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Descending — TOOL1 / 2
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Descending Riff Guitar Tone Settings — TOOL

TOOL · 2010s+ · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst (1979)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB (bridge), Gibson T-Top (neck)
Amp
Diezel VH4
Pickup Position
Neck pickup

Studio recording, 2018-2019 for 'Fear Inoculum'. Adam Jones is known to use his 1979 Les Paul Custom Silverburst with the Diezel VH4 for clean sections on the album. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the clean riff section of 'Descending'.

Amp Settings

Mids
6
Bass
5.5
Gain
0
Reverb
2
Treble
6.5
Presence
6

Effects Chain

  • Boss DD-3 Digital Delay · delay
  • Reverb pedal (model unknown) · reverb
  • Compression pedal (model unknown) · compression

Guitar → Compression pedal → Boss DD-3 Digital Delay → Reverb pedal → Diezel VH4 (clean channel)

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Tone Character

  • lush and glassy
  • ambient and spacious
  • clear note separation
  • slightly compressed
  • chimey upper mids
  • tight low end
  • studio-polished clarity
  • no audible breakup
  • subtle reverb and delay trails

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
  • ⚠️No direct source lists exact amp knob settings for the clean section of 'Descending'; settings estimated based on typical Diezel VH4 clean channel use in studio and genre/era conventions.
  • ⚠️No explicit confirmation of pickup selector position; neck pickup inferred from tone and Adam Jones' typical clean tone approach.
  • ⚠️Pedal/effect models for delay and reverb not confirmed for this specific clean section; included based on audible effects and Adam Jones' known rig.
  • ⚠️No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the clean riff section; Fernandes ZO-3 was used live for teasers, but not confirmed on studio recording.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Adam Jones typically uses a moderately high gain for thick, articulate riffing, with mids slightly forward but not scooped, tight bass, and clear presence for note definition. The tone is dry, punchy, and modern, matching his Diezel/Vintage Marshall rig and TOOL's production style on 'Descending.'

Sources