Riff Tone

King of Fools

Social Distortion

Guitarpunk1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Telecaster (likely 1970s or 1980s, as used by Mike Ness in studio)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (likely studio amp for Social Distortion's 1990s recordings)

PickupsSingle-coil (stock Telecaster bridge pickup)

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1995 (White Light, White Heat, White Trash album). Mike Ness is known for using Telecasters and Marshall JCM800s in the studio during this era. No direct source for exact gear on this song, but this is the most documented setup for riff sections of this period.

Tone Character(10)

tight and punchymid-forward attackbright and cuttingslightly compressedraw and aggressivearticulate chord definitionminimal ambiencein-your-faceclassic punk crunchno modulation or delay

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, consistent downstroke strumming and palm muting at a medium-fast tempo, but uses straightforward chord shapes and rhythm patterns.

Sources

Best pedals for classic rock: recreate the tone of legends | Guitar World

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