The Damnation Game album cover - Symphony X
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Dressed to Kill" by Symphony X - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Dressed to Kill"

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
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.

TuningD Standard(D G C F A D)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone5
Volume10
Recording notes

From The Damnation Game (1995). The Damnation Game is the second studio album by American progressive metal band Symphony X, released in 1995 through Zero Corporation (Japan) and Inside Out Music (Europe); a remastered edition was reissued on September 13, 2004, through Inside Out. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so an Ibanez JEM7V through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, the rig we use for Symphony X's other songs from The Damnation Game, 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 "Dressed to Kill" Tone

  1. What guitar did Symphony X use on "Dressed to Kill"?

    The guitar on "Dressed to Kill" (released 1995) isn't documented; the Ibanez JEM7V 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 "Dressed to Kill" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 8, 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 "Dressed to Kill" without the original gear?

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

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