GuitarDistortedRiff
The Metal Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Tenacious D
Tenacious D · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely, based on era and Dave Grohl's known studio use with Tenacious D)
Pickups
Humbuckers (Gibson stock, likely 490R/498T or Burstbuckers)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier 100W 3-channel Solo Head (Multi-Watt) into Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Standard 4x12 Cabinet
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2006 (album release year); Dave Grohl played all electric guitar parts on 'The Metal' studio version. Gear inferred from Equipboard and era-correct interviews. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for the riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass6
Gain7
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6
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.
7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- chunky rhythm
- aggressive pick attack
- scooped mids
- high-gain saturation
- articulate and focused
- compressed dynamics
- minimal ambience
- modern metal clarity
- punchy low end