GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Idols and Anchors Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Parkway Drive
Parkway Drive · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP M-II
Pickups
EMG 81/85 active humbuckers
Amp
Peavey 6505+ 120-Watt Tube Guitar Amp Head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'Horizons' (2007). Gear confirmed for this era and album by Equipboard and photo/video evidence. Peavey 6505+ is the primary amp for Parkway Drive's studio tones in this period. ESP M-II with EMG 81/85 pickups is visible in studio and live footage. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the solo section of 'Idols and Anchors'.
Amp Settings
Mids4.5
Bass6
Gain8
Reverb1
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Noise gate pedal (model unknown) · noise_gate
- Delay pedal (model unknown) · delay
ESP M-II (EMG 81/85) → Noise gate → Delay pedal → Peavey 6505+ (with light digital reverb)
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Tone Character
- thick and saturated
- tight and percussive
- articulate and clear
- singing sustain
- aggressive attack
- cutting lead presence
- modern metalcore
- slightly scooped mids
- crisp high end
- controlled low end
Notes & Caveats
- No explicit numeric amp settings found for 'Idols and Anchors' solo; settings estimated based on Peavey 6505+ usage in this era and typical metalcore tones.
- No direct evidence of pedal use for the solo; effects inferred from audio and genre conventions.
- No explicit pickup selector position stated, but bridge pickup is standard for metal solos and matches tone.
- No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the solo section; all sources point to ESP M-II with EMG 81/85 and Peavey 6505+ for this album.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Parkway Drive's 'Idols and Anchors' solo section features a modern metal tone: very high gain, tight bass, slightly scooped but present mids, crisp treble, and moderate presence for clarity. The production is dry with no audible reverb, matching genre and era conventions and the band's typical Mesa/Peavey amp usage.