This song runs two distinct tones. The verse is a mid-forward, lower-gain crunch — almost jangly, with the bass dialed back. The chorus opens up into a full, round, high-gain wall. Dial both in separately if your amp supports channel switching or if you're running a preamp rig.
- Bass 4
- Middle 7
- Treble 6
- Gain 5–6
- Volume 5
- Presence 5
- Bass 6
- Middle 5
- Treble 6
- Gain 7–8
- Volume 6
- Presence 6
The song is in Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb — Eb standard with the low string dropped to Db. Heavy strings (.011–.069 or similar) help the low end stay tight at this tuning.
Chorus is the defining texture of the verse and intro. A lush, wet stereo chorus with moderate rate and depth — think Boss CE-2 or the multi-voice presets on the Rocktron Intellifex — is what gives that shimmering, displaced feel.
Don't try to get one amp setting that covers everything. The verse and chorus are genuinely different channels on this song. Preamp/power amp rigs like the ADA MP-1 setup make this easy; on a channel-switching amp, use your clean or rhythm channel for the verse and push to lead for the chorus.
The Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge is what Carpenter used on the album. It's a high-output passive humbucker with a bright, articulate top-end that cuts through the mix without being ice-picky — important at this tuning.
A lot of the riffing in this song leans on open-string resonance. Let those lower strings ring and breathe rather than palm-muting everything — the space is part of the texture.
The temptation with heavy music is to scoop the mids. Resist it here. Carpenter's verse tone in particular is notably mid-forward, which gives the guitar its presence even at low gain. Save the scoop for the chorus if you want that wider contrast.
Check for Amps and Guitars on Sweetwater → usually has everything listed here Check for Used Gear on Reverb → best place for secondhand gear
More Amp and Tone Settings Resources
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Amp Settings
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Tone & Amp Settings
We link to products on Sweetwater and Reverb that help support our site and keep the lights on. If you click through our orange buttons, we might earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you all for your generous support over the years! ~ Bobby and Danielle
Our disclosure↬
Comment Policy: You're down to leave a comment? That's awesome. Keep in mind that comments are moderated and rel="nofollow" is in use. Please avoid any spammy keywords or a domain as your name, otherwise your comment will be deleted. Let's stay on topic, keep questions relevant and have a meaningful conversation. All the best.