How to Dial In "Lock Up Your Children" by Morbid Saint - Guitar Tone Settings
Gear for "Lock Up Your Children"
Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.
Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning
Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.
On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.
Get the settings for my ampHow the artist had their guitar configured for this take.
From Spectrum of Death (1989). Spectrum of Death is the debut album by American death/thrash metal band Morbid Saint. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so an ESP LTD EC-1000 through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, a saturated death-metal pairing, stands in. Set the amp to a saturated high-gain setting and use the bridge pickup. Published transcriptions put it in E♭ standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), a half step below standard.
Common Questions About the "Lock Up Your Children" Tone
What guitar did Morbid Saint use on "Lock Up Your Children"?
The guitar on "Lock Up Your Children" (released 1989) 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.
What amp settings does "Lock Up Your Children" need?
Settings for this sound: Gain 8.5, Bass 6, Mid 5, Treble 6, 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.
Can I play "Lock Up Your Children" without the original gear?
Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Lock Up Your Children" 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 "Lock Up Your Children" by Morbid Saint are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.