Boss Katana settings
The Pretender settings for Boss Katana
Foo Fighters · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Foo Fighters "The Pretender" riff tone on a Boss Katana, set Gain 1.5, Bass 5.5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6, Presence 4, Reverb 0. Use the neck + middle pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Gretsch G2622 Streamliner Center Block Double-Cut with V-Stoptail · updated 2026-05-11
- Pickup
- Neck + Middle
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 10
Boss Katana knobs
- Gain
- 1.5
- Bass
- 5.5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 4
- Reverb
- 0
- Solo
- 0
- Contour
- 0
- Power control
- 3
- Cabinet resonance
- 1
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in delay set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Keep the guitar volume at maximum for full output.
- Use the bridge and neck pickups together for a balanced clean tone.
The original rig
What Foo Fighters used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana actually has.
- Guitar
- Fender Precision Bass (likely 1969 black maple-neck model or similar Fender P‑Bass)
- Amp
- Ashdown Engineering (signature NM‑2 head) and possibly Ampeg SVT in studio
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5.5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 6
- Compression
- 5
Different guitar or pedals? Get The Pretender adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Foo Fighters's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Boss Katana settings for The Pretender?
Set Gain 1.5, Bass 5.5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6, Presence 4, Reverb 0.
Which pickup should I use for The Pretender?
Neck + Middle, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 10.
What gear did Foo Fighters use on The Pretender?
Guitar: Fender Precision Bass (likely 1969 black maple-neck model or similar Fender P‑Bass). Amp: Ashdown Engineering (signature NM‑2 head) and possibly Ampeg SVT in studio.
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Gretsch G2622 Streamliner Center Block Double-Cut with V-Stoptail. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
The Pretender on other amps
Popular songs on the Boss Katana
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.