GuitarDistortedRiff
Dead Souls Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely early 1990s, possibly black finish, as seen in NIN's 1994-1995 era studio/live photos)
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (stock Les Paul Standard pickups, likely 490R/498T or similar)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 (model not explicitly confirmed for 'Dead Souls', but consistent with NIN's 1994-1995 studio/live rig and genre/era conventions)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for The Crow soundtrack, 1994. Gear inferred from era, typical NIN studio/live setups, and genre. No explicit studio documentation for this song's exact amp/pedal chain found in sources.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Fuzz/Distortion pedal (model unknown, likely Big Muff, Rat, or similar) · fuzz
Guitar → Fuzz/Distortion pedal (model unknown) → Marshall JCM800 (with light spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- aggressive and saturated
- compressed and fuzzy
- brassy and edgy
- tight and percussive attack
- clear note definition despite heavy gain
- industrial wall of sound
- chunky riffing texture
- not muddy, retains clarity
- slightly scooped mids
- high output, modern rock feel