Blackstar Core settings
Skinny Love settings for Blackstar Core
Bon Iver · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Bon Iver "Skinny Love" riff tone on a Blackstar Core, select the Clean preset, then set Gain 1, Bass 5, Mid 5, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 0.5. Use the bridge + middle pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Squier Stratocaster · updated 2026-08-04
- Preset / mode
- Clean
- Pickup
- Bridge + Middle
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Blackstar Core knobs
- Gain
- 1
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 0.5
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (room) · 4
Playing tips
- Use a percussive fingerstyle attack to capture the intimate feel of the original riff.
- Maintain a soft dynamic to reflect the vulnerable nature of the song.
- Experiment with open-C tuning to achieve the drone harmonics characteristic of the original tone.
The original rig
What Bon Iver used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Blackstar Core actually has.
- Guitar
- National Duolian steel-bodied resonator, tuned open-C (C-G-C-G-C-C low to high)
- Amp
- None — direct mic, no amplifier in the chain
- Gain
- 1
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 4
Different guitar or pedals? Get Skinny Love adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Bon Iver's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What preset should I use on the Blackstar Core for Skinny Love?
Start from the Clean preset, then set Gain 1, Bass 5, Mid 5, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 0.5.
Which pickup should I use for Skinny Love?
Bridge + Middle, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 10.
What gear did Bon Iver use on Skinny Love?
Guitar: National Duolian steel-bodied resonator, tuned open-C (C-G-C-G-C-C low to high). Amp: None — direct mic, no amplifier in the chain.
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Squier Stratocaster. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Popular songs on the Blackstar Core
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Walk · Pantera
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.