Bulls On Parade amp settings — Vox VT40X
The Rage Against The Machine guitar tone for “Bulls On Parade”, dialed in for a Vox VT40X with a Fender American Ultra Telecaster. Studio version, Evil Empire (1996)
Custom 'Arm the Homeless' guitar (EMG 81 bridge) → Dunlop Cry Baby (parked) → DigiTech Whammy → Marshall JCM 800 2205 50W → Peavey 4x12
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 6 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 8 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 7 |
01Morley 20/20 Power Volume Wah
CRITICAL: Park the wah at roughly halfway (noon position) and LEAVE IT THERE — do not sweep. This creates the nasal, honky mid-frequency filter that defines the riff tone. Adjust position by ear while playing the main riff until it locks into that aggressive nasal character.
02DigiTech Whammy (WH-1 or Whammy V)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for the intro 'rocket launch' pitch sweep. Set to 2-octave up mode, sweep heel-to-toe slowly during sustained notes. Without this pedal, the intro effect is not replicable.
Your Tele's single-coil bridge is brighter and lower output than Morello's EMG 81 active humbucker. Compensated by pushing mids to 8 (vs original ~7) and cutting treble to 5 (vs original ~6) to avoid ice-pick highs. The VT40X's UK Modern model approximates JCM800 voicing but has less natural compression, so the parked wah doing the tonal shaping becomes even more important. Gain stays moderate at 6 — Morello's tone is controlled crunch, not saturated.
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These settings are for a Vox VT40X. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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