Nail the Toneblink-182

Dammit

blink-182 · Dude Ranch · 1997

"Dammit" is a Stratocaster with a high-output bridge humbucker into a Mesa/Boogie, tracked at Big Fish Studios by Mark Trombino with a Shure SM57 on the cab and no compression on the way in. Set a mid-gain crunch rather than a modern metal scoop: back the bass off so the low strings stay tight, leave the mids in place, and push the treble for the pick attack. Double-track the rhythm and pan the two takes hard left and right — most of the record's size comes from that, not from the gain knob.

Where these numbers come from: worked out from the documented rig and the sound of the record

Tuning

Standard tuning, no capo

Standard tuning; the main riff lives on the low E and A strings, and the rhythm guitars are doubled and panned wide, so a single guitar will sound thinner than the record.

Part: Riff

Guitar

  • Fender American Standard Stratocaster (40th Anniversary "Sticker Strat") · DiMarzio X2N · bridge pickup

Amp

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

GAIN
6.0
BASS
3.5
MID
5.0
TREBLE
6.5
PRESENCE
6.0

DeLonge has said on camera that a Stratocaster into a Mesa/Boogie made the Dude Ranch record, but he never named the Rectifier model; fans who own the '97 live footage argue for a rackmount Dual Rectifier, while other write-ups claim a Triple Rectifier. Settings are inferred from the record: moderate gain, pulled-back bass, mids left in so the C-G-Am-F riff cuts.

Amp

Marshall JCM800

GAIN
6.5
BASS
4.0
MID
6.0
TREBLE
7.0
PRESENCE
6.0

A JCM800 head appears alongside the Mesa in the Ernie Ball "Pursuit of Tone" clip where DeLonge discusses the Dude Ranch rig, and the album's grainy top end sounds like a Marshall blended with the Mesa; whether it was used on this specific track is not documented.

Tone character

bright crunch · tight palm mutes · present mids · moderate gain, not scooped · doubled and panned wide

easy

The riff is a two-string pattern of open-position roots and quick position shifts on the low strings, so the work is in keeping the down-picking even and the palm mutes tight at 195 bpm.

Want this on your own amp?

These are the record's settings. Tell us what you play through and we'll translate every knob to the amp you actually own — free.

Adapt it to my gear

Sources