Wicked Game amp settings — Roland Cube 40GX
The Chris Isaak guitar tone for “Wicked Game”, dialed in for a Roland Cube 40GX with a Fender Player Telecaster. Studio version, Heart Shaped World (1989)
1962 Fender Stratocaster Reissue (neck pickup) → Roland SDE 3000 delay → Fender Silverface Twin Reverb with onboard reverb; volume pedal for swells; post-mix TC Electronic 2290 + Eventide H3000 stereo chorus
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 2 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 5 |
| Treble | 4 |
| Presence | 0 |
| Reverb | 6 |
| Master | 5 |
01Volume Pedal
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for the signature volume swells on verse arpeggios. An Ernie Ball VP Jr or Boss FV-50L would replicate the technique. Without it, use your guitar's volume knob manually — roll to 0 before picking, then smoothly roll up to 10.
02Cube 40GX Onboard Delay (use DELAY effect via panel)
Set delay time around 150-200ms; keep mix subtle for thickening, not obvious echo. Use ANALOG DELAY type if available for warmer repeats.
03Cube 40GX Onboard Chorus (use CHORUS/MOD effect via panel)
RECOMMENDED — engages subtly to approximate the H3000 stereo spread on the mix. Keep slow and lush, not watery.
Original used a Strat neck single-coil for that glassy warmth; your Tele neck pickup is slightly brighter and has more bite, so I rolled treble down to 4 and tone knob to 6 to soften the top end. The Cube's JC CLEAN amp type gives Fender-like headroom and sparkle without breakup, matching the clean Twin Reverb foundation. Wilsey's tone was recorded relatively dry then enhanced in the mix — the onboard delay and chorus approximate that studio processing.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Roland Cube 40GX. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
Get ToneAdapt on Google PlaySong, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.