Starting-point EQ for rock tone, averaged from 701 famous rock recordings. Dial these in, then fine-tune by ear — or let the tool below adapt them to the exact amp and guitar you own.
Sweet Child O' Mine — Guns N' Roses · Welcome To The Jungle — Guns N' Roses · Eruption — Van Halen · Cochise — Audioslave · Show Me How to Live — Audioslave · Sweet Child O' Mine — Guns N' Roses · Beat It — Michael Jackson · Supersonic — Oasis
Averaged across 701 famous rock recordings: gain 5, bass 5.5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 5.5 (out of 10). Rock lives on midrange and dynamics. Resist max gain — most classic rock tones sit lower than people expect, with the mids up.
Start with gain 5, bass 5.5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 5.5 (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 rock tones are Marshall Plexi, Marshall JCM800, Vox AC30. You don’t need the exact amp, though — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials any rock 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.