Guitar tone · rock, punk

Sublime guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 19 Sublime songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Jazz Bass into Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier.

Guitars Sublime used

Fender Jazz Bass3 songs
Fender Stratocaster2 songs
Dan MacDonald Custom Electric Guitar1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s, sunburst, maple neck)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or 1980s, sunburst, maple neck, as seen in Sublime era photos and videos)1 song
Custom Ibanez Talman1 song
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or 1980s, as used by Bradley Nowell in studio)1 song

Amps Sublime used

Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier2 songs
Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, studio recording)2 songs
Unknown studio amp (likely Ampeg SVT or similar, but not confirmed for this track)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface era, studio recording)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface or Silverface, as used by Bradley Nowell in studio and live during the 1990s)1 song
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier1 song
Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (studio recording, 1990s era)1 song

31 Sublime tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Santeria · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 1990s, sunburst, maple neck, as seen in studio photos and interviews)	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, 1965 reissue or original, used in studio for clean tones)	0
Santeria · solo	Solo · distorted	Custom Ibanez Talman (Bradley Nowell's brown guitar, Dan MacDonald build, likely with Seymour Duncan pickups)	Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier Head into 4x12 Cabinet	4
Santeria · solo	Solo · clean	Custom Ibanez Talman (Bradley Nowell's main studio guitar, as confirmed for Santeria era)	Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier Head	4
Date Rape (Rarities Version) · riff	Riff · distorted	Custom Ibanez Talman (Brad Nowell's main guitar, as used on Sublime recordings)	Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier	5
40 Oz. to Freedom · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster	Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus	0
Badfish · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s, sunburst, maple neck)	Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface era, studio recording)	3.5
Badfish · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or 1980s, sunburst, maple neck, as seen in Sublime era photos and videos)	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface or Silverface, as used by Bradley Nowell in studio and live during the 1990s)	0
Badfish · solo	Solo · clean	Fender Stratocaster	Fender Twin Reverb	0
Can’t Miss You · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or 1980s, as used by Bradley Nowell in studio)	Fender Twin Reverb (studio recording, 1990s era)	4
Caress Me Down · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Jazz Bass	Unknown studio amp (likely Ampeg SVT or similar, but not confirmed for this track)	0
Caress Me Down · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s, sunburst, maple neck, as seen in Sublime's 1996 era studio photos and live footage)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, as used by Bradley Nowell in studio and live in 1990s)	0
Caress Me Down · distorted	Distorted · distorted	Fender Jazz Bass	Ampeg SVT (likely vintage tube model)	6
Date Rape (Live at the Palace 1995) · riff	Riff · distorted	Dan MacDonald Custom Electric Guitar	Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier	5.5
Falling Idols · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s-80s, stock single coils)	Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface, era-correct for Sublime's 1990s recordings)	4.5
Falling Idols · solo	Solo · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely early 90s, Mexican or American Standard, as used by Bradley Nowell on Sublime's debut and 40oz. to Freedom era)	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface or Silverface, as commonly used by Nowell for clean tones in studio and live in early 90s)	0
Falling Idols · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 1990s, as used by Bradley Nowell in Sublime studio recordings)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, as commonly used by Sublime for clean and edge-of-breakup tones in the studio)	4.5
Get Ready · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s, sunburst, rosewood fretboard, as used by Bradley Nowell in studio)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, studio recording)	4.5
Jailhouse · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 80s, as used by Bradley Nowell on studio recordings)	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface or Silverface era, used in studio for clean/riff tones)	4.5
Pawn Shop · solo	Solo · distorted	Custom Ibanez Talman	Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier	5.5
Pawn Shop · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or 1980s, sunburst, maple neck, as seen in live photos and period-correct for Sublime's 1996 era)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, typical for Sublime's clean tones in the 1990s studio recordings)	3
Pawn Shop · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or 1980s, sunburst, rosewood fretboard, as seen in studio photos from the era)	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1960s/1970s, likely with JBL speakers as per producer Paul Leary's studio notes for Sublime's self-titled album sessions)	4
Same In The End · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s-early 1990s, sunburst, maple neck, as used by Brad Nowell in studio)	Mesa Boogie Studio .22+ Head	0
Santeria · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender American Professional II Stratocaster	Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue	3.5
Santeria · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Jazz Bass	Ampeg SVT (likely vintage tube head, 8x10 cab)	0
Scarlet Begonias · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or 1980s, stock single coils)	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface era, likely studio amp for 1992 recording)	3.5
Smoke Two Joints · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s MIJ or MIM, as used by Bradley Nowell in early Sublime recordings)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, era-appropriate for 1992 studio recording)	3.5
Steppin' Razor · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s MIJ or MIM, as used by Bradley Nowell in studio)	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface or Silverface, as commonly used by Sublime in studio)	3
Thanx Dub (Instrumental) · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s-early 1990s, as used by Bradley Nowell in studio)	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface or Silverface, studio recording era)	0
Under My Voodoo · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely early 90s, sunburst, rosewood board)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, studio recording)	5
What I Got (Demo) · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s MIJ or MIM, as used by Bradley Nowell on early Sublime demos)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface era, as commonly used by Nowell for clean reggae tones in studio)	0
Wrong way · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s, stock single coils)	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface or Silverface era, studio recording)	0

Sublime songs on popular amps

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

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Sublime use?

Across 19 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier (2 songs), Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, studio recording) (2 songs), Unknown studio amp (likely Ampeg SVT or similar, but not confirmed for this track) (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface era, studio recording) (1 song).

What guitar did Sublime use?

Most often: Fender Jazz Bass (3 songs), Fender Stratocaster (2 songs), Dan MacDonald Custom Electric Guitar (1 song), Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s/80s, sunburst, maple neck) (1 song).

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

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