TonesMatch
Cemetery Gates — Pantera1 / 2
Original RigYour Adaptation
GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence

Cemetery Gates Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Pantera

Pantera · 1990s · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Dean ML (likely 1980s/early 1990s, Bill Lawrence L-500XL bridge pickup, Floyd Rose tremolo)
Pickups
Bill Lawrence L-500XL (bridge humbucker)
Amp
Randall RG100ES solid-state head (studio recording, Cowboys From Hell era)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 1990, Cowboys From Hell album. Gear confirmed by IK Multimedia/Premier Guitar and Dimebag's tech. This is the distorted/riff section, not the clean intro. No evidence of live rig or alternate amp for this section.

Amp Settings

Mids
4
Bass
6
Gain
8.5
Reverb
0
Treble
7.5
Presence
7

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Tone Character

  • tight and percussive
  • scooped mids
  • aggressive palm muting
  • high-gain saturation
  • razor-sharp attack
  • chunky low end
  • bright and cutting treble
  • minimal ambience
  • articulate pick response
  • focused, modern metal rhythm

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings for Cemetery Gates riff found in sources; settings estimated based on Randall RG100ES typical usage for Dimebag and genre/era.
  • ⚠️No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; Dimebag's main rhythm tone was amp distortion only.
  • ⚠️No evidence of reverb or time-based effects on the riff; dry, direct amp tone is characteristic.
  • ⚠️Pickup and amp confirmed by Premier Guitar/IK Multimedia and Dimebag's tech for this album.
  • ⚠️Settings are inferred from genre, amp, and Dimebag's known approach, not from a direct photo or interview for this song's riff.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Dimebag Darrell's 'Cemetery Gates' tone is a classic early 90s scooped metal sound: high gain from a Randall solid-state amp, tight but not boomy bass, heavily scooped mids, bright treble and boosted presence for clarity, and a dry, reverb-free production typical of Pantera's style.

Sources