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lead guitar from “killing in the name” by rage against the machine | ToneDB

killing in the name

rage against the machine

lead guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

Aggressive and distorted with a wah pedal creating a dynamic, vocal-like quality. The tone is characterized by its high gain, scooped mids, and pronounced high-end.

Gear

Fender Telecasterinstrument
ReverbSweetwater
Peavey 5150amp
Reverb$1499Sweetwater
Shure SM57microphone
ReverbSweetwater
Dunlop Cry Baby Wahprocessing
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

Tom Morello's lead guitar tone on "Killing in the Name" was recorded at Sound City Studios using his signature Fender Telecaster through a Peavey 5150 amplifier. The chain includes a Dunlop Cry Baby wah pedal, which creates the signature vocal-like sweeps throughout the track. The amp was set with high gain and scooped mids, captured with a close-mic'd Shure SM57.

Production Credits

Producer: Garth Richardson

Engineer: Stan Katayama

Recorded at: Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CA

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Telecaster

Amp: Peavey 5150

Microphone: Shure SM57

Processing: Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Fender Telecaster for its bright and cutting tone.
  • Use a high-gain amplifier like the Peavey 5150 or a similar amp model with the gain set high.
  • Scoop the mids on the amp's EQ to create a more aggressive and modern sound.
  • Engage a wah pedal and experiment with different sweep positions to find the sweet spots that mimic the vocal-like quality.
  • Place a Shure SM57 close to the speaker cone to capture the direct sound of the amp.

Original Gear

  • Fender Telecaster(guitar)
  • Peavey 5150(amp)
  • Shure SM57(mic)
  • Dunlop Cry Baby Wah(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

EVH 5150III 50W EL34$1800-$2000

Alternative to: Peavey 5150

Direct evolution of Morello's original 5150 with the same high-gain character and aggressive midrange scoop capability

ReverbSweetwater
Boss Katana 100$350-$400

Alternative to: Peavey 5150

Brown channel delivers similar high-gain saturation with EQ flexibility for achieving the scooped mid sound on a budget

ReverbSweetwater
Dunlop GCB95F Cry Baby Classic Fasel$150-$180

Alternative to: Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Uses vintage Fasel inductors for the classic vocal-like wah sweep that defined 90s alternative rock tones

ReverbSweetwater
Neural DSP Fortin Nameless Suite$130-$150

Alternative to: Peavey 5150

Captures modern high-gain amp tones with precise EQ control for dialing in the aggressive, scooped character

ReverbSweetwater
Harley Benton TE-90FLT$200-$250

Alternative to: Fender Telecaster

Provides the bright, cutting single-coil tone essential for piercing through high-gain settings like Morello's Telecaster

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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