Visions album cover - Stratovarius
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Forever Free" by Stratovarius - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Forever Free"

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
Mid5
Treble6
Presence6
Volume8

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.

TuningE♭ Standard(E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone6
Volume9
Recording notes

From Visions (1997). Visions is the sixth studio album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, released on 28 April 1997 through Noise Records. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so an Ibanez RG1570 Prestige through a Marshall JCM900 4100 Dual Reverb, the rig we use for Stratovarius' other songs from Visions, 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 "Forever Free" Tone

  1. What guitar did Stratovarius use on "Forever Free"?

    The guitar on "Forever Free" (released 1997) isn't documented; the Ibanez RG1570 Prestige 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 "Forever Free" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 5, Treble 6, Presence 6, Volume 8. 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 "Forever Free" without the original gear?

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

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