GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Dream House Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Deafheaven
Deafheaven · 2010s+ · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s/1980s, black finish, as seen in studio photos from Sunbather era)
Pickups
Stock Gibson humbuckers (likely 490R/498T or similar, passive, medium-high output)
Amp
Peavey 6505+ head into Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, Sunbather era 2013)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2013. Guitarist Kerry McCoy is confirmed to have used a Gibson Les Paul Custom into a Peavey 6505+ for the heavy riff sections on 'Dream House'. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the main rhythm tracks. Pedal use is inferred from genre and audio, as no explicit pedalboard details for this session are available.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass6
Gain9
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Fuzz pedal (model unknown) · fuzz
- Noise gate pedal (model unknown) · noise_gate
Guitar → Fuzz pedal (model unknown) → Noise gate (model unknown) → Peavey 6505+ head → Marshall 1960A 4x12 (amp spring reverb at low level)
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
Adapt to MY Gear →7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- dense wall-of-sound
- saturated high-gain
- tight and articulate
- slightly scooped mids
- crisp treble bite
- massive sustain
- compressed dynamics
- minimal reverb
- multi-tracked layering
- aggressive pick attack
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source lists exact amp knob settings for 'Dream House'; values estimated based on typical Peavey 6505+ settings for blackgaze/metal and genre conventions.
- Pedal models are not explicitly confirmed for the studio recording; fuzz and reverb are inferred from genre, era, and audio.
- No explicit pedalboard photos or studio notes for 'Dream House' session; all gear is matched to Sunbather-era interviews and genre-typical practices.
- No evidence of modulation (chorus/flanger/phaser) or delay in the main riff section; only reverb and heavy distortion/fuzz are clearly audible.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Deafheaven's 'Dream House' features a saturated, wall-of-sound blackgaze tone with extreme gain, tight low end, balanced mids, and pronounced upper frequencies for clarity and shimmer. The reverb is minimal on the amp, as most ambience comes from post-production. These settings reflect their typical use of high-gain amps (like Peavey 6505/5150), genre conventions, and the song's specific sonic character.