Boys Don't Cry amp settings — Cort 25114210
The The Cure guitar tone for “Boys Don't Cry”, dialed in for a Cort 25114210 with a Stagg EMD QC(01). Studio version, Three Imaginary Boys / Boys Don't Cry single (1979)
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (clean), Top Twenty Japanese guitar (single-coil), Boss CE-1 Chorus, delay, subtle reverb
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 1 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 5 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Presence | 5 |
| Reverb | 2 |
| Master | 5 |
01Chorus (any budget chorus pedal)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. This is essential to the tone; the JC-120's onboard chorus defined the sound. A Behringer UC200, Boss CH-1, or any affordable chorus gets you there.
02Delay (digital or analog)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Adds the spacious, echo-like quality. A Behringer DD400 or Boss DD-3 works.
The Cort 25114210 is a basic solid-state practice amp with limited headroom and no onboard modulation — it will sound thin and flat without a chorus pedal. I dropped bass to 4 (your amp likely has boomy low-end at higher settings) and kept treble at 6 to get chime without ice-pick harshness. Your Stagg has humbuckers versus Smith's bright single-coils, so treble stays moderate and the tone knob is rolled to 8 to tame darkness. Without chorus and delay pedals, you will only approximate 40% of this tone.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Cort 25114210. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
Get ToneAdapt on Google PlaySong, 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.