Pop-punk tone is bright, fast and punchy. It is simpler than it sounds: a mid-scooped, high-ish gain amp, all downstrokes, and tight palm muting. Three chords and the truth.
Bright, mid-scooped high gain. Push the gain for crunch, scoop the mids a little, and keep the treble and presence up so fast power chords stay bright and cut through.
Marshall or Mesa into a bright cab. The classic pop-punk sound is a Marshall or Mesa/Boogie. Bright and aggressive, not warm and bluesy.
Use the bridge pickup. Bridge humbucker or bright single-coil for maximum attack and cut on power chords.
Tight palm muting + downstrokes. The energy comes from the right hand: relentless downstrokes and tight palm muting on the low strings for that chugging drive.
Keep it tight, not muddy. Roll bass back slightly so fast chord changes stay defined. Pop-punk is bright and articulate, not scooped-metal heavy.
💡 A little goes a long way — pop-punk usually uses less gain than metal. Too much gain turns the fast power chords to mush.