Riff Tone

Diamond Eyes

Deftones

Guitarmetal2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarESP LTD SC-608B Stephen Carpenter Signature 8-string Baritone

AmpFractal Audio Axe-Fx II (tone-matched to studio amps, likely Marshall JMP-1 preamp + Marshall EL34 100/100 power amp, possibly blended with Bogner Uberschall and Soldano SLO-100)

PickupsEMG 808 active humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid5

treble6.5

reverb1

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 2010. Guitar: ESP LTD SC-608B 8-string with EMG 808s. Amp: Fractal Axe-Fx II using tone-matched patches from multiple amps (JMP-1, EL34 100/100, Bogner Uberschall, Soldano SLO-100). No evidence of analog pedals on the studio recording for the riff section; all effects and gain from Axe-Fx II. Live rigs may differ.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussive low endcrushing, saturated rhythm tonearticulate, extended-range clarityaggressive palm mutingmodern metal punchslightly scooped midsclear note separationmassive, wall-of-sound riffingminimal ambiencefocused, heavy attack

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, aggressive palm muting on an 8-string guitar in a low tuning, with syncopated rhythms and precise muting to maintain clarity and prevent muddiness. Intermediate to advanced players will find the physicality and rhythmic accuracy challenging.

Sources

Rig Rundown: Deftones' Stephen Carpenter & Sergio Vega - Premier Guitar Stef Carpenter on Deftones’ Private Music and His Gear Evolution - Premier Guitar Deftones: A Little Darkness - Premier Guitar

This tone has been researched 5 times by the community

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