Riff Tone

Aimless Arrow

Converge

Guitarmetal2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarKurt Ballou custom-built baritone guitar (likely Godcity Instruments or Electrical Guitar Company, aluminum neck, humbuckers)

AmpMarshall JCM800 (studio recording, likely modded, based on Ballou's known studio gear for All We Love We Leave Behind era)

PickupsHumbucker (likely custom-wound, high-output, model not specified)

Amp Settings

gain8.5

bass5.5

mid5.5

treble7

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 2012 (All We Love We Leave Behind). No direct source confirms exact guitar/amp for 'Aimless Arrow' riff, but Ballou is known for using custom baritone guitars with high-output humbuckers and Marshall JCM800s in the studio for this era. No evidence of pedal use for main riff. Settings estimated based on genre, era, and Ballou's typical studio rig.

Tone Character(10)

thick and saturatedtight and percussiveaggressive attackdense low endclear note separationraw and primitivehigh-output, baritone puncharticulate despite high gainminimal ambiencefocused midrange

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, precise picking and tight palm muting at high speed, with complex rhythms and the physical challenge of a baritone guitar. The aggression and articulation needed at this tempo make it difficult for most players.

Sources

Converge - A Beginner's Guide [PART 3] : r/Metalcore - Reddit Experimenting with Alternate Tunings; Need suggestions : r/Guitar Kurt and Nate from Converge with an hour-long Rig Rundown ...

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