Kiki Wong Amp Settings and Gear Reference (gear and tone)

Kiki Wong’s Smashing Pumpkins tone (her own twist on a decades old sound) blends modern high-gain clarity with tight low end and controlled upper mids. It's a very heavy, '90s sort of tone sourced from Jackson and PRS electrics. This page will help you get some EQ starting points and show you how to get close to her tone, primarily in regards her sound as a member of the Smashing Pumpkin's current roster.

Here's a graphic of her amp settings from the recommended numbers below, if you want to get to that info quickly:

Kiki's Guitar Gear List/Reference

Guitars (Confirmed/Regular Use)

• Jackson Soloist (mid-to-high range) — regularly used. Equipboard
• PRS guitars (touring with Smashing Pumpkins via a PRS sponsorship). Wikipedia
• Schecter Banshee Mach-6 FR-S — seen in performance photos & gear lists. Equipboard
• Zemaitis ZVWA22 Sandblasted Ash — photographed as part of her collection. Equipboard
• Other earlier guitars: Ibanez & Schecter (past projects but don't show up much currently). Wikipedia

Amplifiers

Live / Touring

• Revv Generator 120 head — current touring rig head (as of 2026). Guitar World
• Marshall JCM2000 (DSL100) Cabinet/Stack — paired with the Revv head live. Guitar World

Other / Historical

• Peavey XXX 2×12 combo — used in the past. Equipboard
• Line 6 Spider III 15W combo — her go-to home/practice amp and used in early TikTok videos. Guitar World

Note: She’s shared that her touring rig is significantly different from her bedroom amp — and she values great guitars over expensive amps for her personal practice. Guitar World

Pedals & Effects (Live Board)

Confirmed from Guitar World interview and pedalboard photos.

Pedalboard (into amp)

• Dunlop Cry Baby 95Q Wah - Guitar World
• Interstellar Audio Octonaut Hyperdrive — octave/harmonic effect. Guitar World
• Chase Tone Fuzz Fella — fuzz/distortion. Guitar World
• Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork — pitch/octave. Guitar World
• Axess Electronics Compatt/A Buffer — buffering to retain signal integrity. Guitar World
• Analog Man Mini Chorus (modded) — modulation colour (mix/depth mods noted). Facebook

Effects Loop

• Dunlop Volume Pedal — level control in loop. Guitar World
• Boss TU-3S tuner — Guitar World
• Walrus Audio Lore — modulation/delay. Guitar World
• MXR Joshua Echo with tap — delay. Guitar World
• Second Axess Electronics Compatt/A in loop — extra buffer. Guitar World

Pedalboard Power

• Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 3 Plus — standard high-current pedal power supply. Yahoo

This signal chain is explicitly documented from her touring rig photos — so it’s strong citation-level gear info. Guitar World

Tone Snapshot (Quick Scan)

• Overall character: Modern, aggressive, articulate
• Gain style: Saturated but controlled (not loose or vintage)
• Low end: Tight, percussive, palm-mute friendly
• Mids: Present and focused (not scooped)
• Highs: Restrained to avoid fizz
• Use case: Heavy rock / modern alternative / metal-leaning tones

Guitar & Pickup Direction

Guitar types that get you closest:

• Super-strat or modern single-cut
• 24-fret necks common
• Stable trem or hardtail preferred for tuning consistency

Pickup profile:

• Medium-to-high output humbuckers
• Ceramic or tight-voiced Alnico designs
• Emphasis on clarity under gain (not vintage warmth)

Setup notes:

• Lower pickup height than vintage setups to avoid mush
• Fresh strings help articulation more than extra gain

Amp Style (What to Look For)

You don’t need the exact amp—look for these traits:

• Modern high-gain channel (Boss Katana 50 gets surprisingly close)
• Strong master volume control
• Tight low-frequency response
• Presence and resonance/depth controls
• Works well with boost pedals

Common amp “families” that fit the profile:

• Modern Mesa/Boogie-style circuits
• Boss Katana series
• EVH / Friedman-style high-gain amps
• Tight British-voiced modern heads (Marshall DSL series - affordable)
• High-gain modelers with modern metal profiles

Baseline Amp Settings (Starting Point)

Use these as anchors, not absolutes.

Gain

• 6–7 / 10
• Enough saturation for sustain, not compression mush

Bass

• 4–5 / 10
• Keep low end tight; let the cab do the work

Midrange

• 6–7 / 10
• Crucial for note definition and mix cut

Treble

• 5–6 / 10
• Bright but controlled

Presence

• 4–5 / 10
• Add bite without fizz

Resonance / Depth (if available)

• 4–6 / 10
• Enough punch, avoid boominess

Cabinet & Speaker Direction

Cab traits:

• Closed-back
• Tight low end
• Modern voicing

Speaker types that tend to work well:

• Vintage 30-style speakers
• High-power modern Celestion equivalents
• Avoid overly dark or vintage-scooped speakers

Pedalboard Essentials (Minimal & Purposeful)

Boost / Overdrive (almost always on for high-gain tones)

• Low gain
• Level high
• Tightens bass and sharpens attack

EQ (optional but powerful)

• Low-cut below ~80–100 Hz
• Slight mid push around 800 Hz–1.2 kHz
• Gentle high-cut if the amp is fizzy

Noise Gate

• Fast attack
• Moderate release
• Essential for high-gain clarity

Effects Usage (Subtle & Controlled)

• Delay: Short, low-mix for leads only
• Reverb: Minimal; mostly room or plate
• Modulation: Rarely
• Pitch effects: Situational, not core to the tone

Technique Matters More Than Gear

Tone is 50% hands here.

• Confident right-hand attack
• Controlled palm muting
• Clean muting on unused strings
• Intentional vibrato, not wide or sloppy

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Scooping mids too much
• Using too much gain
• Over-boosting bass on the amp
• Cranking presence to “fix” dull speakers
• Ignoring cabinet choice

Quick “If Your Tone Sounds…” Fixes

Too fizzy

• Lower presence
• Reduce treble
• Add slight high-cut via EQ

Too muddy

• Lower bass
• Reduce gain
• Tighten with a boost pedal

Doesn’t cut in a mix

• Increase mids
• Reduce low end
• Lower gain slightly

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