#34 IT'S FIVE O' CLOCK SOMEWHERE - TONEX
During the It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere studio sessions, Slash delivered one of his most raw and aggressive guitar tones — thick, snarling, and unmistakably Slash. Once again, the legendary S.I.R. #34 modded Marshall played a key role, shaping a tone that marked a new chapter in his sound with Slash’s Snakepit.
This is the only ToneX preset you’ll ever need to capture Slash’s S.I.R. #34 It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere studio tone — all the grit, punch, and attitude, ready to drop straight into your setup.
Click the product image to listen to the preset demos.
The rig behind this tone is based on the exact studio setup used on the It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere album — the S.I.R. #34 modded Marshall, carefully dialed in to preserve every detail of its aggressive, no-compromise sonic character. This preset captures the raw midrange, tight low end, and cutting presence of the original recordings, putting that tone straight into your hands — without the need to spend thousands on rare or vintage gear that still won’t get you this close.
For years, this tone has been notoriously difficult to recreate — even with the correct gear.
The feel, the attack, the edge were always missing. While the rig may appear simple at first glance, every small detail — from amp tweaks to component interaction — played a crucial role in shaping the sound. These subtle “imperfections” are exactly what give the S.I.R. #34 Snakepit tone its unique personality.
By breaking the rig down to the smallest details, understanding how the modded amp reacts under studio conditions, and recreating its full dynamic response, I finally cracked the code.
This is the S.I.R. #34 It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere studio tone — achieved at last, ready for anyone to use.
Things to Know Before You Dive In
Quick, need-to-know details to help you understand how the presets work — so you can get the best results right away
No paid ToneX version required.
You don't need to buy any extra software — just download the free ToneX software, load the presets, and you're ready to play. Also fully compatible with the ToneX ONE pedal, the regular ToneX Pedal, and of course the paid ToneX software.
How to Import the Presets
Open ToneX → go to “Presets” (top left corner) → click it and select “Import” from the drop-down menu, then choose the preset file.
When using the preset, it is important that you select it from the “Presets” tab and not from “Tone Model.” All pre-configured settings have been carefully set up for you and are stored only within the Presets section.
ToneX Through Your Favourite Tube Amp & Cab
My ToneX presets are built for real-world use — whether you're playing through the software only, or running them into an FRFR speaker, or pushing a real cab with a tube power amp for that full analog feel. You can run the ToneX through your tube amp, but do not use the front input — your amp’s gain stage will alter the sound in unintended ways and will vary depending on different backline rigs. So for a clean, uninterrupted, and correctly intended tone, always run it through your amp’s FX loop return.
Power Amp & Cabinet EQ Guidance
Settings on your real power/tube amp will heavily depend on what you’re running the ToneX into and which cabinet is projecting the sound. With that said, there are some general guidelines that will get you very close.
In most cases, you’ll want to push the bass quite a bit, set the mids around halfway or slightly above, keep the treble below halfway, and run the presence very low — close to 0. This creates a balanced tone with plenty of push, similar to the feel of a cranked amp.
Personally, I use a 1987 Marshall Silver Jubilee with either a Snakepit cab or a 1987 V30 cab. My typical EQ settings on the Jubilee are around Bass: 9, Middle: 7, Presence: 0, Treble: 4. This gives me a slightly darker tone, which I prefer.
From there, adjust to taste based on your own rig and playing style.
Important Note on Using Real Cabinets
When running these presets through a power amp or a tube amp into a real guitar cabinet, make sure to keep the IR cabinet enabled. This is extremely important.
The IR is a crucial part of the preset and keeps the intended frequency range and tonal balance intact. Disabling it will significantly alter the sound and remove a big part of what makes the preset work as intended.
Think of the IR as an additional EQ stage applied after the amp, specifically tuned to make everything sit right when hitting a real cabinet.
This is one of my personal tricks — don’t turn it off.
Recommended Input Trim Settings
For the best results with my ToneX presets, make sure to adjust the Input Trim inside the ToneX software or on the pedal itself. Beware that changing your audio interface’s input gain can alter the preset’s tone and dynamics. Keep the interface gain level consistent and low, then fine-tune with Input Trim to lock in the authentic, dialed-in sound the preset was intended for.
My recommended ToneX trim settings would be to set Input Trim at +10.5. Adjust this as needed, as pickup brand and height, different guitars and such matters alot here. I personally have my pickups set pretty low.
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