Seven Nation Army
The White Stripes — Elephant (2003)
Tuning: Open A (E-A-E-A-C#-E, low to high)
Guitar: A Kay K6533-style hollowbody with a single-coil neck pickup is the closest documented starting point. A hollowbody or neck-pickup guitar can approximate its warm, rounded response.
Playing: Play the riff evenly with a firm pick attack. Use a slide for the chord accents and noisy, sustained solo phrases.
Signal Chain
Build left to rightWham
DigiTech Whammy-style octave shift for the signature low riff.
Fuzz Pi
Optional Big Muff-style fuzz for the distorted slide solo.
US Tweed Basslad Bright
Vintage American amp approximation for the unavailable Silvertone 1485.
410 US Basslad PR10
Bassman-style 4x10 cabinet with 10-inch speakers; a practical substitute for the original 6x10.
Follow the chain from left to right. Optional blocks can be bypassed.
The main riff should sound like a guitar pushed into bass-register territory: a strong, clear note one octave below the played pitch, with a lightly driven, mid-forward amp tone. The octave effect is the defining part of the sound, so set it fully wet and keep the fuzz bypassed for the riff. For the slide solo, bypass the octave effect and engage the Big Muff-style fuzz for a rough, sustained sound. Keep the response raw and direct rather than adding extra ambience or polish.
Tune to open A, then place Wham at the start of the chain and set it one octave down with a fully wet output. Follow it with the Bassman-style amp and 4x10 cabinet. Leave Fuzz Pi bypassed for the main riff. If you want the slide solo, bypass Wham and engage Fuzz Pi. Use a slide and listen for clear low notes that retain their attack rather than turning into an indistinct rumble.
Jack White used a Kay hollowbody guitar tuned to open A and a DigiTech Whammy set one octave down for the signature riff. A Guitar World gear breakdown identifies the guitar as an early 1960s Kay K6533 archtop with a single neck pickup, and reports a mid-1960s Sears Silvertone 1485 amp with a 6x10 cabinet loaded with Jensen C10Q speakers. It also reports a Big Muff Pi for the noisy slide solo. The specific equipment and settings are published gear-analysis details; they are not all confirmed in a direct recording-session account from White. Neural DSP's official device list includes Wham, based on the DigiTech Whammy, and Fuzz Pi, based on the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi. The list does not include a Silvertone 1485 model or a 6x10 guitar cabinet. US Tweed Basslad Bright, based on a Fender Bassman Tweed, is used here as a broad vintage American amp substitute. 410 US Basslad PR10 is a Bassman-style 4x10 with Jensen P10R speakers. Its speaker count and model differ from the reported Silvertone 6x10 and Jensen C10Q combination. The chain is serial: Wham, optional Fuzz Pi, amp and cabinet. Fuzz Pi is placed after Wham to match the published account of the solo effect order. For the main riff, leave Fuzz Pi bypassed. For the slide solo, bypass Wham and engage Fuzz Pi; this gives you a practical solo scene without implying that the octave-down effect remains active.
Tune E-A-E-A-C#-E from the lowest string to the highest. Open A supports the slide phrasing and is the tuning reported for this part. If you use a different tuning, the pitch-shifted riff may still sound low, but the chord and slide voicings will differ. A Kay-style hollowbody with a single-coil neck pickup is a useful starting point. If you use a different guitar, try the neck pickup and reduce excess treble before increasing bass. The octave-down effect needs clean, stable notes at its input, so check your tuning and intonation first. Use a slide for the chord accents and solo. Keep the guitar volume high enough to drive the amp consistently, and use a controlled picking attack so Wham can track the notes clearly.
Build it in 6 steps
These settings are practical starting points, not verified studio control positions. The Quad Cortex models approximate the original Whammy, Big Muff, Silvertone amp and 6x10 cabinet. Set the octave effect first, then balance the amp and cabinet around its low output.
Tune and prepare the guitar
Tune to open A (E-A-E-A-C#-E). Use a hollowbody guitar and neck pickup if available, then check intonation and tuning stability. Set up a slide for the chord accents and solo. Begin with a firm, even attack so the octave effect receives a clear signal.
Set the octave-down effect
Add Wham at the start of the chain. Select the one-octave-down setting, or set the shift to -12 semitones if the controls are presented numerically. Set the effect fully wet, around 100 percent mix if available. The main riff should sound as a single shifted note, without an obvious unshifted guitar underneath.
Set the vintage amp approximation
Select US Tweed Basslad Bright. Start with Gain or Volume around 4.5/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 5/10 and Treble 6/10 where those controls are available. The amp should be just at the edge of breakup: clear enough for the riff's note changes, but with some roughness when you dig in. These are suggested values for the Quad Cortex model, not Silvertone settings.
Choose the cabinet
Select 410 US Basslad PR10. If microphone choices are available, begin with a dynamic microphone slightly off the speaker centre. Keep the low cut off or very low; if a cut is needed, try around 35-40 Hz so the octave-shifted notes retain their fundamental. Try a high cut near 7 kHz if the tone is fizzy. These are starting points for the substitute cabinet, not the original mic setup.
Set up the Big Muff-style solo sound
Keep Fuzz Pi after Wham in the chain. For the distorted slide solo, bypass Wham and engage Fuzz Pi. Start with Sustain around 7/10, Tone around 6/10 and Volume at unity, then adjust by ear. Increase Sustain if the slide notes need more hold, and lower Tone if the upper harmonics become harsh. Treat these as practical Quad Cortex starting points rather than verified pedal settings.
Balance the scenes
Level-match the octave riff, slide chords and fuzz solo. The riff may feel louder because its low notes carry strongly; reduce its scene output if it dominates the mix. Raise the solo scene slightly only if it needs to cut through. Avoid adding more bass before checking the cabinet low cut and overall output level.
Set up your scenes
Octave Riff
Engage Wham at one octave down with a fully wet output. Bypass Fuzz Pi. Use the amp and cabinet at the suggested starting settings. Keep the notes distinct and the low end controlled.
Slide Chords
Bypass Wham and Fuzz Pi. Keep the amp just at the edge of breakup for jangly, mildly overdriven slide chords. Adjust guitar volume or amp gain slightly if the chords need more grit.
Fuzz Slide Solo
Bypass Wham and engage Fuzz Pi after it in the serial chain. Use the slide for sustained, noisy phrases. Raise the scene output slightly if the solo needs more presence, while keeping the fuzz from overwhelming the note shape.
The octave-down notes glitch or drop out?
Check tuning and intonation, use the neck pickup and play cleanly into Wham. Reduce excess signal processing before the pitch block and confirm that its output is set fully wet for the main riff.
The riff sounds too muddy?
Reduce Bass slightly on the amp, check that the cabinet low cut is not set too high, and lower the guitar volume only if the amp is being overdriven too heavily. Preserve the low fundamentals that give the riff its bass-like weight.
The riff does not sound low enough?
Confirm that Wham is set to one octave down rather than an octave-up or harmony mode. Check for an unshifted dry signal in the mix control and set the effect fully wet.
The slide solo is too smooth or quiet?
Engage Fuzz Pi, raise Sustain gradually and check its output level against the riff scene. Use stronger slide pressure and a firmer attack for more bite, then reduce Tone if the added harmonics become piercing.