Fire Garden album cover - Steve Vai
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "There's a Fire in the House" by Steve Vai - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "There's a Fire in the House"

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
Bass6
Mid4.5
Treble6.5
Presence6.5
Volume7.5

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.

Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone10
Volume10
Recording notes

From Fire Garden (1996). A fast, aggressive instrumental with a heavy rhythm part and fiery, virtuosic lead lines. No source available here confirms the exact guitar and amp on this recording, so an Ibanez JEM7V through a Bogner Ecstasy 101B stands in. Use the bridge pickup and set the amp for a tight, high-gain tone. Tuning isn't documented here.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "There's a Fire in the House" Tone

  1. What guitar did Steve Vai use on "There's a Fire in the House"?

    The guitar on "There's a Fire in the House" (released 1996) isn't documented; the Ibanez JEM7V above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar.

  2. What amp settings does "There's a Fire in the House" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 8, Bass 6, Mid 4.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 6.5, Volume 7.5. 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 "There's a Fire in the House" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "There's a Fire in the House" 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 "There's a Fire in the House" by Steve Vai are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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