Progressive Metal guitar tones

Researched amp settings for 14 Progressive metal songs — then adapted to your gear.

Starting point for Progressive Metal tone: gain 6.5 · bass 5.5 · mid 5.5 · treble 6.5 · presence 6 (out of 10)

Most-used amps: EVH 5150 III "Stealth" 100W into Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 4x12 (×3) · high-gain profiler (×3) · Revv Generator / Peavey 5150 (×2) · Mesa/Boogie D‑180 tube amplifier (×1)

Amp settings for this genre

Genre-specific EQ cheat-sheets — averaged dials plus the famous tones for each amp.

Mesa/Boogie Dual RectifierPeavey 5150 / EVH 5150
🎛️ Dial any of these in for YOUR rig — free →
Orion — MetallicaThe Summoning — Sleep TokenChokehold — Sleep TokenBlood and Thunder — MastodonGranite — Sleep TokenSilvera — GojiraStranded — GojiraL'Enfant Sauvage — GojiraCaramel — Sleep TokenEmergence — Sleep TokenSchism — ToolSober — ToolMetropolis Pt 1 — Dream TheaterDelirium — Haken

Progressive Metal amp settings — FAQ

What are the best amp settings for progressive metal?

Averaged across 14 researched progressive metal tones: gain 6.5, bass 5.5, mid 5.5, treble 6.5, presence 6 (out of 10). Start there, then fine-tune by ear and adapt to the amp you actually own.

What amp is best for progressive metal?

The amps most used across these progressive metal tones are EVH 5150 III "Stealth" 100W into Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 4x12, high-gain profiler, Revv Generator / Peavey 5150, Mesa/Boogie D‑180 tube amplifier. You don’t need the exact amp — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials any progressive metal tone for the amp and guitar you already own, free in the browser.

How do I get a progressive metal guitar tone with the gear I have?

Start with gain 6.5, bass 5.5, mid 5.5, treble 6.5, presence 6 (out of 10), then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for your specific amp, guitar and pedals so it sits like the record — free, no new gear.