Imaginaerum album cover - Nightwish
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Song of Myself" by Nightwish - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Song of Myself"

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
Bass6
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.

TuningD Standard(D G C F A D)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone10
Volume10
Recording notes

From Imaginaerum (2011). Imaginaerum is the seventh studio album by the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so an ESP E-II Eclipse through an Engl Powerball, the rig we use for Nightwish's other songs from Imaginaerum, stands in. Set the amp to a driven, high-gain crunch and use the bridge pickup. Published transcriptions put it in D standard (D G C F A D), a whole step below standard.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Song of Myself" Tone

  1. What guitar did Nightwish use on "Song of Myself"?

    The guitar on "Song of Myself" (released 2011) isn't documented; the ESP E-II Eclipse above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. The track is in D Standard (D G C F A D), so retune before you dial anything in.

  2. What amp settings does "Song of Myself" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 7, Bass 6, 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 "Song of Myself" without the original gear?

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

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