusciante use on Under The Bridge?
The sources on this page document John Frusciante's gear on Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers: guitar, 1958 Sunburst Stratocaster [1]; amp, two Marshalls [1]; effects, DOD stereo chorus pedal [1]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Under The Bridge settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?
For the Under The Bridge guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Clean, Gain 2, Volume 5, Bass 4, Middle 5, Treble 6, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb Color Green, Reverb 1.5; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Neck, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master and Power Control to your room. These settings play the bridge. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Under The Bridge settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?
For the Under The Bridge guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 2, Bass 4, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.5, Mod 1.5, Delay 0, Reverb 1.5, App Amp Model Plexiglas, App Mod/EQ Chorus, App Reverb Room Studio A; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Neck, Volume 10, Tone 9. Set Master and Output to your room. These settings play the bridge. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Under The Bridge settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?
For the Under The Bridge guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 70S ROCK, Gain 2.2, Volume 5.5, Treble 6.2, Bass 4.3, Middle 5.5, Stomp None, Mod CHORUS, Delay None, Reverb SMALL ROOM; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Neck, Volume 8.5, Tone 7.5. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the Under The Bridge 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 Under The Bridge, 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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