Starting-point EQ for funk tone, averaged from 19 famous funk recordings. Dial these in, then fine-tune by ear — or let the tool below adapt them to the exact amp and guitar you own.
Killing in the Name — Rage Against the Machine · Lets Go Crazy — Prince · By the Way — Red Hot Chili Peppers · Get the Funk Out — Extreme · When Doves Cry — Prince · Scar Tissue — Red Hot Chili Peppers · Around the World — Red Hot Chili Peppers · Superstition — Stevie Wonder
Averaged across 19 famous funk recordings: gain 3, bass 5.5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 5 (out of 10). Funk tone is BRIGHT, CLEAN and PERCUSSIVE — a single-coil (the Strat neck-and-middle "quack" position, or a Tele) into a clean amp, treble up, low or no gain, and a compressor for snap and even sixteenth-note attack. Add a wah (parked or swept) and light chorus, then let tight right-hand muting and the pickup do the work. Think Nile Rodgers, RHCP, Cory Wong, Prince.
Start with gain 3, bass 5.5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 5 (all out of 10), then fine-tune by ear. Lower the gain for cleaner passages, and push the mids up if the guitar disappears in a band mix.
The amps most used across these funk tones are Marshall JCM800. You don’t need the exact amp, though — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials any funk tone for the amp and guitar you already own, free in the browser.
Set the starting EQ above, then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for your specific amp, guitar and pedals so it sits like the record — no new gear needed.