Starting-point EQ for reggae tone, averaged from 14 famous reggae recordings. Dial these in, then fine-tune by ear — or let the tool below adapt them to the exact amp and guitar you own.
Holigan — Athena · Ben Böyleyim — Athena · Just a Girl — No Doubt · Sell Out — Reel Big Fish · So Lonely — The Police · Roxanne — The Police · No Woman No Cry — Bob Marley · Three Little Birds — Bob Marley
Averaged across 14 famous reggae recordings: gain 3.5, bass 5, mid 6, treble 7, presence 5 (out of 10). Reggae guitar is CLEAN, BRIGHT and PERCUSSIVE — the “skank”: short, muted upstroke chords on the offbeats (the “and” of each beat). Treble up, gain near zero, a bright single-coil (Strat), and a little spring reverb. The right-hand muting and timing ARE the sound.
Start with gain 3.5, bass 5, mid 6, treble 7, 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.
You don’t need the exact amp, though — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials any reggae 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.