Tone library / Rage against the machine / Killing in the name of

Killing in the name of amp settings — Kadence ME-20W

The Rage against the machine guitar tone for “Killing in the name of”, dialed in for a Kadence ME-20W with a Kadence Astroman. Studio version, Rage Against The Machine self-titled debut (1992)

Original rig

Marshall JCM 800 2205 50W (Boost channel: Gain 10, Bass 10, Mid 10, Treble 7, Presence 1, Master 7), Fender Telecaster with EMG single-coil in neck position, Digitech WH-1 Whammy for solo

Tight, aggressive crunch with full low-end thump and grinding mids, very dry with no reverb

Amp settings — Kadence ME-20W

CHANNELOverdrive/Distortion channel (highest gain voicing available)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	8
Mid	10
Treble	6
Reverb	0
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

Morello's JCM 800 Boost channel was maxed on bass/mid/gain with low presence. Your Kadence ME-20W is a small practice amp with less headroom and a brighter, thinner voicing than a cranked JCM 800. I've dropped bass slightly to 8 to prevent muddiness at low volumes, kept mid maxed at 10 to replicate that aggressive bark, and reduced treble to 6 since practice amps get harsh faster. Gain at 7 gives you the saturation without fizz. No presence knob exists on your amp.

PRO TIPThe iconic percussive 'chka-chka' scratch sound in the verse comes from muting the strings with your fretting hand while strumming aggressively — palm-mute position near the bridge, left hand barely touching strings, attack hard with the pick. That rhythmic aggression defines this riff more than any amp setting.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Kadence ME-20W. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, 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.