Little Dark Age album cover - MGMT
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Little Dark Age" by MGMT - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Little Dark Age"

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.

Gain4
Bass5
Mid6
Treble7
Presence6
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.

TuningE♭ Standard(E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone8
Volume9
Recording notes

From Little Dark Age (2018). Little Dark Age (abbreviated as LDA) is the fourth studio album by the American rock band MGMT, released on February 9, 2018, through Columbia Records. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a Fender Player Jaguar through a Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue, the nearest rig we use for MGMT's other songs, stands in. Set the amp to a light crunch and use the bridge pickup. Published transcriptions put it in E♭ standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), a half step below standard.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Little Dark Age" Tone

  1. What guitar did MGMT use on "Little Dark Age"?

    The guitar on "Little Dark Age" (released 2018) isn't documented; the Fender Player Jaguar above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. The track is in E♭ Standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), so retune before you dial anything in.

  2. What amp settings does "Little Dark Age" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 4, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 7, Presence 6, 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 "Little Dark Age" without the original gear?

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

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