Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes — Amp Settings & Guitar Tone
Reference tone dialed on a Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster into a Fender Mustang LT25. Settings below are cited from real sources; open the page in a browser for the interactive version, or get this tone dialed for your exact gear.
To capture the raw and gritty tone of 'Seven Nation Army,' we'll use the Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster for its single-coil pickups and the Fender Mustang LT25 to emulate the amp character. The Mustang's '04 CLASSIC ROCK' preset will serve as the foundation, adjusted for a mid-forward crunch. The absence of a pitch shifter means we can't fully replicate the octave-down effect, but we'll focus on achieving the main riff's crunch and fuzz.
Signal chain settings
Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster — main riff guitar
| Control | Setting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup Selector | Neck Pickup | Select the neck pickup for a warmer, vintage tone that aligns with the recording. |
| Master Volume | 8 | Set to 8 to maintain clarity and dynamics for the main riff. |
| Tone 1 | 7 | Roll back to 7 to tame any excessive brightness from the single-coils. |
| Tone 2 | Leave at default | Not used as it controls the bridge pickup, which is not engaged for this song. |
Fender Mustang LT25 — amp model and fuzz
| Control | Setting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Preset | 04 CLASSIC ROCK | This preset provides the closest match to the mid-'60s Sears Silvertone's crunch and mid-forward character. |
| Gain | 7 | Increase to 7 to achieve the saturated tube crunch with fuzz for the main riff. |
| Volume | 5 | Set to 5 to balance output without overpowering the mix. |
| Treble | 6 | Set to 6 to maintain the mid-heavy tone while adding some brightness. |
| Bass | 4 | Lower to 4 to prevent muddiness and keep the tone tight. |
| Master | 5 | Set to 5 to control overall output and maintain dynamics. |
| Cabinet build | Not used | Not needed for this tone — leave it off. |
| Amp Models | Not used | Not needed for this tone — leave it off. |
What The White Stripes actually used
Recorded at Toe Rag Studios in London, 'Seven Nation Army' features Jack White's 1950s Kay archtop guitar tuned to Open A. The iconic riff was achieved by running the guitar through a DigiTech Whammy pedal set an octave down, creating a bass-like tone. The solo incorporates an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi for added fuzz. Amplification was provided by a mid-1960s Sears Silvertone 1485 head connected to 6x10 Jensen C10Q ceramic speakers.
- 1950s Kay K6533 archtop hollowbody — main riff. neck pickup
- DigiTech Whammy WH-4 — octave down effect. set to octave down
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi — fuzz effect. used during solo
- Mid-1960s Sears Silvertone 1485 — amplification. paired with 6x10 Jensen C10Q ceramic speakers
Tuning: Open A (E A E A C# E)
Sources
- https://www.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-guitars/stratocaster/classic-vibe-stratocaster-60s/0303010500.html
- https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1547905/Fender-Mustang-Lt25.html
- https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amplifiers/contemporary-digital/mustang-lt25/2311100000.html
- https://www.manualslib.com/manual/3126493/Fender-Mustang-Lt25.html
- https://guitar.com/features/artist-rigs/the-gear-used-by-jack-white-on-the-white-stripes-elephant/
- https://www.musicradar.com/artists/it-was-just-a-challenge-to-myself-im-not-gonna-have-a-chorus-in-this-song-see-if-i-can-get-away-with-it-how-jack-white-created-the-guitar-riff-of-the-century-and-what-is-a-seven-nation-army-anyway
- https://tonesmatch.com/tones/seven-nation-army-the-white-stripes-solo-distorted-5890