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Where Is My Mind? (Pixies) guitar tone and amp settings

Where Is My Mind? guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Crunch amp type, high gain (Gain 7.5), bright top (Treble 6.5), even mids (Middle 6), bridge pickup.

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

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

Where Is My Mind? settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every song

These settings play the distorted verse.

AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

VariationOff
Amp TypeCrunch
Gain7.5
Volume5Balances amp-section level against the master.
Bass4.5
Middle6
Treble6.5
Booster0
Mod0
FX0
Delay0
Reverb0
Set to your roomMaster
Set to your roomPower Control

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output for a forceful, driven guitar sound.
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Variation
Off
Amp Type
Crunch
Gain
7.5
Volume
5
Bass
4.5
Middle
6
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
10
Tone
7

Where Is My Mind? settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40

Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every song

AmpPositive Grid Spark 40

Amp TypeClean
Gain3
Bass4.5
Mid6
Treble6
Set to your roomMaster
Mod0
Delay0
Reverb1.5
Set to your roomOutput

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorNeck + Bridge
Volume10Full output keeps the clean tone clear.
Tone7.5
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Type
Clean
Gain
3
Bass
4.5
Mid
6
Treble
6
Master
Set to your room
Mod
0
Delay
0
Reverb
1.5
Output
Set to your room

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Neck + Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
7.5

Where Is My Mind? settings on a Fender Mustang LT25

Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every song

These settings play the distorted verse.

AmpFender Mustang LT25

Amp Model70S ROCKin the menu
Gain5.5Moderate drive for the grinding, abrasive guitar sound.
Volume6Set preset level to suit the room while retaining the drive character.
Treble6
Bass5
Middle6in 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 a firm, driven amp response.
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Model
70S ROCK
Gain
5.5
Volume
6
Treble
6
Bass
5
Middle
6
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

Where Is My Mind? settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

These settings play the distorted verse.

Amp

Gain6.5
Bass4
Mid6.5
Treble6

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output to drive the amp into gritty breakup
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
6.5
Bass
4
Mid
6.5
Treble
6

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
7

Song parts

Positive Grid Spark 40

  1. Distorted verse:

    Amp Type Crunch, Gain 6.5, Pickup Selector Bridge

    .

    Dig into the grinding two-note arpeggio.

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

Joey Santiago's riffs on Where Is My Mind? come from a Gibson Les Paul Goldtop he borrowed from Kim Deal, because Black Francis already had the Telecaster. The Surfer Rosa sessions used a Peavey Special as the amp. The verses are powered by an abrasive, grinding two-note arpeggio. The solo runs a minor pentatonic scale over major chords. Black Francis played acoustic underneath it.

  • Play the lick as a unison string figure, flattening the notes in a Chuck Berry style.
  • Play the solo in minor pentatonic over the major chords.

What amp did Joey Santiago use on Where Is My Mind??

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

Joey Santiago

Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Goldtop[4]
Amp
Peavey Special[5]
  • Intro: Santiago said Black Francis showed him the chords and he played the simple lead notes at the beginning. (on this song)[1]
  • Santiago said the lick is a unison string figure in which he flattens the notes, in a Chuck Berry style. (on this song)[2]
  • Solo: Santiago said the chords are major but the solo is in minor pentatonic. (on this song)[2]
  • Solo: Santiago said the solo goes over a B major chord, and he played B minor pentatonic over it because it sounded right to him. (on this song)[1]
  • Distorted verse: Santiago's grinding two-note arpeggio defines the verse. (on this song)[3]
  • Distorted verse: MusicRadar reports that the verses are powered by Santiago's abrasive guitar. (on this song)[3]
  • Santiago used Deal's Gibson Les Paul Goldtop for the angular riffs on Where Is My Mind? (on the album Surfer Rosa)[4]
  • Long Live Vinyl says Black Francis played a blonde Fender American Standard Telecaster during the Surfer Rosa sessions. (on the album Surfer Rosa)[4]
  • Santiago said he played Kim’s Goldtop because Black Francis had the Telecaster. (on the album Surfer Rosa)[5]
  • Santiago plugged into a Peavey Special for the Surfer Rosa sessions. (on the album Surfer Rosa)[5]
  • Santiago said the amp on these albums was a Peavey with a trilly sound built in. (on the album Surfer Rosa)[1]
  • Santiago was encouraged to use metal plectrums on Surfer Rosa. (on the album Surfer Rosa)[4]
  • MusicRadar says Black Francis left his Telecaster in its case and played acoustic on this song. (on this song)[3]

Questions

What amp did Joey Santiago use on Where Is My Mind??

The sources on this page document Joey Santiago's gear on Where Is My Mind? by Pixies: guitar, Gibson Les Paul Goldtop [4]; amp, Peavey Special [5]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the Where Is My Mind? settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?

For the Where Is My Mind? guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 7.5, Volume 5, Bass 4.5, Middle 6, Treble 6.5, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master and Power Control to your room. These settings play the distorted verse. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Where Is My Mind? settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?

For the Where Is My Mind? guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Clean, Gain 3, Bass 4.5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 1.5; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Neck + Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7.5. Set Master and Output to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Where Is My Mind? settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?

For the Where Is My Mind? guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 70S ROCK, Gain 5.5, Volume 6, Treble 6, Bass 5, Middle 6, 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. These settings play the distorted verse. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

Can I get the Where Is My Mind? 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 Where Is My Mind?, 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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