American Idiot tone

Rex

New member
I actually want Green Day's American Idiot sound. What kind of gear would I need and what should my amp settings be at? thanks.
 
Re: American Idiot tone

Les Paul juniors with P90's into marshals (i think)were the main contributor to Billie Joes tone on american idiot.
 
Re: American Idiot tone

Are you talking about the Song or the whole album? I saw the new song Blvd of something, and they had 2 guitar players and a person on Keyboard? I didn't know they added members, but as for billy's EQ I think it was a LP junior with p-90s into a marshall too. But, I remember the second guitarist using some sort of hollow body guitar.
 
Re: American Idiot tone

Actually, he's been using a ton different stuff to record, like Bassmans, Hiwatts, and Bad Cats.

Bille Joe is one of the few modern rockers who still carries on the tradition of sounding heavy without a ton of gain. I like to think that was the Pete Townshend influence at work. :)
 
Re: American Idiot tone

Any decent Gibson, Hamer, or PRS with P90's will do. As for the amp, I think a Marshall would get that sound quite nicely. It's a very basic distorted rock tone, but it sounds great. I think American Idiot is Green Day's best album.

Ryan
 
Re: American Idiot tone

OKAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GREENDAY HERE!! LOL, Fat Strat into a marshall and you should have it! ohh and a tube screemer for the cleaner tones
 
Re: American Idiot tone

For the album, Billie Joe mainly used a Les Paul Junior with p-90s into a modded Marshall Super Lead. He also used a Gibson Les Paul Standard with stock pickups. For other amps, there were some bassmans and hiwatts used like MRID said.

I personally love Billie Joe's tone on the album. It's freakin' terrific. Peace.
 
Re: American Idiot tone

mrid said:
Actually, he's been using a ton different stuff to record, like Bassmans, Hiwatts, and Bad Cats.

Bille Joe is one of the few modern rockers who still carries on the tradition of sounding heavy without a ton of gain. I like to think that was the Pete Townshend influence at work. :)

+1 - I love that about him. You don't need oversaturated gain to sound heavy.
 
Re: American Idiot tone

RockNRoling said:
OKAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GREENDAY HERE!! LOL, Fat Strat into a marshall and you should have it! ohh and a tube screemer for the cleaner tones

Everything that's been recommended is the gear Billy said he used on the album (and live).

A Tube Screamer for clean parts? WTF?
 
Re: American Idiot tone

he sued a vintage les paul junior with a p90 pick up. FOr the album he double tracked every rhtym part with the junior lp plugged into a Park Amp (a marshall amp without the name plate) and a plexi marshall. Both amps were modded with a lead control i thnk and to have more power. For his solos on the album he used a 59 custom shop reissue, and he also double tracked them as well. Other amps he used to album were fender twins i believe and a few mroe smaller amps. He tends to use alot less distortion in his tone, as well if that helps any bit.

LIve BIllie just used a junior LP plugged into a marshall super lead plexi. For his older tunes he uses his strat copy, but almost all of the new stuff he uses a junior, for that classic pete townshed type of tone.
 
Re: American Idiot tone

haha i had read that his old Blue strat copy was actually too warn-out to play anymore. He got too many refrets and now the fretboard is too thin. I bet he's still got plenty of Fender Strats lyin around tho...I would if I had rockstar cash :D

-X
 
Re: American Idiot tone

Empty Pockets said:
haha i had read that his old Blue strat copy was actually too warn-out to play anymore. He got too many refrets and now the fretboard is too thin. I bet he's still got plenty of Fender Strats lyin around tho...I would if I had rockstar cash :D

-X

i heard the same thing... and he didn't play it when i saw them the last time.

as for the solo's on the new album as far as i know he doesn't play them so i don't know how you know the gear he used. I know for a fact he doesn't play them live the other guitarist does. Sometimes when there is only one guitar part the other guitarist plays that too and billy just sings.
 
Re: American Idiot tone

Chi3f said:
as for the solo's on the new album as far as i know he doesn't play them so i don't know how you know the gear he used.

I believe he was referencing the solos on the recording, which Billy did in fact play. He was recently on the cover of GW, and stated what equipment he used.
 
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