Riff Tone
Swerve City
Deftones
Guitarmetal2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarESP STEF B-8 (Stephen Carpenter signature 8-string, likely baritone scale, used on Koi No Yokan album)
AmpFractal Audio Axe-Fx II (amp modeling, likely using a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier or Peavey 5150 model for high-gain rhythm)
PickupsEMG 808 active humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
mid4.5
treble6.5
reverb1
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 2012 (Koi No Yokan). Stephen Carpenter used his ESP STEF B-8 with EMG 808s for the main riff. The Axe-Fx II was used for amp/cab/effects modeling in the studio. No evidence of live/touring rig or other guitars/amps for this part.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive high-gain saturationarticulate note separationslightly scooped midscrushing low-endfocused palm mutingmodern metal clarityminimal ambienceclear pick attackdry, immediate response
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, aggressive palm muting and precise rhythm at a fast tempo, especially on an 8-string guitar with a wide neck and low tunings. While not technically virtuosic, the combination of speed, accuracy, and tone control makes it moderately challenging.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarESP STEF B-8 (Stephen Carpenter signature 8-string, likely baritone scale, used on Koi No Yokan album)
AmpFractal Audio Axe-Fx II (amp modeling, likely using a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier or Peavey 5150 model for high-gain rhythm)
PickupsEMG 808 active humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
mid4.5
treble6.5
reverb1
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 2012 (Koi No Yokan). Stephen Carpenter used his ESP STEF B-8 with EMG 808s for the main riff. The Axe-Fx II was used for amp/cab/effects modeling in the studio. No evidence of live/touring rig or other guitars/amps for this part.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive high-gain saturationarticulate note separationslightly scooped midscrushing low-endfocused palm mutingmodern metal clarityminimal ambienceclear pick attackdry, immediate response
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, aggressive palm muting and precise rhythm at a fast tempo, especially on an 8-string guitar with a wide neck and low tunings. While not technically virtuosic, the combination of speed, accuracy, and tone control makes it moderately challenging.
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