Orange Crush 12 settings
Hard to Explain settings for Orange Crush 12
The Strokes · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the The Strokes "Hard to Explain" riff tone on a Orange Crush 12, set Gain 5, Volume 6, Bass 6, Mid 7, Treble 7, Overdrive 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Fender Telecaster · updated 2026-10-13
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Orange Crush 12 knobs
- Gain
- 5
- Volume
- 6
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Overdrive
- 5
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use a relaxed picking style to achieve a laid-back feel.
- Focus on palm muting for added punch in the riff.
- Experiment with dynamics, playing softer for verses and harder for choruses.
The original rig
What The Strokes used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Orange Crush 12 actually has.
- Guitar
- Epiphone Riviera (1995, modified with Gibson P-94 pickups)
- Amp
- Fender Hot Rod DeVille 2x12
- Gain
- 5
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7.5
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 1.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Hard to Explain adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts The Strokes's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Orange Crush 12 settings for Hard to Explain?
Set Gain 5, Volume 6, Bass 6, Mid 7, Treble 7, Overdrive 5.
Which pickup should I use for Hard to Explain?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did The Strokes use on Hard to Explain?
Guitar: Epiphone Riviera (1995, modified with Gibson P-94 pickups). Amp: Fender Hot Rod DeVille 2x12.
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Fender Telecaster. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Popular songs on the Orange Crush 12
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- War Pigs · Black Sabbath
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Do I Wanna Know? · Arctic Monkeys
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
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.