Riff Tone
Engine No. 9 (Made Famous by Deftones)
The Metal Heroes
Guitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarESP LTD SC-607B Baritone (or similar 7-string baritone, as used by Stephen Carpenter on the original Deftones recording)
AmpMarshall JCM800 (or similar high-gain Marshall, as used on Deftones' 'Adrenaline' album)
PickupsEMG 81-7 (bridge position, active humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain9
bass6.5
mid3.5
treble6.5
reverb0
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1995 era. The Metal Heroes cover is based on the Deftones original, which used a 7-string baritone guitar with active EMG pickups and a Marshall JCM800 head. No evidence of pedals or effects beyond amp distortion for the riff section.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationchunky rhythm tonearticulate pick attackdry, no reverbbaritone heavinessbridge pickup claritypercussive low end
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, tight alternate picking with aggressive palm muting and precise rhythm, especially on a baritone 7-string guitar. While not technically virtuosic, the speed and tightness demand intermediate to advanced rhythm skills.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarESP LTD SC-607B Baritone (or similar 7-string baritone, as used by Stephen Carpenter on the original Deftones recording)
AmpMarshall JCM800 (or similar high-gain Marshall, as used on Deftones' 'Adrenaline' album)
PickupsEMG 81-7 (bridge position, active humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain9
bass6.5
mid3.5
treble6.5
reverb0
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1995 era. The Metal Heroes cover is based on the Deftones original, which used a 7-string baritone guitar with active EMG pickups and a Marshall JCM800 head. No evidence of pedals or effects beyond amp distortion for the riff section.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationchunky rhythm tonearticulate pick attackdry, no reverbbaritone heavinessbridge pickup claritypercussive low end
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, tight alternate picking with aggressive palm muting and precise rhythm, especially on a baritone 7-string guitar. While not technically virtuosic, the speed and tightness demand intermediate to advanced rhythm skills.