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Sleep Riff Guitar Tone Settings — My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance · 2000s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Epiphone Les Paul Elitist (Ray Toro's main studio guitar for The Black Parade era)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan JB (bridge), Seymour Duncan '59 (neck) humbuckers
Amp
Marshall JMP head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, The Black Parade era)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2006. Ray Toro used the Epiphone Les Paul Elitist with Seymour Duncan pickups into a Marshall JMP head for the main riff sections. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for the studio recording. No evidence of additional layering or alternate guitars for the main riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (likely Russian or NYC reissue) · fuzz
Epiphone Les Paul Elitist (bridge pickup) → Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi → Marshall JMP head → Marshall 4x12 cabinet (with light spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- tight, saturated distortion
- chunky, palm-muted power chords
- aggressive, mid-forward attack
- singing sustain on single notes
- articulate pick attack
- controlled feedback in transitions
- thick, compressed wall of sound
- slightly scooped but present mids
- crisp, defined highs
- dense, layered rhythm texture
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source lists exact amp knob settings for 'Sleep' studio recording; amp settings estimated based on Marshall JMP typical usage for 2000s modern rock and genre conventions.
- Pedal use is inferred from era, genre, and studio practices; no direct studio documentation for 'Sleep' riff section pedalboard.
- No evidence of modulation or time-based effects (delay, chorus, flanger, etc.) on the main riff section; distortion/fuzz is the primary effect.
- All gear and settings refer to the studio recording of 'Sleep' (2006), not live/tour rigs.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Sleep' riff tone is saturated and aggressive but not ultra-modern, with tight bass, forward mids, and a present but not harsh top end. Ray Toro and Frank Iero used Marshall and Mesa/Boogie amps with high gain, moderate bass, slightly boosted mids, and moderate treble/presence for clarity, with minimal reverb as per mid-2000s post-hardcore/alt-rock production.