🎸 Metal · 1990s

Clown by Korn (Solo · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Korn · solo

The Clown by Korn guitar tone is built on a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, dialed in at gain 8.5/10, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 6 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

8.5

GAIN

BASS

4.5

MID

6.5

TREBLE

PRESENCE

REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 8.5 sits above the metal average (7.3) — a hotter, more saturated take than most metal tones; mids at 4.5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Ibanez Universe UV7BK 7-string · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (early 1990s, studio recording)

Studio recording, 1994; Korn's debut album. Gear confirmed for debut era. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this solo. No evidence of pedal-based distortion; amp provides main gain. Effects chain based on studio era and pedalboard evidence.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Mesa/Boogie songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier songs & tones →🎚️ Ibanez RG songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Ibanez Universe UV7BK 7-string → Ibanez BC-9 Bi-Mode Chorus → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (early 1990s, studio recording)

Effects

chorus, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

saturated and heavy, tight and percussive, slightly scooped mids, chunky low end, articulate note separation, dark and menacing, modulation swirl (chorus), aggressive attack, modern nu-metal signature, studio clarity with thick gain

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Clown sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Solo

The solo requires tight rhythmic precision, aggressive picking, and control of high-gain tone with modulation, but does not feature advanced lead techniques or extreme speed.

Worth knowing

No source provides exact amp knob settings for 'Clown' solo; values estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier settings for Korn's debut album and genre conventions.
No explicit confirmation of pickup selector position; bridge pickup inferred from solo tone and genre.
Pedal models confirmed for debut album era, but no direct evidence of pedal settings or exact signal chain order for this solo.
Chorus effect is confirmed as always on for Munky in this era, but not all sources specify if used in solo; audible modulation swirl in solo supports inclusion.
No evidence of delay, wah, or other time-based effects in this solo section.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Korn's 'Clown' solo features a saturated, tight, and aggressive nu-metal tone typical of Munky and Head's Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers from the mid-90s. The tone is high gain but not overly scooped, with controlled bass and slightly reduced mids for clarity, moderate treble and presence for cut, and a very dry, direct sound with no audible reverb.

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

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Clown guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Clown guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 8.5, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 1. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Clown tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Ibanez Universe UV7BK 7-string · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (early 1990s, studio recording); chorus, reverb.

Can I get the Clown tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like Korn on Clown — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 8.5, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 1), and chorus, reverb. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Sources

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More like this

🎸 How to get Korn’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier settings → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar solos → · 🎚️ Chorus tone guide → · 🎯 more scooped mids tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com