Longview amp settings — 3rd AVE BA-15
The Greenday guitar tone for “Longview”, dialed in for a 3rd AVE BA-15 with a Yamaha BB400. Studio version, Dookie (1994)
Fernandes Strat copy with Bill Lawrence L500XL humbucker → Marshall 1959 SLP 'Pete' with Dookie/Bradshaw cascaded gain mod, no pedals
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 7 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Presence | 5 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 6 |
01Overdrive Pedal (TS-style or Boss SD-1)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The BA-15 is a small solid-state practice amp with limited gain on tap. To achieve the Dookie-level saturation, you need an external drive pedal. A Boss SD-1, Behringer TO800, or any TS-clone under $30 will get you there. Set amp gain to 3-4 when using this pedal.
The BA-15 is a basic 15W solid-state practice amp — it cannot replicate the cascaded tube gain of the Dookie-modded Marshall. I pushed the amp gain to 7 to maximize available saturation, but the tone will remain thinner and less compressed than the original. The Yamaha BB400 is a bass guitar with humbuckers — this is fundamentally wrong for this tone. If you must use it, the bridge pickup and rolled-back tone will get the closest approximation, but the output and EQ curve are designed for bass frequencies. Mid pushed to 7 compensates for the BA-15's tendency toward a scooped, boxy sound. Bass dropped to 4 to avoid mud from the BB400's low-end output. Reverb at 0 — the Dookie recording is bone dry.
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These settings are for a 3rd AVE BA-15. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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