Sonic Nurse album cover - Sonic Youth
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Unmade Bed" by Sonic Youth - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Unmade Bed"

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.

Gain3
Bass5
Mid5.5
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
Volume6.5

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
Tone8
Volume9
Recording notes

From Sonic Nurse (2004). Sonic Nurse is thirteenth studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on 8 June 2004 by Geffen. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster through a Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue, the rig we use for Sonic Youth's other songs from Sonic Nurse, stands in. Set the amp to a light crunch and use the neck pickup.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Unmade Bed" Tone

  1. What guitar did Sonic Youth use on "Unmade Bed"?

    The guitar on "Unmade Bed" (released 2004) isn't documented; the Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster above gets the sound. Pickup selector: neck pickup on the guitar.

  2. What amp settings does "Unmade Bed" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 3, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 5.5, Volume 6.5. 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 "Unmade Bed" without the original gear?

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

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