Song Rig
Go with the Flow
Josh Homme · Songs for the Deaf · 2002
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Go with the Flow is the most accessible QOTSA track and a perfect example of Homme's approach to heavy-but-groovy guitar. The recurring guitar figure uses a slight palm mute on the low strings combined with open, ringing notes higher on the fretboard — a technique that gives the riff both rhythmic pulse and melodic content simultaneously. The tone is a cranked Fender amp with a slightly fuzz-like quality.
Signal Chain
- 1Fender Telecaster Custom
- 2Fender Dual Showman Reverb
- 3Mosrite Ventures Model
Amp Settings
Similar desert rock setting to No One Knows — mid-forward, warm, organic. The gain is slightly lower on this track, giving the riff more definition between the palm-muted and open notes.
Technique
How to Play It
The alternation between palm-muted low string notes and unmuted higher notes within a single riff is the key technique — the contrast between dead and ringing notes within a single phrase creates rhythmic and harmonic interest simultaneously.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
A single-coil bridge pickup into a mid-forward tube amp at moderate-high gain. The palm muting must be very controlled — too much mute deadens the note completely, too little loses the groove distinction.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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