Tom Morello
Tom Morello treated the electric guitar as a turntable and synthesiser, creating sounds through killswitches, pickup toggle switches and DigiTech Whammy that nobody had associated with the instrument before. His work with Rage Against the Machine combined political fury with sonic innovation that still sounds like nothing else.
Axis guitar with single humbucker into a Marshall JCM800 — clean, extended-range platform that becomes chaos through a Whammy pedal, killswitch and toggle switch manipulation. The amp is not the sound; Morello's hands and pedals are the sound.
Guitars
"Arm the Homeless" Axis-Style Guitar
Custom guitar with single DiMarzio Super Distortion. Killswitch in toggle position allows staccato chops. "Arm the Homeless" logo.
"Soul Power" Telecaster
Custom Telecaster with Bucker pickup. Used for Rage albums.
Fender Stratocaster
Current work with The Nightwatchman (acoustic and electric solo material).
Full specs & buy →Amplifiers
Marshall JCM800 2205
Clean channel only — Morellos dirt comes from pedals, not the amp.
Peavey VTM120
1992–1997First Rage era — cleaner, more headroom.
Effects Pedals
DigiTech Whammy WH-1
The signature Morello sound — dive bombs, octave shifts, harmonics. Used on virtually every Rage solo.
Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Classic wah used for "Killing in the Name" and many others.
Boss DD-2 Digital Delay
Short, tight delay for sustain and doubling effects.
Ibanez Tube Screamer
Boost for solos — pushing the JCM800 slightly harder.
Electro-Harmonix Frequency Analyzer
Ring modulator for "Bulls on Parade" solo.
Key Albums & Tone
"Killing in the Name" and "Bombtrack" — killswitch and Whammy create the machine-gun effect.
"Bulls on Parade" — ring modulator solo. Most harmonically adventurous Rage record.
"Guerrilla Radio" — peak RATM songwriting with Morellos most restrained soloing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What guitar does Tom Morello use?
"Arm the Homeless" Axis-Style Guitar and "Soul Power" Telecaster. Custom guitar with single DiMarzio Super Distortion. Killswitch in toggle position allows staccato chops. "Arm the Homeless" logo.
What amp does Tom Morello use?
Marshall JCM800 2205 and Peavey VTM120. Clean channel only — Morellos dirt comes from pedals, not the amp.
What pedals does Tom Morello use?
Tom Morello uses DigiTech Whammy WH-1, Dunlop Cry Baby Wah, Boss DD-2 Digital Delay and more.
What is Tom Morello's signature sound?
Axis guitar with single humbucker into a Marshall JCM800 — clean, extended-range platform that becomes chaos through a Whammy pedal, killswitch and toggle switch manipulation. The amp is not the sound; Morello's hands and pedals are the sound.