How to Dial In "Cockroach King" by Haken - Guitar Tone Settings
What Haken Actually Used on "Cockroach King"
Original Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning
Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.
These are the numbers on the record. On your amp, they won't sound the same.
Get the settings for my ampHow the artist had their guitar configured for this take.
Two guitarists play this: Richard Henshall and Charlie Griffiths, in tightly doubled unison on the staccato riff and trading the solo section. The riff tone is tight and mid-present, not scooped - the part is rhythmically dense and only reads if the palm-muting is precise, so favour clarity over gain. Clean arpeggiated sections sit between the heavy blocks, so a mid-gain amp you can clean up with the guitar volume beats a fixed high-gain channel. No gear is documented for the 2012-13 sessions: Henshall's Strandberg guitars date from 2014 and his Fractal AX8 later still, so the guitar here is a reconstruction and the amp is left empty.
Common Questions About the "Cockroach King" Tone
What guitar did Haken use on "Cockroach King"?
Haken tracked "Cockroach King" on an Ibanez RG550 Genesis (released 2013). Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar.
What amp settings does "Cockroach King" need?
On the original amp: Gain 7, Bass 5.5, Mid 6, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, Volume 6. 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.
Can I play "Cockroach King" without the original gear?
Yes. ToneMirror takes the original recipe above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Cockroach King" 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.
More Tones You Can Dial In
Tone references for "Cockroach King" by Haken are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.