Nail the ToneThe Offspring

Come Out and Play

The Offspring · Smash · 1994

Smash was cut at Track Record in North Hollywood with producer/engineer Thom Wilson, and both guitarists ran their own guitars through a single shared Mesa/Boogie Mark IV and one 4x12 — the amp the band bought with their NOFX tour money. Noodles tracked on a Gibson Sonex, a cheap single-cut with humbuckers, into the Mark IV's lead channel with no pedals in front. For the main riff, use a bridge humbucker, high but not saturated gain, trimmed bass and lifted treble, and keep the mids in — the tone is tight and edgy rather than woolly.

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 sits in B minor on the low strings and both guitars double it in unison for the intro.

Part: Riff

Guitar

  • Gibson Sonex · Stock humbuckers · bridge pickup
  • Ibanez RG · Stock humbucker · bridge pickup
  • Tom Anderson (borrowed) · bridge pickup

Amp

Mesa/Boogie Mark IV

GAIN
7.5
BASS
4.0
MID
4.0
TREBLE
6.5
PRESENCE
6.0
REVERB
0.0

Band pooled tour money for one Mark IV head and one 4x12 that both guitarists shared for the whole album; distortion came straight off the amp's lead channel. Set the graphic EQ in a shallow V (slight 80 Hz and 2.2 kHz lift, small 750 Hz cut) rather than a full metal scoop — the riff needs mids to cut. Knob values are inferred from the record, not documented.

Tone character

tight high-gain crunch · forward mids · bright pick attack · controlled low end · dry, no effects

easy

A single-note line on the low strings with steady alternate picking and quick two-fret position shifts — no chords, but the picking hand has to stay even at tempo.

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