What if you could suddenly transform your Stratocaster (or whatever guitar you play) into an alien spacecraft, a turntable, or even a siren?
That’s the everyday reality for Tom Morello.
When I came across an awesome photo on Facebook showing the current Tom Morello pedalboard setup, I couldn’t wait to dive into the components that create his sound.
For decades, the Tom Morello pedalboard has been a laboratory for guitar effect exploration that has, honestly, redefined what a guitar can do in modern music.
After examining the photo, I’ve identified the pedals he’s using on his current tour. So, in this guide, we’ll explore each pedal on the Tom Morello pedalboard and discuss how you might incorporate some of his techniques into your own playing, even if you’re not trying to sound like a helicopter or a DJ scratch artist.
Table of Contents
Picture of the Tom Morello Pedalboard
Here’s the super cool photo of the Tom Morello pedalboard during a live show.
Now, let’s break the Tom Morello pedalboard down.
Here’s the picture again, but this time with numbers by each pedal so you can reference it to a section of this article.
- Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus
- MXR M222 Talkbox
- Digitech Space Station XP-300
- BOSS TU-3 Chromatic Tuner
- Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby Wah
- Digitech Whammy Pedal
- BOSS DD-3 Digital Delay (Long Delay)
- BOSS DD-3 Digital Delay (Short/Pingpong)
- DOD FX40-B 7 Band EQ
- MXR Phase 90
Power Supply
1. Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus
The Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus is at the heart of the Tom Morello pedalboard. While it may not be the most exciting piece of gear to discuss, it’s arguably the most critical component on his board.
This power supply offers eight completely isolated outputs that eliminate ground loop noise and hum. This is essential when using effects that create dramatic sonic textures, like Morello’s.
For a player who relies so heavily on precise, controlled chaos, having clean, consistent power is a must-have. The Pedal Power 2 Plus gives Tom Morello’s pedalboard that foundation, ensuring that each of his sonic experiments comes through exactly as intended.
Utility Pedals
4. BOSS TU-3 Chromatic Tuner
The BOSS TU-3 Chromatic Tuner might seem like a boring piece of gear compared to the more exotic effects on the Tom Morello pedalboard, but it’s essential for all guitar players.
This industry-standard tuner has a high-brightness mode that ensures visibility even on the darkest stages. This is crucial for a player like Tom Morello, who might need to make quick tuning adjustments between the intense lighting changes of a Rage Against the Machine or Prophets of Rage show.
The TU-3’s smooth, accurate response allows for precision tuning. Its buffered bypass preserves signal integrity throughout Morrelo’s entire chain of effects.
🎯 Not sure how the TU-3 stacks up against its predecessor? Check out our comparison: Boss TU-2 vs Boss TU-3: Which Tuner Pedal Should You Get?
5. Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby Wah
The classic Dunlop Cry Baby Wah is a big part of Tom Morello’s sound. It lets him add expressive, vocal-like qualities to his riffs and solos. Unlike many guitarists who use wah for standard funk rhythms or blues solos, Morello often uses it in more creative ways.
This particular model features the legendary Fasel inductor, which give a focused high end and an aggressive wah sound that cuts through any dense mixes.
You can hear Morello’s unique use of the Cry Baby Wah on songs like “Bulls on Parade,” where he combines it with his kill-switch technique to create the famous “scratching” sound.
He’s also known to use the wah as a fixed filter by engaging it and leaving it in a specific position to sculpt his tone for particular parts, creating those aggressive, nasal lead tones that have become part of his signature sound.
🎛️ Want to get more from your wah pedal? Learn the basics and beyond in our guide: How to Use a Wah Pedal: A Beginner’s Guide
Modulation and Pitch Effects
2. MXR M222 Talkbox
The MXR M222 Talkbox is one of the more unusual effects on Tom Morello’s pedalboard. With this talk box, he can create those vocal-like guitar sounds that have become signature elements in tracks like Rage Against the Machine’s “Wake Up.”
Unlike traditional talkboxes that require connection to an amplifier’s speaker output, the M222 contains its own amp and speaker driver, making it more convenient for stage use. It has Volume, Tone, and Gain controls that allow Morello to fine-tune the effect to cut through the band’s dense sound.
The talkbox works by routing guitar sound through a tube into the player’s mouth, which then shapes the tone before it’s picked up by a microphone. This creates the distinctive “talking guitar” effect that Morello uses to add human-like expressions to his playing.
Interestingly, the tube seems to be missing in this picture. I guess Tom wasn’t using it that night, or took it out part way through the set.
For Morello, the talkbox is a tool that lets his guitar to take on vocal qualities, blurring the line between instrument and voice. It’s particularly useful during his solos, where he can create alien-like talk sounds.
3. Digitech Space Station XP-300
The Digitech Space Station XP-300 might be the most mystical pedal on the Tom Morello pedalboard and is certainly one of his secret weapons. This discontinued effect processor allows him to transform his guitar into entirely different instruments and sound sources.
This unique pedal has 24 different algorithms, including synth sounds, sample-and-hold effects, drone tones, and ring modulation. Morello famously uses it to create the spaceship landing sounds heard on “Guerrilla Radio” and the alien-like siren effects in “Sleep Now in the Fire.”
It’s not surprising that Morello still uses the XP-300, even with all its quirks.
Despite (or perhaps because of) its unpredictable nature, this pedal can generate sounds that simply aren’t possible with more conventional effects, allowing Morello to push the boundaries of what a guitar can do in a rock context.
6. Digitech Whammy Pedal
No pedal is more closely associated with Tom Morello’s guitar style than the Digitech Whammy.
This pitch-shifting device has become an extension of his guitar, enabling some of his most iconic guitar moments.
With the Whammy Morello shifts his guitar’s pitch up or down in real-time using the expression pedal, creating everything from dive-bomb effects to alien-sounding octave jumps. The pedal offers quite a few different interval settings, including octaves, fifths, and harmonized notes.
Morello uses the Whammy extensively throughout his set list. The siren-like intro to “Killing in the Name,” the high-pitched squeals in “Bulls on Parade,” and the artificial harmonics in “Cochise” are all examples of his innovative approach to this effect.
What sets Morello apart is how he integrates the Whammy into his playing technique rather than treating it as an occasional special effect. He often combines it with other pedals, such as his delay or wah, to create entirely unique sounds we’ve never heard before (and probably won’t again).
10. MXR Phase 90
The MXR Phase 90 is a classic phaser that adds a swirling, swooshing quality to Tom Morello’s guitar tone.
Despite its simple interface, of just a single Rate knob, this little orange box has a wide range of phase sounds, from subtle movement to dramatic sweeps.
During his Premier Guitar Rig Rundown, Morello says he only uses the Phase 90 for the beginning of “Killing in the Name.”
The Phase 90 pedal creates that distinctive watery, undulating texture during the iconic opening riff, adding dimension to the relatively simple guitar part.
What makes the Phase 90 so loved among guitar players is its warm, analog character. The pedal’s four-stage phasing circuit gives a rich, musical sweep that sweetens the guitar’s tone without overwhelming it.
Combine it with a high-gain amp (like Morello does), and the Phase 90 adds movement and spatial dimension that helps the guitar cut through.
Time-Based Effects
7. BOSS DD-3 Digital Delay (Long Delay)
Tom Morello uses not one but two BOSS DD-3 Digital Delay pedals on his board, each with a different purpose.
The first DD-3 is set for longer delay times, likely used to create expansive, ambient textures and rhythmic echoes.
The DD-3 has delay times ranging from 12.5ms to 800ms, which gives Morello precise control over his echo. Its clean, digital repeats retain clarity even with high-gain sounds, which is important for articulating the complex harmonics in his playing.
This longer delay setting is obvious during his more experimental solos, where he often creates cascading, rhythmic patterns that seem to layer and build upon themselves.
8. BOSS DD-3 Digital Delay (Short/Pingpong)
The second BOSS DD-3 on Tom Morello’s pedalboard is set up for shorter delay times to create a kind of slapback effect and also another for a pingpong-style echo. This adds depth and dimension to his playing without creating the washier, ambient textures of longer delay settings.
Slapback delay, marked by a single, quick repeat, adds thickness and presence to guitar parts without sounding overtly processed. It’s a subtle effect that makes the guitar sound bigger and more three-dimensional, perfect for rhythm parts that need to maintain their punch and definition.
The pingpong delay will create a spatial effect where the echoes bounce from left to right.
By having two separate delay units rather than a single multi-function delay, Morello gives himself access to different delay characters without needing to adjust settings mid-performance.
EQ and Boost
9. DOD FX40-B 7 Band EQ
The DOD FX40-B 7 Band EQ plays a vital role in Morello’s signal chain.
Rather than using it for traditional tone shaping, he exclusively uses it as a boost for solos.
This, now discontinued, pedal has seven frequency bands that can be cut or boosted by ±18dB, offering massive tonal control.
The placement of this boost in his signal chain, after his time-based effects but before his amp input, makes sure that when engaged, it pushes not just his dry guitar signal but the entire sound, including delays, giving his solos extra volume and textural prominence.
Creating Your Own Audio Revolution
Looking at the Tom Morello pedalboard shows us something important: his revolutionary sound doesn’t come from rare or expensive boutique gear but from his creative approach to relatively accessible effects.
What makes Morello’s rig special isn’t the individual components, many of which are industry standards, but how he combines and manipulates them to create sounds that go beyond traditional guitar playing.
His pedalboard isn’t designed to make subtle refinements to a conventional tone. It’s built to transform the instrument into something else entirely.
For players looking to incorporate some of Tom Morello’s experimental spirit into their own playing, the key takeaway isn’t necessarily which specific pedals to buy but rather how to approach effects with a creative mindset.
Ask yourself not just “How can this effect improve my sound?” but “How can this effect help me express something new?”
Perhaps the most inspiring part of the Tom Morello pedalboard is how it allows him to find seemingly chaotic but creative sounds. From using a Whammy pedal to mimic a police siren to combining a wah with a kill switch to emulate DJ scratching.
So next time you’re experimenting with your own pedalboard, remember that the true revolution isn’t just in which pedal you use. It’s in how you can push them beyond traditional uses and discover new sounds of your own.
