lead guitar from “seven nation army” by the white stripes | ToneDB
seven nation army
the white stripes
lead guitar
95% ai confidence
Tone Profile
A thick, aggressive, and instantly recognizable fuzz tone, achieved by dropping a semi-hollow guitar's signal down an octave.
Signal Chain
Instrument: Kay K6533 Value Leader Archtop (or similar semi-hollow)
Amp: Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface)
Processing: DigiTech Whammy WH-4 (Set to one octave down), Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (USA or Sovtek)
Other: The Whammy pedal is crucial for achieving the signature octave-down sound, simulating a bass line.
Recording Notes
- The main riff is played on a guitar, not a bass.
- A DigiTech Whammy pedal is used to pitch-shift the guitar signal down one octave.
- Heavy fuzz, likely from a Big Muff, is applied after the pitch shifting.
- Recorded at Toe Rag Studios, known for its vintage analog equipment.
Recreation Tips
- Set the DigiTech Whammy to the 'Octave Down' setting (Harmony side).
- Use a semi-hollow or hollow-body guitar, preferably with single-coil pickups (like the Kay's original DeArmond pickups) or P90s.
- Engage a Big Muff style fuzz pedal with sustain/gain set relatively high.
- Use the neck pickup for a rounder tone.
- Play the riff on the A and D strings primarily.
- A clean, high-headroom amp like a Fender Twin works well as a base.