How to Dial In "Out of Limits" by The Marketts - Guitar Tone Settings
Gear for "Out of Limits"
Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.
- GuitarFender Player JaguarSuggested
- AmpFender '65 Twin Reverb ReissueSuggested
- EffectReverbThe unit isn't documented
Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning
Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.
On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.
Get the settings for my ampHow the artist had their guitar configured for this take.
Michael Z. Gordon wrote it while touring with the Routers, and it was the Marketts' first Warner Bros. single, released in October 1963. The first pressings were titled "Outer Limits" after the TV series. Rod Serling then sued over the four-note Twilight Zone motif it quotes, and it was renamed. It reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1964, sold over a million copies, and is on the album Out of Limits!. Pulp Fiction used it in 1994. The Marketts were a studio group built around Gordon, with Los Angeles session players including Hal Blaine, and no guitarist is credited on the record. No source names the guitar, amp or effects. The record has a galloping rhythm under a twangy, reverb-heavy guitar line that picks up the Twilight Zone figure. Use a bright single-coil bridge pickup, a clean amp, spring reverb and a firm pick attack. Standard tuning.
Common Questions About the "Out of Limits" Tone
What guitar did The Marketts use on "Out of Limits"?
The guitar on "Out of Limits" (released 1963) isn't documented; the Fender Player Jaguar above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. Tuned to standard (E A D G B E).
What amp settings does "Out of Limits" need?
Settings for this sound: Gain 2, Bass 5.5, Mid 5, Treble 7, Presence 6, Volume 6. 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.
Can I play "Out of Limits" without the original gear?
Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Out of Limits" 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.
What effects are on "Out of Limits"?
The recording has reverb on it. No source names the unit behind it, so this page doesn't guess one. ToneMirror maps each effect onto your rig - a pedal you own, your amp's own controls, or a block on a modeler - and says plainly when your rig can't make one.
More Tones You Can Dial In
Tone references for "Out of Limits" by The Marketts are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.