TonesMatch
Downfall — Children of Bodom1 / 2
Original RigYour Adaptation
GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence

Downfall Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Children of Bodom

Children of Bodom · 2000s · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
ESP Alexi Laiho Signature (likely ESP Alexi-600 or custom shop, with Floyd Rose)
Pickups
EMG HZ H4 (passive humbucker, bridge position)
Amp
Marshall JCM2000 DSL100 Head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 1999 album 'Hatebreeder'. Gear confirmed for this era by multiple interviews and period photos. Settings from forum sources are for studio use. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for the solo section.

Amp Settings

Mids
3.5
Bass
7
Gain
9.5
Reverb
0
Treble
7
Presence
7

Effects Chain

  • Delay pedal (model unknown, likely Boss DD-3 or similar) · delay
  • Overdrive pedal (used as boost, likely Ibanez TS7 or TS9 or similar) · overdrive
  • Noise gate (model unknown) · noise_gate

Guitar → Overdrive pedal (boost) → Delay pedal → Noise gate → Marshall JCM2000 DSL100

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Tone Character

  • tight and percussive
  • scooped mids for clarity
  • singing sustain
  • sharp, articulate pick attack
  • high output, saturated lead
  • minimal ambience/reverb
  • crystal-clear note separation
  • cutting treble for solo presence
  • massive low end
  • aggressive, modern metal lead

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️Exact pedal models for the studio recording of 'Downfall' solo are not explicitly confirmed in sources; pedal choices are inferred from era, genre, and Alexi Laiho's known gear for this album.
  • ⚠️Amp settings are from forum sources and may not be from official studio notes, but match typical tones for this song and era.
  • ⚠️No explicit mention of effects loop usage in studio; assumed not used unless otherwise stated.
  • ⚠️Presence setting is estimated based on typical Marshall JCM2000 use for this genre and era.
  • ⚠️Delay is clearly audible in the solo but exact pedal model is not confirmed; inferred from Alexi's known use of Boss DD-3 and genre conventions.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Alexi Laiho's solo tone on 'Downfall' is extremely saturated and tight, with a focused low end, slightly scooped but not hollow mids, aggressive top end, and no audible reverb—matching his typical late-90s/early-2000s ESP+EMG+Peavey 5150 setup and the genre's modern melodic death metal conventions.

Sources