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Unnatural Selection album cover - Havok
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Waste of Life" by Havok - Guitar Tone Settings

Havok·2013·Unnatural Selection
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The rig

Gear for "Waste of Life"

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
Bass6
Mid6
Treble6.5
Presence6.5
Volume7.5

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.

TuningE♭ Standard(E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone6.5
Volume9
Recording notes

From Unnatural Selection (2013). Unnatural Selection is the third full-length album by American thrash metal band Havok. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so an ESP LTD EX-351 through a Peavey 6505+, the rig we use for Havok's other songs from Unnatural Selection, stands in. Set the amp to a driven, high-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 "Waste of Life" Tone

  1. What guitar did Havok use on "Waste of Life"?

    The guitar on "Waste of Life" (released 2013) isn't documented; the ESP LTD EX-351 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 "Waste of Life" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 7.5, Bass 6, Mid 6, Treble 6.5, Presence 6.5, Volume 7.5. 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 "Waste of Life" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Waste of Life" 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.

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Tone references for "Waste of Life" by Havok are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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