Riff Tone

Queens of stone age

Unknown Artist

Guitarrock2000s

Original Gear

GuitarOvation Ultra GP (studio), possible Epiphone or Maton BB1200 JH (live variants, not confirmed for studio)

AmpPeavey Decade (studio, main riff), Ampeg VT-40 (possible layering), Tube Works RT2100 (possible layering), Peavey Standard 260 (possible layering)

PickupsHumbuckers (DiMarzio Super Distortion in bridge, DiMarzio PAF in neck for Ovation Ultra GP)

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass7

mid7

treble6

reverb1

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, circa 2000 (self-titled debut era). Josh Homme is known for using the Ovation Ultra GP with DiMarzio humbuckers into a Peavey Decade solid-state amp for the main riff tone. Some sources mention layering with Ampeg VT-40 and Peavey Standard 260, but the core riff tone is widely attributed to the Peavey Decade and Ovation Ultra GP. Pedal use is minimal or non-existent for the main riff.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivemid-forward punchslightly fuzzy edgedry, minimal ambiencecompressed and saturatedarticulate note separationaggressive attackdistinctive solid-state clippingfocused low endno modulation or time-based effects

Difficulty

The riff requires solid palm muting technique, tight rhythmic control, and a strong picking hand to achieve the punchy, percussive sound characteristic of the track. While not technically advanced, the tone and groove demand intermediate-level control.