🎸 Rock · 2000s

Times Like These by Foo Fighters (Riff · Clean) — Guitar Tone

by Foo Fighters · riff

The Times Like These by Foo Fighters guitar tone is built on a Vox AC30, dialed in at gain 0/10, bass 6, mid 6.5, 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)

GAIN

BASS

6.5

MID

6.5

TREBLE

PRESENCE

2.5

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 0 sits well below the rock average (4.8) — cleaner and more dynamic than typical rock; mids at 6.5 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Gibson Trini Lopez (1966, red finish) · Amp: Vox AC30 (handwired, studio recording)

Studio recording, 2002. Dave Grohl stated he used his red 1966 Gibson Trini Lopez through a Vox AC30 for clean tones on 'Times Like These'. No evidence of other guitars or amps for the clean riff section. Settings estimated based on typical AC30 clean usage and genre.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Vox AC30 songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Gibson Trini Lopez (1966, red finish) → Vox AC30 (handwired, studio recording)

Effects

reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

bright and articulate, chiming clean, open and ringing, dynamic and responsive, slight compression, clear note separation, percussive attack, warm but present highs, tight low end, no audible breakup

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, medium dynamics · clean distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Times Like These sound.

Difficulty

3/5 · Riff

The riff requires precise, syncopated picking and clean chord voicings with open strings, demanding good dynamic control and timing for clarity.

Worth knowing

Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
No direct source lists exact amp knob settings for 'Times Like These' clean riff; settings estimated based on typical Vox AC30 clean usage for modern rock.
No explicit mention of pedals or modulation effects for the clean riff section in any source; chorus/flanger/phaser not audible in the recording.
Guitar and amp confirmed for studio recording, but pickup selector inferred from typical Foo Fighters clean tone and listening to isolated tracks.
Reverb is subtle and likely from the amp or studio room, not a pedal.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The riff in 'Times Like These' features a crunchy, mid-forward rock tone typical of Dave Grohl's Mesa/Marshall setup circa early 2000s, with moderate gain for clarity, balanced bass and treble, and a touch of reverb for space. The mids are slightly boosted for punch, and presence is set to add clarity without harshness.

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

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Times Like These guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Times Like These guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 0, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 2.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Times Like These tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Gibson Trini Lopez (1966, red finish) · Amp: Vox AC30 (handwired, studio recording); reverb.

Can I get the Times Like These 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 Foo Fighters on Times Like These — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 0, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 2.5), and reverb. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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More like this

🎸 How to get Foo Fighters’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Rock guitar tones → · 🎚️ Vox AC30 settings → · 🎛️ best rock amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎯 more percussive tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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