Fender Champion 40 settings
Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas) settings for Fender Champion 40
Santana · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Santana "Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas)" riff tone on a Fender Champion 40, set Gain 5, Bass 6, Treble 6, Tap 0, Fx level 5, Volume 1 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 6-7 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Epiphone Les Paul · updated 2026-04-15
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 6-7 · Volume 8-9
Fender Champion 40 knobs
- Gain
- 5
- Bass
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Tap
- 0
- Fx level
- 5
- Volume 1
- 0
- Volume 2
- 5
- Fx select
- 1
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (plate) · 6
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Experiment with your picking dynamics to achieve the touch-sensitive response characteristic of Santana's style.
- Focus on smooth transitions between notes to emulate the singing sustain of the original riff.
The original rig
What Santana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Champion 40 actually has.
- Guitar
- PRS Santana Signature (late 1990s model, likely 1998-1999, mahogany body, rosewood fretboard)
- Amp
- Mesa/Boogie Mark I (head, likely with Tone Tubby 1x12 cab as per era)
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 6.5
- Mid
- 7.5
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 3.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas) adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Santana's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Fender Champion 40 settings for Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas)?
Set Gain 5, Bass 6, Treble 6, Tap 0, Fx level 5, Volume 1 0.
Which pickup should I use for Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas)?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 6-7 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Santana use on Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas)?
Guitar: PRS Santana Signature (late 1990s model, likely 1998-1999, mahogany body, rosewood fretboard). Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark I (head, likely with Tone Tubby 1x12 cab as per era).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Epiphone Les Paul. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas) on other amps
More Santana on the Fender Champion 40
All Santana tones →Popular songs on the Fender Champion 40
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Walk · Pantera
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Pride and Joy · Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Back in Black · AC/DC
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.