One of the most creative and unique guitarists in modern rock, Tom Morello sat down with Mötley Crüe / Sixx:A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx to talk about finding his voice on the guitar on this episode of My Favorite Riff - the new video series where some of the world’s greatest guitar and bass players, along with future stars, talk about music, gear, and most importantly, riffs.

The mastermind behind Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets Of Rage, Tom is known for blending genres and manipulating the guitar into producing sounds never before heard in rock. He broke down how he developed his one-of-a-kind voice using the toggle switch to emulate tones heard in Public Enemy, Dr. Dre and Crystal Method.

Bringing the same gear setup he’s used since 1990, Tom explained how he opted to spend his time developing a unique voice on the guitar rather than try to compete with the countless “shredders” of the era. “The technique that helped me find my own voice on the instrument was using the toggle switch,” he explained. “With one volume turned to zero and the other turned to 10, I found if I went between the pickups, I could make something that kind of sounded like a keyboard.”

 “I began practicing the eccentricities in my playing,” Tom added when describing how he created his style.“My take was that the electric guitar was a relatively new instrument on the planet and there’s no reason why we should just have to play Chuck Berry riffs or just have to play Led Zeppelin riffs.”

He also talks his love of Randy Rhoads, his pedals, playing with Bruce Springsteen, and performs his favorite riff by Rage, “Know Your Enemy,” and dedicates his second riff to the late Chris Cornell with Audioslave’s “Cochise”.