GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Royal Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Deftones
Deftones · 2010s+ · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP Stef B-8 (Stephen Carpenter Signature 8-string, likely used for 'Diamond Eyes' era studio recording)
Pickups
EMG 808 active humbuckers
Amp
Peavey 5150 II (studio recording, 2010 Diamond Eyes era)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2010. Stephen Carpenter is known to use his ESP 8-string with EMG 808s for 'Diamond Eyes' album, and the Peavey 5150 II was his main amp for heavy tones in this era. No evidence of live gear or alternate guitars for this specific song/section.
Amp Settings
Mids4.5
Bass6
Gain8.5
Reverb0
Treble6.5
Presence6
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids for clarity
- aggressive, saturated distortion
- articulate note separation
- extended low-end punch
- crushing, modern metal rhythm
- minimal ambience
- focused, dry attack
- high-output active pickup clarity
- palm-muted, syncopated riffing
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings for 'Royal' found; amp and guitar model inferred from multiple rig rundowns and interviews for the 'Diamond Eyes' era.
- No evidence of pedals or effects used in the riff section; heavy tone is primarily amp-driven.
- Settings estimated based on typical Peavey 5150 II usage for modern metal and Stephen Carpenter's known preferences.
- No evidence of reverb, delay, or modulation effects in the riff section; tone is dry and focused.
- If future evidence of pedals or alternate amps for this specific song/section emerges, update accordingly.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Chino and Stephen use high-gain, tight, modern metal tones with moderate bass, slightly scooped mids, and clear but not harsh treble; the tone is dry and percussive, typical of Deftones' 'Saturday Night Wrist' era, with minimal reverb and a focused, aggressive attack.