Song
Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple · Machine Head · 1972
Preview and cover from Apple Music
- Amp
- Marshall Major 200W Head
- Guitar
- CBS-era Fender Stratocaster
- Tuning
- E standard
On the record, Ritchie Blackmore played a CBS-era Fender Stratocaster through a Marshall Major 200W Head. It's in E standard.
The original rig
Ritchie Blackmore created the iconic Smoke on the Water tone by running a Fender Stratocaster neck pickup through a Hornby-Skewes Treble Booster into a high-powered Marshall Major head and 4x12 cabinet. The massive amplifier headroom and boosted front-end treble provided a tight, percussive attack with articulate crunch.
Ritchie Blackmore · Rhythm and solo
Settings Commonly cited
- Pickup Selector
- Neck
Large-headstock Stratocaster with maple fingerboard and stock single-coil pickups.
Settings Estimated
- Boost
- 7
Treble booster placed before the amplifier input to tighten bass and add bite.
Settings Estimated
- Channel
- Normal
- Volume
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Middle
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
200-watt Marshall head, isolated in a separate room in the Grand Hotel during tracking.
Closed-back 4x12 speaker cabinet paired with the Marshall Major head.
- 1.guitarplayer.com · guitarplayer.com · magazine
Have the real gear, or another modeller? Start from these. Studio knob positions are rarely written down; these are a starting point.
Researched Oct 2026 · 1 source · How ToneSheet researches a song
Tuning
The record is in E standard, low to high: E A D G B E. Tune your guitar the same way, or tell ToneSheet how it's tuned and your device shifts the tone to match.
Questions about the Smoke on the Water guitar tone
What amp did Ritchie Blackmore use on Smoke on the Water?
Ritchie Blackmore played through a Marshall Major 200W Head (an estimate), with Channel Normal, Volume 7, Bass 5, Middle 6, Treble 6, Presence 5 (settings estimated).
What guitar did Ritchie Blackmore play on Smoke on the Water?
Ritchie Blackmore played a CBS-era Fender Stratocaster (commonly cited), with Pickup Selector Neck (settings commonly cited).
What effects did Ritchie Blackmore use on Smoke on the Water?
A Hornby-Skewes Treble Booster (an estimate).
What tuning is Smoke on the Water in?
E standard: low to high, E A D G B E.
How do I get the Smoke on the Water guitar tone on an amp modeller?
Start from your modeller's model of the Marshall Major 200W Head, set like the original (Volume 7, Bass 5, Middle 6, Treble 6), with a guitar like a CBS-era Fender Stratocaster, tuned to E standard. Ready presets, with every block's settings: HOTONE Pulze Mini (1).
Presets for Smoke on the Water
Tones players shared for their amp modellers, each with every setting, block by block.
HOTONE Pulze Mini1 version
All Pulze Mini presetsMake it for your guitar
Name your guitar and how it's tuned, and ToneSheet makes the tone for it: the pickup and knob settings, and every block on your device.
Different guitar or tuning? Make your own version (1–2 minutes)Updated