Guitar tone · punk

Dead Kennedys guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 6 Dead Kennedys songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: 1965 Fender Jazz Bass into Acoustic 150B head with Acoustic 402 cab.

Guitars Dead Kennedys used

1965 Fender Jazz Bass2 songs
Late-1970s Marchis (Japanese) Telecaster copy with humbucking bridge pickup1 song
Fender Jazz Bass1 song
Japanese Telecaster-style guitar (pawn shop, 24.75" scale, brass Schecter bridge, Seymour Duncan PAF bridge pickup, single coil neck pickup)1 song
Univox Hi-Flier (Japanese Mosrite-style guitar, likely late 1970s/early 1980s, as used by East Bay Ray on early Dead Kennedys recordings)1 song

Amps Dead Kennedys used

Acoustic 150B head with Acoustic 402 cab2 songs
1964-67 Fender Super Reverb (Vibrato channel, Input 1, Bright On)1 song
Acoustic 150B head with Acoustic 402 cabinet1 song
Modified Fender Super Reverb (1960s, modded to master-volume Marshall spec)1 song
Fender Super Reverb (silverface, late 1970s)1 song

6 Dead Kennedys tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
California Über Alles · riff	Riff · distorted	Japanese Telecaster-style guitar (pawn shop, 24.75" scale, brass Schecter bridge, Seymour Duncan PAF bridge pickup, single coil neck pickup)	Modified Fender Super Reverb (1960s, modded to master-volume Marshall spec)	6
Holiday in Cambodia · riff	Riff · clean	Late-1970s Marchis (Japanese) Telecaster copy with humbucking bridge pickup	1964-67 Fender Super Reverb (Vibrato channel, Input 1, Bright On)	0
I am the Owl · clean	Clean · clean	1965 Fender Jazz Bass	Acoustic 150B head with Acoustic 402 cabinet	0
I Am the Owl (Live at the Paradiso) · distorted	Distorted · distorted	1965 Fender Jazz Bass	Acoustic 150B head with Acoustic 402 cab	6
Kill the Poor (Remastered 2026) · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Jazz Bass	Acoustic 150B head with Acoustic 402 cab	0
Let's Lynch the Landlord (2022 Mix) · riff	Riff · distorted	Univox Hi-Flier (Japanese Mosrite-style guitar, likely late 1970s/early 1980s, as used by East Bay Ray on early Dead Kennedys recordings)	Fender Super Reverb (silverface, late 1970s)	6

Get Dead Kennedys's tone on your gear

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Dead Kennedys use?

Across 6 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Acoustic 150B head with Acoustic 402 cab (2 songs), 1964-67 Fender Super Reverb (Vibrato channel, Input 1, Bright On) (1 song), Acoustic 150B head with Acoustic 402 cabinet (1 song), Modified Fender Super Reverb (1960s, modded to master-volume Marshall spec) (1 song).

What guitar did Dead Kennedys use?

Most often: 1965 Fender Jazz Bass (2 songs), Late-1970s Marchis (Japanese) Telecaster copy with humbucking bridge pickup (1 song), Fender Jazz Bass (1 song), Japanese Telecaster-style guitar (pawn shop, 24.75" scale, brass Schecter bridge, Seymour Duncan PAF bridge pickup, single coil neck pickup) (1 song).

How do I get Dead Kennedys's tone on my amp?

Open any Dead Kennedys song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.