Killing In the Name (Live In Mexico City, MX, 10/28/99) amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII
The Rage Against the Machine guitar tone for “Killing In the Name (Live In Mexico City, MX, 10/28/99)”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 50 MkII with a Squier Affinity Telecaster. Live, Battle of Mexico City (October 28, 1999)
Marshall JCM800 2205 50W head, 'Send in the Clowns' modified Fender Telecaster (neck pickup solo, neck for drop-D riffs), DigiTech Whammy WH-1, MXR Phase 90, DOD FX40B EQ, Peavey 4x12 cab
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 6 |
01Onboard Booster (Blues Drive voicing)
Engage the onboard BOOSTER section set low to tighten the low-end and push the crunch channel into JCM800-style live aggression.
Tom Morello famously tracks the main Drop-D riffs and the Whammy solo on his Telecaster's neck pickup, which yields a thick, round low-end with sharp pick attack. On the Katana, the CRUNCH amp type pushed with moderate gain and upper mids provides the JCM800 bite, while keeping treble around 5 prevents the Telecaster single coil from turning harsh. A dry room response with zero reverb matches the dry, punchy direct live recording of the 1999 Mexico City performance. Clean verse: roll guitar volume down to 6 and pick lightly over the neck pickup.
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