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Psychosocial Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Slipknot
Slipknot · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Jim Root Telecaster (prototype, white or black, as used on All Hope Is Gone)
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge), EMG 60 (neck) active humbuckers
Amp
Orange Rockerverb 100 blended with Diezel Herbert (studio recording, All Hope Is Gone era)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2008 (All Hope Is Gone). Jim Root used his signature Telecaster prototypes with EMG active pickups. Amps were Orange Rockerverb 100 and Diezel Herbert, blended via Little Labs PCP Instrument Distro. No evidence of additional pedals for the riff section; Maxon TS808 was used for solos, not rhythm. Mick Thomson used Rivera KR-7 for his parts, but Root's rhythm tone is the focus here.
Amp Settings
Mids4.5
Bass6
Gain8.5
Reverb1
Treble7
Presence6.5
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- articulate low end
- cutting high end
- compressed and focused
- modern metal clarity
- minimal ambience
- high output, active pickup punch
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp EQ settings found for the Orange Rockerverb 100 or Diezel Herbert on 'Psychosocial'; settings estimated based on typical modern metal usage and amp characteristics.
- Pedal use for the riff section is not confirmed; Maxon TS808 was used for solos, not rhythm. No time-based or modulation effects are audible in the riff section.
- Some sources mention Mick Thomson's Rivera KR-7, but Jim Root's Orange/Diezel blend is confirmed for the main riff.
- Presence and reverb settings are estimated based on genre and amp type.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Slipknot's 'Psychosocial' features a modern, extremely high-gain, tight, and aggressive tone typical of late-2000s metal, with slightly scooped mids, tight bass, and boosted presence for clarity. The band used Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers and Peavey 5150s with minimal reverb, matching these settings.