The Secrets To Jack White’s “Seven Nation Army” Tone

LEARN THE SECRETS BEHIND JACK WHITE’S ONE-OF-A-KIND TONE ON THE WHITE STRIPES’ 2003 CLASSIC “SEVEN NATION ARMY”.

The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” is proof that if you write a great riff, the world will beat a path to your door. Simple and infectious, the descending ‘bass’ line (actually recorded and performed on a Kay hollowbody electric guitar through a Whammy pedal set to the octave-down setting) still lives on today, long after the Stripes disbanded, as a supporters’ chant at soccer matches and other sporting events.

“Seven Nation Army” was also the biggest hit The White Stripes ever scored, with frontman Jack White earning status as a bonafide modern electric guitar hero for his cool riff, slick slide playing and rough-in-all-the-right-places tone. White’s performance of the song is characterised by three distinct tones that add variety and interest to the otherwise simple song structure. In addition to the ‘bass’ line, White plays the same riff with his Kay hollowbody using a slide to play jangly, mildly overdriven chords, and he performs a raucous overdubbed slide solo with ripping distortion courtesy of an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi fuzz pedal.

Aspiring slide players, take note: using a distortion or fuzz pedal can give single-note slide lines added body, sustain and cut that boosts the guitar tone to the front of the mix. White says that he uses whatever strings his guitar techs put on his instruments and has no idea what gauge or brand they are. For the best tone, use the heaviest gauge you can tolerate.