How to get a compressed guitar tone

The averaged amp settings for a compressed guitar tone are gain 5.5, bass 6, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 6 (out of 10), measured across 261 researched tones. Start there, then adapt to your own guitar, amp and pedals below.

Starting point for a compressed tone: gain 5.5 · bass 6 · mid 6 · treble 6.5 · presence 6 (out of 10, averaged across 261 tones)

Amps most used for this character: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (×17) · Fender Twin Reverb (×9) · Marshall JCM800 2203 (×7) · Vox AC30 (×7)

🎛️ Dial any of these in for YOUR rig — free →
Enter Sandman — MetallicaSweet Child O' Mine — Guns N' RosesMy Own Summer (Shove It) — DeftonesSeek & Destroy — MetallicaSmells Like Teen Spirit — NirvanaFade to Black — MetallicaLayla — Derek & The DominosSomewhere I Belong — LINKIN PARKWelcome To The Jungle — Guns N' RosesTime — Pink FloydBasket Case — Green DayWhen I Come Around — Green DayMayonaise — The Smashing PumpkinsHosanna — Hillsong UNITED & Brooke LigertwoodMoney for Nothing — Dire StraitsNothing Else Matters — MetallicaToxicity — System of a DownBreathe (In the Air) — Pink FloydFree Bird — Lynyrd SkynyrdCome As You Are — NirvanaDead! — My Chemical RomanceAnimal I Have Become — Three Days GraceSupersonic — OasisChapter Four — Avenged SevenfoldDear Maria, Count Me In — All Time LowIron Man — Black SabbathEchoes — Pink FloydBound for the Floor — Local HFloods — PanteraParisienne Walkways — Gary MooreWhere Am I? — Title FightPlanet Caravan — PanteraBreed — NirvanaToday — The Smashing PumpkinsJane! — The Long FacesFlutter — juliePour Some Sugar On Me — Def LeppardPurple Haze — The Jimi Hendrix ExperienceSlow Dancing in a Burning Room — John MayerRepulsive In It's Splendid Beauty — CrowbarMinerva — DeftonesBlind — KornAnother Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2 — Pink FloydKnockin' On Heaven's Door — Guns N' RosesStairway to Heaven — Led ZeppelinWish You Were Here — Pink FloydHey You — Pink FloydDirty Little Secret — The All-American RejectsSunshine of Your Love — CreamComfortably Numb — Pink FloydHand Of Blood — Bullet for My Valentine浄土独唱 — IsilielRat Salad — Black SabbathHeartbreaker — Led ZeppelinChange (In the House of Flies) — DeftonesSecond Heartbeat — Avenged SevenfoldKashmir — Led ZeppelinBckyrd — Hot MulliganWomen In Love... — Van HalenNumb — LINKIN PARKShine On You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 1-5 — Pink FloydInside Out — XYZEverybody Talks — Ax and the HatchetmenBeauty and a Beat (feat. Nicki Minaj) — Justin BieberDown — 311Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? — PrinceStay Together for the Kids — blink-182Hangar 18 — MegadethSay It Ain't So (2024 Remaster) — WeezerLounge Act (Boombox Rehearsals) — NirvanaSonne — RammsteinSay It Ain't So (2024 Remaster) — Weezer七月、影法師、藍色、ロッカー — n-bunaMeatplow — Stone Temple PilotsDecapitation Fornication — Infant AnnihilatorNever forget — kessoku bandEn la Ciudad de la Furia (Me Verás Volver Gira 2007) — Soda StereoAh — DumanKool Thing — Sonic YouthHey Jude — The BeatlesStep on Me — The CardigansBeast of Burden — The Rolling StonesOne More Light — LINKIN PARKTake Me Away (from Freaky Friday) — LashWhen the Curtain Falls — Greta Van FleetLithium — NirvanaThis Love — PanteraThe Emptiness Machine (Instrumental) — LINKIN PARKBulls On Parade (Live In Mexico City, MX, 10/28/99) — Rage Against the MachineBleed It Out — LINKIN PARKThe Devil In I — SlipknotIn the End — LINKIN PARKMisery Business — ParamoreLayla — Eric ClaptonDemolition Lovers — My Chemical RomanceMoonlight on the River — Mac DeMarcoAll I Did Was Dream of You (feat. The Marías) — beabadoobeeKnock Me Down — Red Hot Chili PeppersMidnight Rendezvous — CasiopeaMy Curse — Killswitch EngageСпокойная ночь — KinoSanta Monica — EverclearWaterloo Sunset — The KinksSummer Of '69 — Bryan AdamsEnd of Beginning — DjoLullaby of a Deadman — Kevin Sherwood, Corey Redgrift & Elena SiegmanFlick of the Switch — AC/DC*Sobs Quietly* — Mom Jeans.One More Song (Imposter Syndrome) — Heart Attack ManFreak Scene (Live, Brixton Academy, London, 8 October 1994) — Dinosaur Jr.How Far Does A Goodbye Go — Jason AldeanHells Bells — AC/DCGans Media Retro Games — Hot MulliganWith You — LINKIN PARKСпокойная ночь — KinoFreezing Moon — Mayhem115 (Remastered) — Kevin Sherwood & Elena SiegmanCambaz — mor ve ötesiFalling Away from Me — KornWherever I May Roam — MetallicaThe Well — Marcus KingBlack No. 1 — Type O NegativeCome As You Are — NirvanaComing Undone — KornRevenant — Loathe & NOWHERE2RUNGet Down Tonight — KC and the Sunshine BandGently — SlipknotHead in the Ceiling Fan — Title Fight505 — Arctic MonkeysThe Way You'd Love Her — Mac DeMarcoSweet Dreams (Are Made of This) — Marilyn MansonKryzysowa narzeczona — Lady PankDon't Look Back in Anger (Remastered) — OasisKimdracula — DeftonesCuntcrusher — Infant AnnihilatorSupersonic (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 2000) — OasisI Won't See You Tonight, Pt. 1 — Avenged SevenfoldFamous Last Words — My Chemical RomanceToday — The Smashing PumpkinsShine — Collective Soul

Compressed guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings give a compressed guitar tone?

Averaged across 261 researched compressed tones: gain 5.5, bass 6, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 6 (out of 10). That EQ is the shape that produces the compressed character — start there, then fine-tune by ear.

How do I get a compressed guitar tone with my gear?

Start from gain 5.5, bass 6, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 6 (out of 10), then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for your specific amp, guitar and pickups so the compressed character survives on your own rig — free, no new gear.

Which amp is best for a compressed tone?

Across these tones the compressed character comes most from Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, Fender Twin Reverb, Marshall JCM800 2203, Vox AC30. But you don’t need a specific amp — the compressed quality is mostly EQ + gain shaping, which GuitarToneAdapt re-dials for whatever you own.

Other tone characters: scooped mid · warm · bright · tight · high gain · singing sustain · punchy · articulate · dynamic touch-sensitive · aggressive · clean · heavy low-end · percussive · mid-forward
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