Guitar tone · rock, metal

Porcupine Tree guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 10 Porcupine Tree songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: PRS Mike Mushok Signature SE Baritone into Bad Cat Lynx 50.

Guitars Porcupine Tree used

PRS Mike Mushok Signature SE Baritone3 songs
Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 (likely 2000s model, live use)2 songs
Yamaha Pacifica 904 (likely, as used by Steven Wilson on Lightbulb Sun era studio recordings)1 song
Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 (likely 2001-2002 model, Drop D tuning)1 song
Paul Reed Smith Custom 221 song
Yamaha APX acoustic (likely APX-5A or APX-10A, as used by Steven Wilson in mid-2000s Porcupine Tree recordings)1 song
PRS Custom 221 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s/2000s, as used by Steven Wilson in studio for heavy tracks)1 song

Amps Porcupine Tree used

Bad Cat Lynx 502 songs
Vox AC30 (studio; AC15 used in covers, but AC30 is documented for Lightbulb Sun sessions)1 song
Bad Cat Hot Cat 1001 song
Bad Cat 2-Tone Tube Preamp (used as preamp, likely into a power amp/cabinet, exact amp not specified)1 song
Unknown (likely Fender or boutique clean amp, model not confirmed for studio recording)1 song
Direct input (DI) or studio preamp; no evidence of guitar amp used for main riff acoustic part1 song
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (live setup, clean channel)1 song
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio recording, as used by Steven Wilson for heavy Porcupine Tree riffs in this era)1 song

12 Porcupine Tree tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Blackest Eyes · riff	Riff · distorted	Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 (likely 2001-2002 model, Drop D tuning)	Bad Cat Hot Cat 100	7.5
Anesthetize · riff	Riff · distorted	PRS Mike Mushok Signature SE Baritone	Bad Cat Lynx 50	7.5
Open Car · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s/2000s, as used by Steven Wilson in studio for heavy tracks)	Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio recording, as used by Steven Wilson for heavy Porcupine Tree riffs in this era)	7.5
Open Car (2017 Remaster) · riff	Riff · distorted	PRS Mike Mushok Signature SE Baritone	Bad Cat 2-Tone Tube Preamp (used as preamp, likely into a power amp/cabinet, exact amp not specified)	7
Trains · riff	Riff · clean	Paul Reed Smith Custom 22	Unknown (likely Fender or boutique clean amp, model not confirmed for studio recording)	2.5
Anesthetize · riff	Riff · clean	PRS Custom 22	Bad Cat Lynx 50	0
Blackest Eyes (Live) · riff	Riff · clean	Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 (likely 2000s model, live use)	Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (live setup, clean channel)	0
Blackest Eyes (Live) · riff	Riff · distorted	Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 (likely 2000s model, live use)	Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (live rig, 2000s era)	7
Lazarus (2017 Remaster) · riff	Riff · clean	Yamaha APX acoustic (likely APX-5A or APX-10A, as used by Steven Wilson in mid-2000s Porcupine Tree recordings)	Direct input (DI) or studio preamp; no evidence of guitar amp used for main riff acoustic part	0
Shallow (2017 Remaster) · riff	Riff · distorted	PRS Custom 24	Bad Cat Lynx	7
Shesmovedon · solo	Solo · distorted	Yamaha Pacifica 904 (likely, as used by Steven Wilson on Lightbulb Sun era studio recordings)	Vox AC30 (studio; AC15 used in covers, but AC30 is documented for Lightbulb Sun sessions)	7
Wedding Nails (2017 Remaster) · riff	Riff · distorted	PRS Mike Mushok Signature SE Baritone	Unknown high-gain amp (likely Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier or Diezel VH4, as used by Steven Wilson in this era, but not confirmed for this track)	8

Porcupine Tree songs on popular amps

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

Shesmovedon on Yamaha THR

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Porcupine Tree use?

Across 10 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Bad Cat Lynx 50 (2 songs), Vox AC30 (studio; AC15 used in covers, but AC30 is documented for Lightbulb Sun sessions) (1 song), Bad Cat Hot Cat 100 (1 song), Bad Cat 2-Tone Tube Preamp (used as preamp, likely into a power amp/cabinet, exact amp not specified) (1 song).

What guitar did Porcupine Tree use?

Most often: PRS Mike Mushok Signature SE Baritone (3 songs), Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 (likely 2000s model, live use) (2 songs), Yamaha Pacifica 904 (likely, as used by Steven Wilson on Lightbulb Sun era studio recordings) (1 song), Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 (likely 2001-2002 model, Drop D tuning) (1 song).

How do I get Porcupine Tree's tone on my amp?

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