🎸 Rock · 2000s

Blackest Eyes (Live) by Porcupine Tree (Riff · Clean) — Guitar Tone

by Porcupine Tree · riff

The Blackest Eyes (Live) by Porcupine Tree guitar tone is built on a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, dialed in at gain 0/10, bass 5.5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 5.5 (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

5.5

BASS

MID

6.5

TREBLE

5.5

PRESENCE

2.5

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 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 0 sits well below the rock average (4.8) — cleaner and more dynamic than typical rock; mids at 6 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 (likely 2000s model, live use) · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (live setup, clean channel)

Settings and gear are for live performances of 'Blackest Eyes' clean sections, circa 2002-2007. Steven Wilson is known to use PRS Custom 24s with stock pickups and Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers for both clean and heavy tones live. No direct source for exact clean settings, but this is the consensus from live rig rundowns and fan forum discussions. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the clean section in live versions.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Mesa/Boogie songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier songs & tones →🎚️ PRS Custom 24 songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Neck pickup

Signal chain

Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 (likely 2000s model, live use) → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (live setup, clean channel)

Effects

reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 3)

Tone character

glassy and hi-fi, articulate and percussive, chimey top end, tight low end, clear note separation, dynamic response to picking, slightly compressed attack, studio-like clarity, subtle ambient reverb, no audible breakup

Recording context

live

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, medium dynamics · clean distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Blackest Eyes (Live) sound.

Difficulty

3/5 · Riff

The clean riff requires intermediate-level control of syncopated picking, muting, and dynamic articulation to maintain clarity and separation, but does not involve advanced techniques or high speed.

Worth knowing

Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
No direct source provides exact amp knob settings for the clean section of 'Blackest Eyes (Live)'; values are estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier clean channel settings for Steven Wilson's live rig and genre/era conventions.
No explicit confirmation of effects pedal use for the clean section; effects inferred from live audio and genre standards.
PRS Custom 24 with stock pickups and Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier are confirmed for live use, but pickup selector position is inferred from typical clean tone practice and live footage.
No evidence of chorus, delay, or modulation effects in the clean section; only subtle reverb is audible.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Steven Wilson's live 'Blackest Eyes' riff tone is a modern British crunch with high clarity, moderate gain, and forward mids, typical of his use of Mesa/Boogie or Bogner amps. The bass is tight but not boomy, mids are present for punch, treble and presence are set for articulation, and reverb is minimal for a dry, punchy live sound.

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🎸 All Blackest Eyes (Live) guitar tones — every part & section →

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Blackest Eyes (Live) guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Blackest Eyes (Live) guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 0, bass 5.5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 2.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Blackest Eyes (Live) tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 (likely 2000s model, live use) · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (live setup, clean channel); reverb.

Can I get the Blackest Eyes (Live) 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 Porcupine Tree on Blackest Eyes (Live) — what gear and pedals?

Start with Neck pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 0, bass 5.5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 2.5), and reverb. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Sources

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