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The Grudge — TOOL1 / 2
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The Grudge Riff Guitar Tone Settings — TOOL

TOOL · 2000s · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom (Silverburst, late 1970s)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB (bridge), Seymour Duncan '59 (neck) humbuckers
Amp
Diezel VH4 (Channel 3, studio recording)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording for 'Lateralus' (2001). Adam Jones used his late 1970s Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst with Seymour Duncan pickups into a Diezel VH4 amp. No evidence of live or alternate gear for the studio riff section.

Amp Settings

Mids
6
Bass
6
Gain
7.5
Reverb
1
Treble
6.5
Presence
6

Effects Chain

  • Boss DD-3 Digital Delay · delay
  • Dunlop Cry Baby Wah · wah
  • Boss BF-2 Flanger · flanger
  • Boss DD-5 Digital Delay · delay
  • Pro Co Rat · distortion

Gibson Les Paul Custom (bridge pickup) → Dunlop Cry Baby Wah → Pro Co Rat → Boss DD-3 → Boss BF-2 Flanger → Diezel VH4 amp

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Tone Character

  • tight and percussive
  • aggressive, saturated distortion
  • chunky, metallic rhythm
  • focused midrange punch
  • articulate note separation
  • controlled feedback
  • crisp attack
  • heavy, modern metal sound
  • clear, defined low end
  • slightly scooped but present mids

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings for 'The Grudge' studio recording found; settings estimated based on Diezel VH4 typical usage for Adam Jones in this era and genre.
  • ⚠️Pedal and effect order inferred from multiple sources and audible cues; no official studio pedalboard photo for this song.
  • ⚠️Pickup model inferred from Adam Jones' known Les Paul Custom mods for the Lateralus era.
  • ⚠️No evidence of amp-based effects (reverb, delay, etc.) being used; all effects appear to be pedal-based.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Adam Jones used a Diezel VH4 and Marshall amps for 'Lateralus,' favoring tight, articulate high-gain tones with balanced mids and a dry, in-your-face sound. The riff in 'The Grudge' is aggressive but not overly scooped, with tight low end, moderate mids, and no audible reverb, matching these settings.

Sources