Riff Tone

Schism

TOOL

Guitarrock2000s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst (1979)

Amp1976 Marshall Super Bass (studio blend, clean channel for clean sections)

PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers (T-Top, passive, covered)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5

mid6

treble7

reverb1

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for 'Lateralus' (2001). Adam Jones used a blend of amps (Marshall Super Bass, Diezel VH-4, Sunn lead head), but the clean riff is widely attributed to the Marshall Super Bass with minimal gain. Pedalboard was kept simple for clean sections.

Tone Character(10)

clean and openbright and articulateslightly compressedpercussive attackclear note separationminimal breakuptight low endpresent midssubtle warmthexposed, unmasked dynamics

Difficulty

The clean riff in 'Schism' is technically challenging due to its odd time signatures, exposed single-note lines, and the need for precise rhythmic accuracy and dynamic control. Mistakes are highly audible due to the clean, unmasked tone.

Sources

Tool - Schism How to Play Tool's 'Schism': Navigating the Time Signatures | Ultimate Guitar

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