Light from Above album cover - Black Tide
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Black Abyss" by Black Tide - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Black Abyss"

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.

Gain7.5
Bass5.5
Mid6
Treble6.5
Presence6
Volume6.5

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

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Guitar setup

How the artist had their guitar configured for this take.

TuningDrop D(D A D G B E)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone9
Volume10
Recording notes

From Light from Above (2008). Light from Above is the debut album by American heavy metal band Black Tide. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so an ESP LTD EC-1000 through a Marshall JCM800 2203, the rig we use for Black Tide's other songs from Light from Above, stands in. Set the amp to a driven, high-gain crunch and use the bridge pickup. Published transcriptions put it in drop D.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Black Abyss" Tone

  1. What guitar did Black Tide use on "Black Abyss"?

    The guitar on "Black Abyss" (released 2008) isn't documented; the ESP LTD EC-1000 above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. The track is in Drop D (D A D G B E), so retune before you dial anything in.

  2. What amp settings does "Black Abyss" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 7.5, Bass 5.5, Mid 6, 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 "Black Abyss" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Black Abyss" 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 "Black Abyss" by Black Tide are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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