Red Hot Chili Peppers Amp Settings & Guitar Tone
Featured Tone
Scar Tissue (1999)
1954 Fender Stratocaster (rhythm) / 1960 Fender Custom Telecaster (slide solos) → Fender Blackface Showman
Warm, glassy cleanliness. 1954 Strat single-coils through Showman deliver round, bell-like rhythm tone. Telecaster slide solo is bright and singing. Accidentally flat B string adds bittersweet emotional character. Second solo adds FZ-3 fuzz for sustain.
Typical Gear & Settings
Average Amp Settings
Amplifiers
- Fender Blackface Showman
- Marshall tube head into 4x12 cabinet (inferred clean platform for BSSM-era Frusciante; exact amp
- Marshall Major 200W + Marshall Super Bass 100W (dual-amp
Guitars
- 1954 Fender Stratocaster (rhythm)
- 1960 Fender Custom Telecaster (slide solos)
- Late-1950s Fender Stratocaster (primary BSSM-era guitar)
- 1966 Fender Jaguar (claimed for the intro by some sources; not universally agreed)
- 1962 Fender Stratocaster (probable main guitar for the clean riff; not confirmed by a per-track session document in sources consulted)
Pickups
- single coil
- single-coil
Effects & Pedals
compressor
MXR Dyna Comp (inferred) (2 songs)
chorus/preamp
Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble (1 song)
fuzz
Boss FZ-3 Fuzz (1 song)
chorus
Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble (inferred) (1 song), Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble (subtle; inferred) (1 song)
reverb
Studio reverb (console/plate) (inferred) (1 song), Studio/amp reverb (inferred) (1 song)
Playing Style
Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Tones
Scar Tissue (1999)
Fender Blackface Showman
Under the Bridge (1991)
Marshall tube head into 4x12 cabinet (inferred clean platform for BSSM-era Frusciante; exact amp
Snow (Hey Oh) (2006)
Marshall Major 200W + Marshall Super Bass 100W (dual-amp
Californication (1999)
Marshall Major 200W and Marshall Super Bass (reported studio preference during Californication sessions; exact per-track amp blend not documented in sources consulted)
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