Riff Tone

Dai the Flu

Deftones

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarESP Stef-T7 (7-string, likely ESP Stef B-7 or B-8 for studio)

AmpMesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio, late 1990s model)

PickupsEMG 81-7 (active humbucker, bridge position)

Amp Settings

gain8.5

bass6

mid4

treble6

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for 'Dai the Flu' (1997, 'Around the Fur' album). Stephen Carpenter used his signature ESP 7-string with EMG pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this riff section.

Tone Character(10)

thick and heavytight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationchunky low endarticulate attackcompressed and focusedmodern nu-metal clarityextended range chugs

Difficulty

The riff requires precise palm muting, tight rhythm, and control of high-gain noise on a 7-string guitar, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

Deftones Amp Settings (2026): Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Setup and Tone Tips - Guitar Chalk Tuning for guitar : r/deftones - Reddit

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