Us and Them album cover - Shinedown
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Heroes" by Shinedown - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Heroes"

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
Bass6.5
Mid6
Treble6.5
Presence6
Volume7

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.

TuningDrop D(D A D G B E)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone9.5
Volume10
Recording notes

From Us and Them (2005). Us and Them is the second studio album by American rock band Shinedown, released on October 4, 2005, by Atlantic Records. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a PRS Custom 24 through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, the rig we use for Shinedown's other songs from Us and Them, stands in. Set the amp to a driven, high-gain crunch and use the bridge pickup. Published transcriptions put it in drop D.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Heroes" Tone

  1. What guitar did Shinedown use on "Heroes"?

    The guitar on "Heroes" (released 2005) isn't documented; the PRS Custom 24 above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. The track is in Drop D (D A D G B E), so retune before you dial anything in.

  2. What amp settings does "Heroes" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 7, Bass 6.5, Mid 6, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, 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 "Heroes" without the original gear?

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

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