GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Schism Riff Guitar Tone Settings — TOOL
TOOL · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst (late 1970s)
Pickups
Stock Gibson humbuckers (T-Top, passive)
Amp
1976 Marshall Super Bass (studio, blended with Diezel VH-4 Channel 3 and Sunn Beta Lead)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'Schism' (Lateralus, 2001). Adam Jones used a blend of amps (Marshall Super Bass, Diezel VH-4, Sunn Beta Lead) and his signature Les Paul Custom Silverburst. Pedalboard included Boss DD-3 delay, Boss BF-2 flanger, Dunlop 535Q Wah, and Boss EQ. Settings and effects are for the studio riff section, not live.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass4.5
Gain7
Reverb1
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Boss DD-3 Digital Delay · delay
- Boss BF-2 Flanger · flanger
- Dunlop 535Q Cry Baby Wah · wah
- Boss GE-7 Equalizer · eq
Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst → Dunlop 535Q Wah → Boss DD-3 Delay → Boss BF-2 Flanger → Boss GE-7 EQ → Marshall Super Bass (with spring reverb, blended with Diezel VH-4 and Sunn Beta Lead in studio)
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
- tight and percussive
- articulate note separation
- slightly scooped mids
- bright, cutting top end
- complex, layered amp blend
- modulation shimmer from flanger
- subtle digital delay repeats
- medium-high gain, not oversaturated
- dynamic palm muting
- aggressive pick attack
Notes & Caveats
- Amp settings (gain, bass, mid, treble) are taken from Ultimate Guitar Wiki, which is a user-contributed source; no official studio knob photos found.
- Presence and reverb values are estimated based on typical Marshall Super Bass usage in studio and the audible tone on the recording.
- Exact pedal settings are not available; pedal models and usage are confirmed by multiple sources.
- Signal chain order is inferred from typical Adam Jones setups and Premier Guitar interviews.
- Pickup selector is inferred from the bright, cutting tone and known Adam Jones practices.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Adam Jones' 'Schism' tone is a tight, articulate, mid-forward hard rock crunch with moderate gain, tight low end, and clear but not overly bright highs; he typically uses Diezel/VHT amps with mids slightly boosted and little to no reverb, matching the dry, punchy, and focused sound of the recording.