Contradictions Collapse album cover - Meshuggah
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Choirs of Devastation" by Meshuggah - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Choirs of Devastation"

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
Bass5.5
Mid6
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.

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

From Contradictions Collapse (1991). Contradictions Collapse is the debut studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so an ESP LTD EC-1000 through a Marshall JCM800 2203, a high-gain heavy-metal pairing, 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 "Choirs of Devastation" Tone

  1. What guitar did Meshuggah use on "Choirs of Devastation"?

    The guitar on "Choirs of Devastation" (released 1991) isn't documented; the ESP LTD EC-1000 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 "Choirs of Devastation" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 8, 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 "Choirs of Devastation" without the original gear?

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

Adapt to my gear