GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Down with the Sickness (Clean Version) Guitar Tone Settings
Disturbed · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, used by Dan Donegan on 'The Sickness')
Pickups
Stock Gibson humbuckers
Amp
Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier (studio recording, 2000)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'Down with the Sickness' (2000). Dan Donegan used a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier as his main amp for the album. Guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Standard with stock humbuckers. No evidence of pedal use in the riff section; all distortion from amp. No evidence of effects loop or additional rack effects for the main riff.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass6
Gain8
Reverb0
Treble6.5
Presence6
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- articulate note separation
- chunky low end
- scooped but present mids
- clear pick attack
- compressed and controlled
- minimal ambience
- modern metal rhythm
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings found; values estimated based on typical Mesa Triple Rectifier settings for modern metal and era.
- No evidence of pedal use in the riff section; all gain and EQ from amp.
- No evidence of reverb or time-based effects on the main riff; dry, tight studio tone.
- Pickup choice inferred from genre and tone (bridge humbucker for tight, aggressive rhythm).
- Pedalboard effects (Whammy, wah) are present in Dan Donegan's rig but not used on the main riff of this song.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Dan Donegan's tone on 'Down with the Sickness' is a tight, modern nu-metal sound with high gain, slightly scooped mids, tight but not boomy bass, and enough treble/presence for clarity. The production is very dry with almost no reverb, matching late 90s/early 2000s metal conventions and his typical Mesa/Peavey amp settings.