🎸 Rock · 1980s

With or Without You by U2 (Riff · Clean) — Guitar Tone

by U2 · riff

The With or Without You by U2 guitar tone is built on a Vox AC30, dialed in at gain 0/10, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 7.5, 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

7.5

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 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: Fender Stratocaster (modified for Infinite Guitar system) · Amp: Vox AC30 (studio recording, 1987)

Studio recording, 1987, The Joshua Tree sessions. The Edge used a modified Stratocaster with the Infinite Guitar sustainer system for the sustained riff. The amp was a Vox AC30, a staple of The Edge's studio rig at the time. Delay was provided by a rackmount Korg SDD-3000 digital delay. No evidence of overdrive/distortion pedals for the main riff; the tone is clean and ambient. Pickup selection likely position 2 (bridge + middle) for chime and clarity.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Vox AC30 songs & tones →🎚️ Fender Stratocaster songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Position 2 (bridge + middle)

Signal chain

Fender Stratocaster (modified for Infinite Guitar system) → Korg SDD-3000 Digital Delay → Infinite Guitar sustainer system → Vox AC30 (studio recording, 1987)

Effects

delay, reverb, sustainer

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 3)

Tone character

ethereal and sustained, bright and glassy, chimey clean, lush ambient delay, clear articulation, minimal amp breakup, spacious and atmospheric, smooth sustain, no audible overdrive, modulated digital delay repeats

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, slow tempo, soft dynamics · clean distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the With or Without You sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff is technically simple but requires careful timing with delay repeats and smooth, sustained notes using the Infinite Guitar system. Clean playing and dynamic control are essential for the atmospheric sound.

Worth knowing

Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
No direct amp knob settings found for the studio recording; values estimated based on typical Vox AC30 settings for clean, chimey tones in 1980s U2 recordings.
Pickup selection inferred from tone and known Strat wiring; not explicitly stated in sources.
Delay pedal model (Korg SDD-3000) is widely cited for The Edge's 1980s tones, but not confirmed in these sources for this exact song.
Infinite Guitar sustainer system confirmed in Guitar World interview for this song.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The Edge's 'With or Without You' tone is clean but with a hint of breakup, typical of a Vox AC30 set just above clean, with chimey highs and a lush, ambient reverb. The mids are forward for clarity, treble and presence are boosted for shimmer, and reverb is prominent to support the atmospheric delay-heavy sound.

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

Chords

🎼 With or Without You chords — key, capo & the main progression →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

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With or Without You guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the With or Without You guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 0, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 7.5, presence 6, reverb 5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the With or Without You tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (modified for Infinite Guitar system) · Amp: Vox AC30 (studio recording, 1987); delay, reverb, sustainer.

Can I get the With or Without You 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 U2 on With or Without You — what gear and pedals?

Start with Position 2 (bridge + middle), the amp EQ above (gain 0, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 7.5, presence 6, reverb 5), and delay, reverb, sustainer. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

Share this tone

Sources

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More like this

🎸 How to get U2’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Rock guitar tones → · 🎚️ Vox AC30 settings → · 🎛️ best rock amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎚️ Delay 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