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Breath Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP LTD EC-1000 VB Duncan
Pickups
Seymour Duncan JB (bridge) / '59 (neck) humbuckers
Amp
Randall RM50 with Recto Module (Distortion)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'Phobia' (2006); evidence from Equipboard and gear rundowns confirms ESP LTD EC-1000 and Randall RM50 with Recto Module were used for rhythm/riff sections. No evidence of pedal use for main riff; distortion from amp/module.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass6
Gain8.5
Reverb1
Treble7
Presence6.5
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Tone Character
- thick and saturated
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm muting
- articulate attack
- dense and layered
- modern high-gain
- controlled low end
- slightly scooped mids
- crisp treble edge
- minimal ambience
Notes & Caveats
- No direct amp knob settings for 'Breath' found; settings estimated based on Randall RM50 Recto Module typical use in 2000s modern rock/metal and genre conventions.
- No evidence of pedal use for main riff; all distortion from amp/module.
- No explicit mention of effects (delay, chorus, flanger, etc.) in riff section; none are audibly present in the recording.
- Pickup choice inferred from genre and tone (bridge humbucker for tight, aggressive rhythm).
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Breaking Benjamin's 'Breath' features a tight, saturated modern rock/metal tone typical of mid-2000s post-grunge/alt-metal, likely using a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier or Peavey 5150 with moderate bass, balanced mids (not scooped), and slightly boosted treble/presence for clarity. The tone is dry and punchy, with little to no reverb, matching the genre and era's production style.