Black Waltz album cover - Avatar
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Napalm" by Avatar - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Napalm"

Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.

The settings

Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning

Amp settings

Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.

Gain8
Bass6.5
Mid5.5
Treble6.5
Presence6
Volume6.5

On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.

Get the settings for my amp
Guitar setup

How the artist had their guitar configured for this take.

TuningCustom tuning
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone10
Volume10
Recording notes

From Black Waltz (2012). Black Waltz is the fourth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Avatar, released on 25 January 2012. (In the US, it was released on 14 February 2012.) It is the band's last album to feature long-time guitarist Simon Andersson, who left the band in February 2012 to focus on his studies. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so an Ibanez RGD61AL Axion Label through a Kemper Profiler Rack, the rig we use for Avatar's other songs from Black Waltz, stands in. Set the amp to a driven, high-gain crunch and use the bridge pickup. Published transcriptions put it in a tuning that is not one of the standard names: B E A D F♯ B, low to high.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Napalm" Tone

  1. What guitar did Avatar use on "Napalm"?

    The guitar on "Napalm" (released 2012) isn't documented; the Ibanez RGD61AL Axion Label above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. The track is in Custom tuning, so retune before you dial anything in.

  2. What amp settings does "Napalm" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 8, Bass 6.5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, Volume 6.5. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale; match them on your amp first, then nudge to taste. ToneMirror can translate these positions for whatever amp you actually own.

  3. Can I play "Napalm" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Napalm" tone on a Katana, a Helix, a tube combo, or anything else. The translation accounts for EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type so the result actually sounds like the record, not just the same knob numbers on different gear.

Related tones

Tone references for "Napalm" by Avatar are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

Adapt to my gear