Get this tone on your gear
Choose your guitar and amp to get exact knob settings.
The recording
Tom DeLonge recorded his parts with a 1995 white Gibson Les Paul Standard, selecting the bridge humbucker. The guitar signal was split and blended between a 1999 Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and a 1998 Marshall JCM 900 in the console, giving the thick, mid‑scooped distortion that defines the track.
Strings Ernie Ball Regular Slinky .010-.046
Signal chain
Original gear
1995 Gibson Les Paul Standard (White)
Guitar
DeLonge used his 1995 white Gibson Les Paul Standard on the recording, picking the bridge humbucker for a bright, cutting rhythm tone.
1999 Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier
Amplifier
1998 Marshall JCM 900
Amplifier
The JCM 900 added the searing mids and high‑end bite that sits atop the Mesa’s low‑end body, as described by DeLonge in a 2001 interview.
Alternatives
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Select the bridge humbucker for a tight, cutting tone.
- 2.Set the amp gain high and pull the mids down to emulate the Mesa‑Marshall blend.
- 3.Use fast alternate‑picked power chords with palm‑muting for the verses.
- 4.Add a light overdrive boost on lead lines to cut through the mix.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the What's My Age Again? guitar tone?
The available research points to 1995 Gibson Les Paul Standard (White) into 1999 Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original What's My Age Again? 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.
How do I recreate the What's My Age Again? 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.
