🎸 Rock · 2010s+

Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Ariana Grande · riff

The Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande guitar tone is built on a Unknown, dialed in at gain 4.5/10, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 5.5 (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)

4.5

GAIN

BASS

6.5

MID

6.5

TREBLE

5.5

PRESENCE

3.5

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 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 4.5 sits right around the rock average (4.8); mids at 6.5 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Unknown electric guitar (model not confirmed, possibly session musician's instrument) · Amp: Unknown (no confirmed amp model; likely a studio amp or amp sim typical for 2010s pop/rock production)

Studio recording, 2016. No official or photographic evidence of the exact guitar, pickups, or amp used on the riff section. No live rig info relevant to the studio recording. The riff is likely played by a session guitarist using standard studio gear for modern pop/rock.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ P-90 pickups songs & tones →🎚️ fuzz songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Bridge pickup (inferred from brightness and attack, not confirmed)

Signal chain

Unknown electric guitar (model not confirmed, possibly session musician's instrument) → Chorus pedal (model unknown) → Reverb pedal or studio reverb (model unknown) → Unknown (no confirmed amp model; likely a studio amp or amp sim typical for 2010s pop/rock production)

Effects

chorus, reverb

Tone character

smooth and slightly overdriven, tight and controlled attack, bright but not harsh, studio-polished clarity, clear note separation, subtle warmth, not heavily saturated, no audible fuzz or high-gain distortion, riff sits forward in the mix, modern pop/rock edge

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, medium dynamics · edge distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Dangerous Woman sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires tight timing and clean articulation, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast playing. The main challenge is maintaining clarity and groove.

Worth knowing

No official or photographic evidence of the exact guitar, pickups, or amp used on the studio recording of 'Dangerous Woman' riff section.
No specific amp or pedal settings found in any source; all settings are estimated based on typical 2010s pop/rock studio tones.
No evidence of specific pedals or amp models used; session musicians and producers are not credited with gear details.
Some sources mention synths (Korg MicroKORG) used on the album, but the riff is clearly a guitar part.
No evidence of live rig relevant to the studio recording.
All effects and settings are inferred from audio and genre conventions.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Dangerous Woman' riff features a crunchy, mid-forward rock tone with clear articulation and moderate sustain, typical of modern pop-rock production. The gain is set for a thick but not overly saturated crunch, with balanced bass, slightly boosted mids for presence in the mix, and moderate treble/presence to retain clarity without harshness; reverb is subtle, matching the controlled studio ambience.

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

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Dangerous Woman guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Dangerous Woman guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 4.5, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 3.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Dangerous Woman tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Unknown electric guitar (model not confirmed, possibly session musician's instrument) · Amp: Unknown (no confirmed amp model; likely a studio amp or amp sim typical for 2010s pop/rock production); chorus, reverb.

Can I get the Dangerous Woman 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 Ariana Grande on Dangerous Woman — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup (inferred from brightness and attack, not confirmed), the amp EQ above (gain 4.5, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 3.5), 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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Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com