Josh Homme — £1,000 · Pro-Level Rig

• 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

• ✗Stacking a second overdrive after the TS9 with single coils — the combined mid emphasis of two stacked ODs into single-coil pickups produces a congested, nasal sound that struggles to sit in a mix
• ✗Placing a tuner or buffered pedal before the Fuzz Face — most fuzz circuits (especially germanium ones) are sensitive to the impedance of the signal feeding them. A buffered pedal before the fuzz changes how the guitar volume knob responds. Run fuzz first in the chain
• ✗Setting the amp bass too high — the inherent warmth of mahogany means you need less bass EQ than with a Strat. Starting at 5 rather than 7 prevents low-end mud.
• ✗Playing a vintage-voiced amp at low volume — the warmth and bloom of these amps comes from the power tubes working. At low volume the tone is flat and uninspiring compared to the amp's potential.
• ✗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.
• ✗Setting gain too high on the overdrive pedal — most overdrive pedals are most useful at gain settings of 2-5, where they add character without dominating the tone. High gain settings on an OD pedal become a distortion, not an overdrive.
• ✗Putting fuzz after other pedals (especially wah or overdrive) — most fuzz circuits are sensitive to input impedance. Wah before fuzz is fine; overdrive into fuzz creates unpredictable gating.
• ✗Scooping mids to "sound heavier" — a guitar with mids removed disappears under bass and drums. Metal tone cuts through a mix, and that requires midrange.

Fender Jazzmaster or Telecaster into an Orange or Ampeg amp, often tuned to C or B standard. The tone is thick and warm rather than aggressive — the heaviness comes from the low tuning and the locked-in groove, not from distortion. A fuzz pedal appears on some tracks for additional harmonic saturation.