GuitarDistortedRiff
6:00 Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Dream Theater
Dream Theater · 1990s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Signature (likely JP6 or JPM100, as used in 1994 studio sessions)
Pickups
DiMarzio Steve's Special (bridge), DiMarzio Air Norton (neck) humbuckers
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis Preamp into Mesa/Boogie Simul-Class 2:Ninety Power Amp, Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cabinet
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1994. Gear confirmed for 'Awake' era by multiple interviews and rig rundowns. No evidence of live/touring rig for this specific song. Pedals and effects inferred from era and audible effects in recording.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb1
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Overdrive pedal (model unknown, likely used as boost) · overdrive
- Noise gate (model unknown) · noise_gate
Guitar → Overdrive pedal (boost) → Noise gate → Mesa/Boogie Triaxis Preamp → Mesa/Boogie Simul-Class 2:Ninety Power Amp → Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cabinet (minimal amp reverb)
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- high-gain saturation
- articulate note separation
- scooped but present mids
- crisp top-end bite
- controlled low-end
- modern metal rhythm punch
- minimal ambient reverb
- fast alternate picking clarity
- aggressive palm muting