Rose of Sharyn Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Studio recording for 'The End of Heartache' (2004). Both Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel tracked rhythm guitars. Caparison Horus guitars with Seymour Duncan pickups into Peavey 5150 heads through Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cabinets. No confirmed use of boost/overdrive pedals for rhythm; noise gate likely. No time-based or modulation effects on riff section. Settings estimated based on genre, era, and amp model due to lack of direct numeric values.
Amp Settings
Effects Chain
- Noise gate (model unknown) · noise_gate
Guitar → Noise gate → Peavey 5150 head → Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cab
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- articulate low-end
- aggressive palm muting
- saturated high-gain rhythm
- clear note separation
- focused midrange punch
- chunky power chords
- modern metal clarity
- minimal ambience
- fast attack
Playing Technique
- Lock the pick attack to the kick pattern · difficulty 4/5The riff needs a hard, even pick attack, but not a loose thrash scrape. Keep the wrist compact and aim for consistent downstroke weight on the accented hits. The tone depends on every transient arriving cleanly, because the gain and gate will exaggerate uneven picking.
- Use tight palm muting without choking the note · difficulty 4/5Rest the side of the picking hand close enough to the bridge to tighten the low strings, but not so far forward that the riff loses pitch. The metalcore feel comes from the contrast between short muted punches and open chord movement.
- Cut off noise with both hands · difficulty 4/5This kind of Killswitch Engage rhythm tone only works if the stops are really silent. Use the fretting hand to release pressure immediately after hits, while the picking hand blocks unused lower strings. The noise gate helps, but the hands should create the silence first.
- Keep chord pressure even across the riff · difficulty 3/5Do not squeeze harder only on the accented notes. The riff needs a uniform left-hand grip so the doubled-guitar feel stays wide and in tune. Slightly uneven fretting can make high-gain chords sound sour, especially in the tight 2004 Adam Dutkiewicz production style.
Sources
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
- Style and eraRose of Sharyn comes from Killswitch Engage's 2004 The End of Heartache era, where melodic metalcore was becoming cleaner, bigger, and more anthemic without losing hardcore precision.
- Guitar identityAdam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel define the guitar personality here: tight dual rhythm parts, hard accents, fast stops, and enough thickness to support Howard Jones' vocal lift.
- Why the riff needs this toneThis riff depends on focused mids, gated silence, controlled low end, and a pick attack that locks to the drums. Too much saturation would smear the punches.
- Why it worksThe sound is memorable because it turns the riff into a machine-like hook: heavy, precise, melodic, and dry enough for every stop and chord change to land.
What Fans Are Saying About This Tone?
Howard Jones is by far one the greatest screamers/singers ever.
Vote your takeWho's with me still listening to this masterpiece in 2020?
Vote your takeStill listening across the years, and still coming back to this one.
Vote your takeThat voice. That guitar tone. Those sideburns. This band.
Vote your takeIf you ever get lost in the desert, listen for a metalcore band recording a video.
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