Alex Turner — £1,000 · Pro-Level Rig

• Use the neck pickup or middle position for the characteristic jangly chime
• Set the AC30's Top Boost controls — treble around 6, bass around 4 for clean sparkle
• Let the amp do the work — Turner rarely uses heavy overdrive pedals
• Spring reverb from the amp adds depth; keep it moderate to stay present in the mix
• For later Arctic Monkeys tones, add light tremolo and a touch of tape delay
• The Vox AC30's Top Boost channel responds to your single coils' picking position — playing closer to the bridge emphasises the chimey, jangly quality; playing near the neck gives a rounder, less trebly result. Move your picking hand to change tone before touching any controls
• Angle the semi-hollow body so the f-holes face away from the amp speaker — this reduces the acoustic energy entering the body cavity and delays the onset of feedback. Even a 45° rotation makes a noticeable difference

• ✗Using the same amp EQ as for a solid-body guitar — semi-hollow guitars have natural warmth that makes amp bass and treble settings behave differently. Start flat and adjust from there.
• ✗Setting the amp bass control too high — Vox AC amps have an inherent warmth due to class-A operation. Adding bass EQ creates a muddy low end quickly. Start with bass at 3-4.
• ✗Playing at bedroom volume expecting amp-driven tone — the power-tube saturation that defines this gain structure only occurs when the amp is working at substantial output. This is not replicable at low volumes.
• ✗Ignoring alternative tunings — many of the most iconic riffs and chord voicings in the genre are impossible in standard tuning.
• ✗Homogenising the tone — playing at the same volume and gain level throughout removes the compositional impact of the loud-quiet dynamic.

Turner's tone is defined by Vox AC30 chime and natural compression. Early Arctic Monkeys is raw and angular; later records are lusher with spring reverb and tremolo. The semi-hollow body of his Rickenbacker or Casino adds warmth and sustain without sacrificing clarity.