Guitar tone · rock, metal

A Perfect Circle guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 9 A Perfect Circle songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson Les Paul Custom into Sovtek MiG 100 (studio, as per Premier Guitar rig rundown for era).

Guitars A Perfect Circle used

Gibson Les Paul Custom2 songs
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s/early 2000s, as used by Billy Howerdel in studio)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, Billy Howerdel's main studio guitar for Mer de Noms)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Custom (with Tom Anderson pickups)1 song
1960 Gibson Les Paul Classic Reissue (custom build, 'cinnaburst' finish, as used by Billy Howerdel)1 song
1990s Gibson Les Paul Classic Reissue1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (1960 reissue, custom build, used by Billy Howerdel)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Custom 1991 Classic 1960 Reissue Cinnamon Burst1 song

Amps A Perfect Circle used

Sovtek MiG 100 (studio, as per Premier Guitar rig rundown for era)1 song
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio, clean channel, Mer de Noms era)1 song
Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II (modeling Marshall JMP Superlead 100W, live rig)1 song
Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II (modeling Billy's modded Marshall/Friedman Naked amp tone)1 song
Diezel VH41 song
Friedman Naked JMP (Marshall JMP modded by Dave Friedman)1 song
Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II (amp modeling, studio recording)1 song
Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II (amp modeling, likely Marshall-based patch), into Marshall AV 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12 Vintage speakers1 song

10 A Perfect Circle tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
3 Libras · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, Billy Howerdel's main studio guitar for Mer de Noms)	Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio, clean channel, Mer de Noms era)	2.5
Breña · riff	Riff · distorted	1990s Gibson Les Paul Classic Reissue	Friedman Naked JMP (Marshall JMP modded by Dave Friedman)	6
Judith · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom	Diezel VH4	7.5
Orestes · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s/early 2000s, as used by Billy Howerdel in studio)	Sovtek MiG 100 (studio, as per Premier Guitar rig rundown for era)	5
Orestes · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Standard (1960 reissue, custom build, used by Billy Howerdel)	Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II (amp modeling, studio recording)	0
Sleeping Beauty · riff	Riff · distorted	1960 Gibson Les Paul Classic Reissue (custom build, 'cinnaburst' finish, as used by Billy Howerdel)	Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II (modeling Billy's modded Marshall/Friedman Naked amp tone)	7.5
The Hollow · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom 1991 Classic 1960 Reissue Cinnamon Burst	Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II (amp modeling, likely Marshall-based patch), into Marshall AV 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12 Vintage speakers	7.5
The Outsider · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Studio (custom, repaired headstock, Tom Anderson H3 bridge humbucker, H1 neck humbucker)	Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio recording likely, based on era and genre; live rig may have included Fractal Axe-Fx II for effects)	7.5
The Package (Live) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (with Tom Anderson pickups)	Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II (modeling Marshall JMP Superlead 100W, live rig)	6.5
Weak and Powerless (Tilling My Grave Renholder Mix) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom	Fractal Audio Axe-FX II (amp modeling, studio recording, likely Marshall- or Mesa-style model for riff)	7.5

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did A Perfect Circle use?

Across 9 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Sovtek MiG 100 (studio, as per Premier Guitar rig rundown for era) (1 song), Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio, clean channel, Mer de Noms era) (1 song), Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II (modeling Marshall JMP Superlead 100W, live rig) (1 song), Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II (modeling Billy's modded Marshall/Friedman Naked amp tone) (1 song).

What guitar did A Perfect Circle use?

Most often: Gibson Les Paul Custom (2 songs), Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s/early 2000s, as used by Billy Howerdel in studio) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, Billy Howerdel's main studio guitar for Mer de Noms) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Custom (with Tom Anderson pickups) (1 song).

How do I get A Perfect Circle's tone on my amp?

Open any A Perfect Circle song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.