By the Way amp settings — Harley benton HB-40R
The Red Hot Chili Peppers guitar tone for “By the Way”, dialed in for a Harley benton HB-40R with a Harley benton Cs 24. Studio version, By the Way (2002) — iconic intro and verse funk/clean rhythm
1962 Fender Stratocaster (neck/middle) -> Boss CE-1 (preamp buffer) -> Ibanez WH10 (parked wah on verse) -> Marshall Major 200W / Silver Jubilee 2555
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 3 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 6 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Reverb | 2 |
| Master | 5 |
Frusciante's tone relies on a vintage Strat into massive-headroom Marshalls pushed right to the edge of breakup. Since the HB-40R is a solid-state clean platform and the CS-24 has humbuckers (which are naturally darker and hotter than single coils), running the middle pickup position with treble pushed to 7 keeps the high-end snap without getting harsh, while keeping amp gain low prevents muddy solid-state clipping.
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These settings are for a Harley benton HB-40R. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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