Song Rig

No One Knows

Josh Homme · Songs for the Deaf · 2002

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Songs for the Deaf was recorded with Homme's "Desert Session" approach — loud, distorted guitars through vintage Fender amps, using the amp's natural power section distortion rather than pedals. No One Knows uses a Fender Telecaster into a Dual Showman Reverb pushed to natural saturation, creating a woolly, warm distortion that is quite different from the tight, scooped metal tones of contemporaries.

Signal Chain

1Fender Telecaster Custom (1972)
2Fender Dual Showman Reverb (cranked)
3Vox AC30 (supplementary)
4Orange AD30 (supplementary)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume8

Bass6

Mid8

Treble6

Presence5

The mid-forward, warm character is central to the QOTSA sound. Unlike grunge or metal, the midrange is boosted rather than scooped — the tone is fuzzy and organic rather than cutting and tight.

Technique

How to Play It

The main riff uses the Telecaster's bridge pickup for attack and bite, then Homme often switches to the neck pickup for the pre-chorus to create a smoother, more sustained quality.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

A Telecaster (or humbucker guitar) into a Fender Dual Showman or similar mid-range-rich tube amp at high volume. Avoid scooping mids — the mid-forward EQ is essential to the QOTSA character.

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