🎸 Indie Rock · 2000s

When You Were Young by The Killers (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by The Killers · riff

The When You Were Young by The Killers guitar tone is built on a Fender / Marshall, dialed in at gain 6/10, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6, presence 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)

6
GAIN
5
BASS
6
MID
6
TREBLE
5
PRESENCE
3
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 38 indie tones in our researched catalog: Gain 6 sits well above the indie average (4.0) — a hotter, more saturated take than most indie tones; mids at 6 are right around average (6.0).

Original gear

Guitar: Fender · Amp: Fender / Marshall

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →

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

Pickups

bridge pickup

Signal chain

Fender → Fender / Marshall

Effects

delay

Tone character

Big, anthemic, mid-forward indie-rock tone with soaring delayed leads.

Worth knowing

⚡ 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 →

When You Were Young guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the When You Were Young guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 6, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6, presence 5, reverb 3. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the When You Were Young tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Fender · Amp: Fender / Marshall; delay.

Can I get the When You Were Young 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 Killers on When You Were Young — what gear and pedals?

Start with bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 6, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6, presence 5, reverb 3), and delay. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Songs by level: 🎯 Easy  ·  🎸 Intermediate  ·  🔥 Hardest — each with the amp settings.

More like this

🎸 How to get The Killers’s guitar tone →  ·  🎸 more Indie Rock guitar tones →  ·  🎛️ best indie amp settings →  ·  🎸 more iconic guitar riffs →  ·  🎚️ Delay tone guide →  ·  🎯 more mid forward tones →  ·  📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Related tones

Mr. Brightside — The KillersSomebody Told Me — The KillersTelephones — VacationsBad Habit — Steve LacyStress Relief — late night drive homeThis Charming Man — The Smiths
Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com