Animal I Have Become Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace · 2000s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Studio recording, 2006. Guitarist Barry Stock is seen using the Ibanez SZ320 during this era. Amp model not explicitly confirmed for the studio, but Marshall stacks are visible in period photos and are typical for this genre and band. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the solo section.
Amp Settings
Effects Chain
- Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer · overdrive
Ibanez SZ320 → Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer (solo boost) → Marshall amp (spring reverb low)
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Tone Character
- tight, saturated distortion
- aggressive, cutting lead tone
- scooped mids for modern rock clarity
- bright, biting treble presence
- singing sustain in solo
- articulate pick attack
- compressed, focused sound
- minimal ambient reverb
- high-output humbucker punch
- loud, assertive solo presence
Playing Technique
- Use a firm, even pick attack · difficulty 3/5Pick through the string with enough force to keep the note's front edge present, but let the amp provide most of the sustain. Uneven depth sounds spiky through high gain.
- Center the bends before adding vibrato · difficulty 4/5Reach the target pitch first, pause briefly, then add a narrow vibrato. The focused distortion makes pitch movement obvious, so a wide vibrato can sound less controlled than the record.
- Use the boost for mids, not extra fuzz · difficulty 2/5Keep the Tube Screamer-style drive low and use its level to push the amp. If the solo loses definition, reduce gain and bring the midrange forward before adding more saturation.
- Mute between the lead phrases · difficulty 3/5Stop unused strings with both hands whenever the phrase ends. The short spaces make the sustained notes feel larger and keep the high-gain preset from becoming a constant hiss.
Sources
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
- Style and eraAnimal I Have Become comes from Three Days Grace's 2006 One-X era, when modern rock became heavier, more cathartic, and more immediate.
- Barry Stock's voiceStock's lead tone is focused and high-output: tight humbucker attack, compressed sustain, and enough upper-mid bite to clear the rhythm wall.
- Gear rationaleAn Ibanez SZ320-style humbucker into Marshall-style gain, with a Tube Screamer-style solo push, provides the necessary focus and sustain.
- Why the solo worksThe lead turns the song's inner conflict into a controlled release: pressure in the rhythm, then a vocal-like rise above it.
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