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The recording
Seven Nation Army originated when Jack White found its central idea during a 2001 soundcheck at Melbourne's Corner Hotel, initially imagining it as a possible James Bond theme. White is the only documented guitarist on the track; Meg White supplies drums, while the guitar alternates between an apparently bass-like recurring figure, chordal slide texture, and an overdubbed slide solo. Those contrasting layers make a two-person arrangement sound unusually large without a conventional bass guitar.
Tuning Open A: E-A-E-A-C#-E
Signal chain · Riff
Showing the riff gear and shared equipment. Gear marked for the other part is not included.
Original gear
Kay hollowbody electric guitar
Guitar · Jack White · Riff & solo
White used the Kay for the octave-dropped signature riff, the slide rhythm/chordal passages, and the overdubbed slide lead; the exact K6533 designation is reported by rig sources but model/year identification is not fully consistent.
DigiTech Whammy
Pitch Shifter · Jack White · Riff
The Whammy's one-octave-down setting makes the guitar riff sound like the recording's bass register; sources describe it as used on the riff rather than the slide solo.
Sears Silvertone 1485
Amp · Jack White · Riff & solo
Jack White’s guitar on the released Elephant master was recorded through two simultaneously miked amplifier paths; the exact second amplifier is less securely documented than the Silvertone, with retrospective reporting identifying a Twin as probable rather than definitive.
Sears Silvertone 1485 6x10 cabinet with Jensen C10Q speakers
Cabinet · Jack White · Riff & solo
The released recording’s Kay guitar path is documented with the matching Silvertone 1485 six-by-ten cabinet; the cabinet identity is presented as part of the original recording setup.
Alternatives
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Tune your guitar down to Open A to match the slide intervals and heavy chordal shapes.
- 2.Engage a pitch-shifter set strictly one octave down to double the main single-note riff.
- 3.Use a glass or metal slide firmly over the fretboard for the overdubbed lead passages.
- 4.Combine a heavy fuzz pedal with a cranked vintage tube amplifier for garage rock sustain.
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Seven Nation Army guitar tone?
The available research points to Kay hollowbody electric guitar into Sears Silvertone 1485. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Seven Nation Army amp settings documented?
Exact historical knob positions are not reliably documented for most recordings. ToneTwin does not publish generated values as studio fact; it creates playable settings only for the amp and pedals a player selects.
What tuning is Seven Nation Army in?
The current research record lists Open A: E-A-E-A-C#-E. ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Seven Nation Army tone on my own gear?
Use the reported pickup, gain character, effects and signal-chain order as the target, then translate that target to your equipment. The matcher models controls for your selected rig rather than copying undocumented studio numbers.
Researched and reviewed by the ToneTwin Research Team.
Sources
