🎸 Rock · 1970s

My Sharona by The Knack (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by The Knack · riff

The My Sharona by The Knack guitar tone is built on a Mesa/Boogie Mark I, dialed in at gain 5/10, bass 5, mid 6, 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)

GAIN

BASS

MID

6.5

TREBLE

5.5

PRESENCE

1.5

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 5 sits right around the rock average (4.8); mids at 6 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark I (slightly overdriven — clarity with sustain)

Berton Averre recorded the lead through a Fender Stratocaster into a Mesa/Boogie Mark I set for a slightly overdriven tone — bright and biting with clarity and sustain, miked with an SM57. The riff is a tight, palm-muted single-note figure.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Mesa/Boogie songs & tones →🎚️ Fender Stratocaster songs & tones →🎚️ Mesa/Boogie Mark Series songs & tones →

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

Pickups

bridge (bright Strat bite)

Effects / signal chain

overdrive

Tone character

bright & biting, slightly overdriven, tight palm-mutes, sustaining

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

bright slightly-overdriven power-pop distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the My Sharona sound.

Difficulty

3/5 · Riff

The riff is a tight palm-muted single-note figure; the tone is a bright Strat into a moderately-overdriven Mesa — clarity over heaviness.

Level: Beginner-friendly — see more easy guitar songs to play →

Worth knowing

My Sharona is a bright, slightly-overdriven power-pop tone — a Strat into a Mesa/Boogie Mark I with moderate gain, kept clear and biting (not heavy). The riff is tight and palm-muted.
Use the bridge pickup, moderate gain, treble up, and palm-mute tightly. Clarity and sustain over saturation.
Settings are community-researched starting points, not official recall sheets.

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

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

Recognise famous songs from just the amp dials — a quick 10-round game. Beat your friends. Play free →

🎸 Which guitar legend is your tone twin? Take the quiz & share your result →

My Sharona guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the My Sharona guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 5, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 1.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the My Sharona tone?

Original gear/effects: Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark I (slightly overdriven — clarity with sustain); overdrive.

Can I get the My Sharona 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 The Knack on My Sharona — what gear and pedals?

Start with bridge (bright Strat bite), the amp EQ above (gain 5, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 1.5), and overdrive. 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

🎸 more Rock guitar tones → · 🎚️ Mesa Mark settings → · 🎛️ best rock amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎚️ Overdrive tone guide → · 🎯 more singing sustain tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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