Appeal to Reason album cover - Rise Against
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Elective Amnesia" by Rise Against - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Elective Amnesia"

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
Bass5.5
Mid6
Treble6.5
Presence6.5
Volume7

On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.

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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
Tone10
Volume10
Recording notes

From Appeal to Reason (2008). Appeal to Reason is the fifth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against. The album's Wikipedia article says the band used several amplifier combinations for the more aggressive songs, such as a Bogner and a Marshall Kerry King head, but does not say which songs. It does not name the guitars, so a Gibson Les Paul Classic through a Marshall JCM900 4100 Dual Reverb, the rig we use for Rise Against's other songs from Appeal to Reason, 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 "Elective Amnesia" Tone

  1. What guitar did Rise Against use on "Elective Amnesia"?

    The guitar on "Elective Amnesia" (released 2008) isn't documented; the Gibson Les Paul Classic 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 "Elective Amnesia" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 7, Bass 5.5, Mid 6, Treble 6.5, Presence 6.5, Volume 7. 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 "Elective Amnesia" without the original gear?

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

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