Tone library / Steppenwolf / Born to Be Wild

Born to Be Wild amp settings — Line 6 Pod go

The Steppenwolf guitar tone for “Born to Be Wild”, dialed in for a Line 6 Pod go with a Epiphone Les Paul Classic. Studio version, Steppenwolf debut album (1968), American Recording Company, Studio City, CA

Original rig

1952 Fender Esquire → Fender Concert (4x10, no reverb, all knobs at 10) — cranked for natural breakup, no pedals

Raw, gritty, slightly overdriven crunch with biting mids and a rough, rebellious edge — not high-gain, but pushed hard into breakup

Amp settings — Line 6 Pod go

CHANNELUS Deluxe Nrm (Fender Deluxe Reverb model — closest to the Fender Concert's clean-to-crunch character)BRIGHTonBOOSToff

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

Don’t have a Line 6 Pod go? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Scream 808 (Tube Screamer model — Pod Go built-in)

Use as a light boost to push the amp into that cranked Fender breakup — Monarch's original tone came from volume alone, but your modeler needs this push to replicate the saturation

Drive 3 · Tone 6 · Level 7

Why these settings

Monarch used a single-coil Esquire; your Les Paul humbuckers are hotter and warmer, so treble is dropped from 10 to 6 and mids raised to 7 to recover the biting clarity. The original was a cranked amp with no pedals — the Scream 808 set low compensates for the modeler's inability to replicate true power-tube saturation at volume. Reverb at 0 because the original was bone dry.

PRO TIPRoll your guitar's tone knob back to 7-8 during the verse for a slightly woollier rhythm sound, then open it to 10 for the iconic riff hits — Monarch's Esquire had a single tone control he likely rode throughout the track.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Line 6 Pod go. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play

More tones for the Line 6 Pod go

RoadhousebluesThe doors Folsom Prison BluesJohnny Cash Honky Tonk WomenThe Rolling Stones Oh, Pretty WomanRoy Orbison Wicked GameChris Isaak Louie LouieMotörhead

Find your amp

Browse

Line 6 Pod go settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Born to Be Wild on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Epiphone Les Paul Classic tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

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.