Life Before Insanity album cover - Gov't Mule
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Lay Your Burden Down" by Gov't Mule - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Lay Your Burden Down"

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.

Gain6.5
Bass6
Mid6.5
Treble6.5
Presence6
Volume7

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.

TuningE♭ Standard(E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone8.5
Volume10
Recording notes

From Life Before Insanity (2000). Life Before Insanity is the third studio album by Gov't Mule. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s through a Soldano SLO-100, the rig we use for Gov't Mule's other songs from Life Before Insanity, stands in. Set the amp to a medium-gain crunch and use the bridge pickup. Published transcriptions put it in E♭ standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), a half step below standard.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Lay Your Burden Down" Tone

  1. What guitar did Gov't Mule use on "Lay Your Burden Down"?

    The guitar on "Lay Your Burden Down" (released 2000) isn't documented; the Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. The track is in E♭ Standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), so retune before you dial anything in.

  2. What amp settings does "Lay Your Burden Down" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 6.5, Bass 6, Mid 6.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, Volume 7. 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 "Lay Your Burden Down" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Lay Your Burden Down" 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 "Lay Your Burden Down" by Gov't Mule are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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