Song
Where the Streets Have No Name
U2 · The Joshua Tree · 1987
Preview and cover from Apple Music
- Amp
- Vox AC30 Top Boost
- Guitar
- 1970s Fender Stratocaster
- Tuning
- E standard
On the record, The Edge played a 1970s Fender Stratocaster through a Vox AC30 Top Boost. It's in E standard.
The original rig
The Edge's iconic sound is built on a Stratocaster played with a dimpled Herdim pick into a Korg SDD-3000 digital delay set to dotted-eighth repeats, driving a Vox AC30 to the edge of breakup. The combination of percussive attack, delay preamp saturation, and modulated echo produces the continuous, chiming rhythmic pattern.
The Edge · Rhythm and solo
Settings Commonly cited
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
Played with an inverted nylon Herdim pick using the textured grip against the strings for extra percussive attack.
Settings Estimated
- Blend
- 9 o'clock
- Feedback
- 9 o'clock
- Delay
- 9 o'clock
- Chorus/Vibrato
- Chorus
Analog delay pedal providing light modulation and a secondary subtle repeat to thicken the attack.
Settings Commonly cited
- Feedback
- 3 repeats
- Delay Time
- 355-380 ms (Dotted 8th)
- Preamp / Input Level
- Pushed to boost front of amp
Core delay unit providing the signature rhythmic pulse and vital preamp coloration pushing the amplifier.
Settings Estimated
- Channel
- Top Boost
- Tone Cut
- 1 o'clock
- Volume
- Edge of breakup
- Treble
- 12 o'clock
- Bass
- 11 o'clock
1964 vintage model set right at the edge of breakup to respond dynamically to pick intensity and delay repeats.
Settings Commonly cited
- Speakers
- Celestion Alnico Blue
Integrated combo open-back speaker cabinet loaded with Celestion Alnico Blue speakers.
- 1.musicradar.com · musicradar.com · magazine
- 2.guitarchalk.com · guitarchalk.com · source
- 3.reddit.com · reddit.com · forum
- 4.gearnews.com · gearnews.com · source
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 · 4 sources · 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 Where the Streets Have No Name guitar tone
What amp did The Edge use on Where the Streets Have No Name?
The Edge played through a Vox AC30 Top Boost (an estimate), with Channel Top Boost, Volume Edge of breakup, Treble 12 o'clock, Bass 11 o'clock, Tone Cut 1 o'clock (settings estimated).
What guitar did The Edge play on Where the Streets Have No Name?
The Edge played a 1970s Fender Stratocaster, with Pickup Selector Bridge (settings commonly cited).
What effects did The Edge use on Where the Streets Have No Name?
An Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man (an estimate) and a Korg SDD-3000 Digital Delay.
What tuning is Where the Streets Have No Name in?
E standard: low to high, E A D G B E.
How do I get the Where the Streets Have No Name guitar tone on an amp modeller?
Start from your modeller's model of the Vox AC30 Top Boost, set like the original (Treble 12 o'clock, Bass 11 o'clock, Tone Cut 1 o'clock), with a guitar like a 1970s Fender Stratocaster, tuned to E standard. Ready presets, with every block's settings: HOTONE Pulze Mini (1).
Presets for Where the Streets Have No Name
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