Guitar tone · rock, punk

Hole guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 9 Hole songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Rickenbacker 360 into Randall Commander II RG-120 212.

Guitars Hole used

Rickenbacker 3602 songs
1968 Fender Telecaster1 song
Fender Blue Mustang1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 1990s Japanese or American, as used by Courtney Love in this era)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/early 1990s Japanese or American Standard, as used by Eric Erlandson in studio)1 song
Unconfirmed, likely Fender Stratocaster or Fender Telecaster (Courtney Love was known to use both in the 'Live Through This' era, but no direct source for 'Petals' studio recording)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s, as used by Eric Erlandson in studio)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/early 1990s, as used by Courtney Love on 'Live Through This')1 song

Amps Hole used

Randall Commander II RG-120 2122 songs
Watkins 'V-Front' Dominator MK1 (1960-1965)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb1 song
Marshall JCM900 (most commonly used by Courtney Love in the studio and live for 'Live Through This' era, including 'Plump')1 song
Marshall JCM900 (most likely, as used by Hole for Celebrity Skin and era live shows/recordings)1 song
Unknown, but likely Marshall JCM800 or JCM900 (based on era and genre, no direct source for 'Petals' studio recording)1 song
Marshall JCM800 2203 (studio, as used by Erlandson on 'Live Through This')1 song
Marshall JCM800 (most commonly cited for 'Live Through This' era studio recordings)1 song

11 Hole tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Celebrity Skin · riff	Riff · distorted	Rickenbacker 360	Randall Commander II RG-120 212	7
Celebrity Skin · riff	Riff · clean	Rickenbacker 360	Randall Commander II RG-120 212	0
Asking for It · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Blue Mustang	Fender Twin Reverb	0
Asking for It · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 1990s Japanese or American, as used by Courtney Love on 'Live Through This')	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, as confirmed for studio use on 'Live Through This')	6.5
Be a Man · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/early 1990s Japanese or American Standard, as used by Eric Erlandson in studio)	Marshall JCM900 (most likely, as used by Hole for Celebrity Skin and era live shows/recordings)	6.5
Jennifer's Body · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s, as used by Eric Erlandson in studio)	Marshall JCM800 2203 (studio, as used by Erlandson on 'Live Through This')	7
Malibu · riff	Riff · distorted	1968 Fender Telecaster	Watkins 'V-Front' Dominator MK1 (1960-1965)	5.5
Petals · riff	Riff · distorted	Unconfirmed, likely Fender Stratocaster or Fender Telecaster (Courtney Love was known to use both in the 'Live Through This' era, but no direct source for 'Petals' studio recording)	Unknown, but likely Marshall JCM800 or JCM900 (based on era and genre, no direct source for 'Petals' studio recording)	7
Plump · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 1990s Japanese or American, as used by Courtney Love in this era)	Marshall JCM900 (most commonly used by Courtney Love in the studio and live for 'Live Through This' era, including 'Plump')	7.5
Retard Girl · riff	Riff · distorted	Unknown (likely Fender Mustang or Fender Stratocaster, based on era and Courtney Love's known gear at the time)	Unknown (likely Marshall JCM800 or similar high-gain amp, based on 1990s punk/grunge studio standards)	7
Violet · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/early 1990s, as used by Courtney Love on 'Live Through This')	Marshall JCM800 (most commonly cited for 'Live Through This' era studio recordings)	7.5

Hole songs on popular amps

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.

Celebrity Skin on Marshall MG50DFX

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Hole use?

Across 9 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Randall Commander II RG-120 212 (2 songs), Watkins 'V-Front' Dominator MK1 (1960-1965) (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (1 song), Marshall JCM900 (most commonly used by Courtney Love in the studio and live for 'Live Through This' era, including 'Plump') (1 song).

What guitar did Hole use?

Most often: Rickenbacker 360 (2 songs), 1968 Fender Telecaster (1 song), Fender Blue Mustang (1 song), Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 1990s Japanese or American, as used by Courtney Love in this era) (1 song).

How do I get Hole's tone on my amp?

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