Re album cover - Café Tacvba
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "El Aparato" by Café Tacvba - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "El Aparato"

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.

Gain2
Bass5
Mid5
Treble6
Presence4
Volume5

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.

Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone6
Volume6
Recording notes

From Re (1994). Re is the second studio album by the Mexican alternative rock band Café Tacvba, released on 22 July 1994 on Warner Music. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster through a Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue, the rig we use for Café Tacvba's other songs from Re, stands in. Set the amp to a light crunch and use the neck pickup.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "El Aparato" Tone

  1. What guitar did Café Tacvba use on "El Aparato"?

    The guitar on "El Aparato" (released 1994) isn't documented; the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster above gets the sound. Pickup selector: neck pickup on the guitar.

  2. What amp settings does "El Aparato" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 2, Bass 5, Mid 5, Treble 6, Presence 4, Volume 5. 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 "El Aparato" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "El Aparato" 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 "El Aparato" by Café Tacvba are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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