Josh Homme

• Tune to C or B standard — QOTSA's heaviness is almost entirely tuning-based. In standard tuning, the same riffs sound thin
• Heavy strings (.12s or .13s) are required for the low tunings to stay in tune and have the right tension and articulation
• The quarter-note feel is paramount — Homme plays very "in the pocket," right on the beat with almost no swing or rush
• Single-note riffs on the low strings with the bass player doubling them is the QOTSA formula — listen to how guitar and bass lock on "No One Knows"
• The tone is thick and mid-heavy, not bright and aggressive — if it sounds like metal, pull the treble back and boost the mids
• Fuzz is used sparingly and specifically — not on every song. When it appears, it's a sudden surge in harmonic density
• Orange amp at moderate gain — the Orange character provides the warmth without excessive distortion
• Drop C power chords with the first finger barring the bottom two strings produce the "wall of riff" QOTSA chord sound
• Jazzmaster pickups have a distinctive single-coil character — warmer and less bright than a Strat, which contributes to the less aggressive quality

Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age creates some of modern rock's most hypnotic, locked-in riffs — baritone-ish tuned-down tones, drone-based single-note riffs, and a commitment to groove that makes QOTSA impossible to stand still to.