The New America album cover - Bad Religion
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "The Hopeless Housewife" by Bad Religion - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "The Hopeless Housewife"

Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.

The settings

Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning

Amp settings

Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.

Gain6.5
Bass5
Mid6
Treble6.5
Presence6
Volume7

On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.

Get the settings for my amp
Guitar setup

How the artist had their guitar configured for this take.

TuningStandard(E A D G B E)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone8
Volume10
Recording notes

From The New America (2000). The New America is the eleventh studio album by punk band Bad Religion. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster through a Marshall JCM800 2203, the rig we use for Bad Religion's other songs from The New America, stands in. Set the amp to a medium-gain crunch and use the bridge pickup. Standard tuning.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "The Hopeless Housewife" Tone

  1. What guitar did Bad Religion use on "The Hopeless Housewife"?

    The guitar on "The Hopeless Housewife" (released 2000) isn't documented; the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. Tuned to standard (E A D G B E).

  2. What amp settings does "The Hopeless Housewife" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, Volume 7. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale; match them on your amp first, then nudge to taste. ToneMirror can translate these positions for whatever amp you actually own.

  3. Can I play "The Hopeless Housewife" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "The Hopeless Housewife" tone on a Katana, a Helix, a tube combo, or anything else. The translation accounts for EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type so the result actually sounds like the record, not just the same knob numbers on different gear.

Related tones

Tone references for "The Hopeless Housewife" by Bad Religion are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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