Blaxploitation Guitar Tone - Amp Settings, Gear, and Songs
4 iconic Blaxploitation tones with the exact settings behind them - gain, EQ, pickup, tuning, and pedal chain per song, plus the median amp settings across the whole style. 2 of them are bass tones. Built to be dialled in on whatever gear you own.
Translate any Blaxploitation tone to the rig you already own
Median knob positions across the 4 catalog tones in this genre, on the amps they were recorded with. A starting point for the sound - then pick a song below for the exact recipe.
- Gain
- 2.3
- Bass
- 5.8
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 5.5
- Presence
- 4.8
- Volume
- 5.5
Gear That Defines the Blaxploitation Sound
- ampTwin ReverbModern equivalent: Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissueon 2 Blaxploitation tones
- pedalVox V847 Wahon 2 Blaxploitation tones
- ampAmpeg B-15N Portaflexon 1 Blaxploitation tone
- guitarStratocasterModern equivalent: Fender Vintera '60s Stratocasteron 1 Blaxploitation tone
- guitarStratocasterModern equivalent: Fender American Professional II Stratocasteron 1 Blaxploitation tone
- bassJazz BassModern equivalent: Fender Vintera II '60s Jazz Basson 1 Blaxploitation tone
- bassPrecision BassModern equivalent: Fender American Vintage II 1960 Precision Basson 1 Blaxploitation tone
Artists With the Most Blaxploitation Tones
Blaxploitation Tones You Can Dial In
Common Questions About Blaxploitation Tone
What amp settings do I need for Blaxploitation?
Across the 4 Blaxploitation tones in our catalog the median is gain 2.3 (range 2–3), with bass 5.8, mid 6, treble 5.5 - on a 0–10 scale. That's the window, not a recipe: pick any song below for the exact knob positions it was recorded with, then let ToneMirror re-voice them for your amp.
What gear gives you the Blaxploitation sound?
In our catalog the Blaxploitation tones lean most on the Twin Reverb (modern equivalent: Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue), the Vox V847 Wah, the Ampeg B-15N Portaflex. You don't need any of it - the match engine translates each recipe onto the gear you already own, compensating for a different EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type.
Which artists best represent Blaxploitation?
Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes have the most Blaxploitation tones catalogued here. Each artist page breaks down their full rig and how their tone changed across records.
Can I get these tones without buying vintage gear?
Yes - that's the point of ToneMirror. Every setting on this page was dialled in on the original artist's rig, and the match engine re-voices it for whatever guitar, amp, and pedals you actually have, including modellers like the Helix, Katana, and Kemper.