Riff Tone

If I Had a Tail

Queens of the Stone Age

Guitarrock2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarMaton MS500 (Josh Homme's main studio guitar for ...Like Clockwork era, likely used on 'If I Had a Tail')

AmpAmpeg VT-40 (primary amp for Josh Homme on ...Like Clockwork studio sessions)

PickupsMaton MS500 custom wound humbucker (bridge), single coil (neck)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6.5

mid7

treble6

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveMoog Moogerfooger MF-Drive (or similar filtered overdrive/fuzz)

Notes

Studio recording, 2012-2013. Gear based on Josh Homme's known studio setup for ...Like Clockwork; no direct source confirms exact gear for this song, but Maton MS500 and Ampeg VT-40 are most consistently cited for this era and album. No evidence of live/touring rig for this specific riff section.

Tone Character(10)

thick and fuzzymid-forward and aggressivetight, percussive attackslightly compressedarticulate, not muddyfiltered overdrive characterpunchy single note riffsdesert rock crunchnot scooped, strong midsfocused, saturated

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate skill due to its syncopated rhythm, tight palm muting, and need for dynamic control to maintain the aggressive, percussive attack.

Sources

If I Had A Tail (Guitar Effects) : r/qotsa - Reddit Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) Amp Settings Resource QOTSA tone settings and techniques - Facebook

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account