Tone library / John Mayer / Edge of Desire

Edge of Desire amp settings — Fender champion 25

The John Mayer guitar tone for “Edge of Desire”, dialed in for a Fender champion 25 with a SQOE SQOE SEIB680 HSS with Flame Maple Top Electric Guitar (Humbucker / SEIB 680/SEIB-680). Studio version, Battle Studies (2009) - main signature arpeggiated riff

Original rig

Gibson 1961 SG Standard / Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster into Dumble Steel String Singer / Two-Rock Custom Reverb Signature and vintage Fender Super Reverb with Way Huge Aqua-Puss slapback delay and subtle plate reverb

Warm, dynamic, glassy edge-of-breakup clean with subtle slapback delay and ambient room decay
Amp settings — Fender champion 25
CHANNELClean channel (or '65 Twin / Deluxe voice)BRIGHToffBOOSToff
GAIN 3 BASS 6 TREBLE 5 REVERB 3 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain3
Bass6
Treble5
Reverb3
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPneck+middle TONE9 VOLUME9
Signal chain

01BG300 Multi-FX (Clean Boost / Klon block)

Clean boost block to give slight Mayer-style harmonic thickness without heavy clipping

Gain 2 · Tone 5 · Level 7

02BG300 Multi-FX (Analog Delay / Slapback block)

Simulates Mayer's Way Huge Aqua-Puss slapback (approx 120-150ms, 1-2 repeats)

Time 3 · Feedback 2 · Mix 3

03BG300 Multi-FX (Spring/Hall Reverb block)

Light ambient space behind the continuous picking

Decay 4 · Tone 4 · Mix 3
Why these settings

The Champion 20/25 has a 2-band EQ with no dedicated mid control, so bass is set slightly higher and treble rounded to 5 to replicate Mayer's warm, scooped Dumble/Fender clean platform. Your HSS Strat's neck+middle (position 4) or neck single-coil captures the chime and percussive pick attack of the studio track. The BG300 handles the essential Mayer Aqua-Puss slapback echo and mild transparent front-end boost.

PRO TIPKeep your picking hand strictly alternating or hybrid picking with light, consistent dynamic pressure to keep the fast arpeggio seamless without causing single notes to spike into unwanted distortion.

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These settings are for a Fender champion 25. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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