GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Teething Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Deftones
Deftones · 1990s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP M-II (early 90s, likely custom, as used by Stephen Carpenter on 'Teething')
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)
Amp
Marshall JMP-1 MIDI Preamp into Marshall EL34 100/100 Power Amp
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1997; gear confirmed for Adrenaline/B-sides era. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this song. No evidence of additional effects or pedals used in the riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids4.5
Bass6
Gain8.5
Reverb1
Treble7
Presence6
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm muting
- saturated high-gain
- slightly scooped mids
- articulate low-end punch
- chunky power chords
- dry, in-your-face sound
- modern metal clarity
- minimal ambience
- focused attack
Notes & Caveats
- No direct amp knob settings for 'Teething' found; settings estimated based on Marshall JMP-1/EL34 rig and 1990s metal genre.
- No evidence of pedals or additional effects used on the riff section; distortion is from amp and active pickups.
- No evidence of reverb or time-based effects on the riff section; mix is dry and direct.
- Pickup and amp models confirmed for this era, but no direct studio documentation for 'Teething' session.
- If alternate gear or effects are discovered in future sources, update accordingly.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Deftones' 'Teething' features a saturated, modern metal tone with tight low end, slightly scooped but not hollow mids, and clear but not harsh highs. Steph Carpenter typically used high-gain heads (like the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier) with moderate bass, slightly reduced mids, and boosted presence for clarity, with little or no reverb for a dry, aggressive attack.