🎸 Metal · 2010s

BFG Division by Mick Gordon (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Mick Gordon · riff

The BFG Division by Mick Gordon guitar tone is built on a High-gain, dialed in at gain 8/10, bass 6, mid 5, treble 5.5, presence 5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

GAIN

BASS

MID

5.5

TREBLE

PRESENCE

REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 8 sits right around the metal average (7.3); mids at 5 are right around average (5.2); treble 5.5 is below the 6.8 norm (darker, smoother top end).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Amp: High-gain, hard-gated — heavily re-amped/processed (not a simple amp setting)

9/8/7-string guitars tuned very low (Meshuggah-style); Zynaptiq Morph to blend chainsaw + guitar; Eurorack/Harmor in the wider soundtrack.

Pickups

bridge (active, very low-tuned)

Effects / signal chain

distortion, noise gate

Tone character

extreme low-tuned djent, industrial & processed, machine-tight, brutal

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

extreme low-tuned processed djent distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the BFG Division sound.

Difficulty

5/5 · Riff

Extended-range guitar, very low tuning and machine-tight muting are extremely demanding; the recorded tone also relies on heavy processing you can only approximate live.

Worth knowing

BFG Division is EXTREME industrial djent — Mick Gordon used 9-string (also 8- and 7-string) guitars tuned VERY low, Meshuggah-style, then HEAVILY processed them (he even mixed the DOOM chainsaw sound INTO the riffs via Zynaptiq Morph). It’s less about amp knobs than about a very low tuning, a hard-gated high-gain tone, and creative re-amping/processing.
Use the lowest-tuned guitar you have (7/8/9-string), a tight high-gain tone with a hard noise gate, mids present-to-slightly-scooped, and lean into layering/processing. The extreme low tuning + processing IS the sound.
Settings are community-researched starting points; Gordon’s tone is heavily processed, so treat the amp values as a launch pad only.

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

Recognise famous songs from just the amp dials — a quick 10-round game. Beat your friends. Play free →

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BFG Division guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the BFG Division guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 8, bass 6, mid 5, treble 5.5, presence 5, reverb 1. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the BFG Division tone?

Original gear/effects: Amp: High-gain, hard-gated — heavily re-amped/processed (not a simple amp setting); distortion, noise gate.

Can I get the BFG Division tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like Mick Gordon on BFG Division — what gear and pedals?

Start with bridge (active, very low-tuned), the amp EQ above (gain 8, bass 6, mid 5, treble 5.5, presence 5, reverb 1), and distortion, noise gate. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

Share this tone

Sources

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🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎚️ Distortion tone guide → · 🎯 more tight tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com