🎸 Metal · 2000s

Blackest Eyes (Live) by Porcupine Tree (Riff · Distorted) — 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 7/10, bass 6, mid 6, treble 7, presence 6 (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

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 7 sits right around the metal average (7.3); mids at 6 are right around average (5.2).

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 rig, 2000s era)

Live performance rig for Porcupine Tree circa 2002-2007; Steven Wilson is documented using a PRS Custom 24 into a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier for heavy riff sections in 'Blackest Eyes' live. No direct source for exact pedalboard for this song/era, but this is consistent with live photos and interviews. No evidence of additional amp or guitar models for the riff section.

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

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

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

Effects

PRS Custom 24 → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (spring reverb low)

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

tight and percussive, aggressive palm-muted chugs, clear note separation under gain, chunky low end, slightly scooped mids, crisp and articulate highs, dynamic response to picking, modern progressive metal clarity, saturated but not muddy, controlled, punchy attack

Recording context

live

How it’s played

straight, fast tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Blackest Eyes (Live) sound.

Difficulty

4/5 · Riff

The riff section requires tight, fast alternate picking and palm muting with complex syncopation and odd time signatures, demanding advanced rhythm accuracy and dynamic control under high gain.

Worth knowing

No official rig rundown or pedalboard photo for 'Blackest Eyes (Live)' riff section found; gear inferred from multiple forum discussions and live era documentation.
No numeric amp settings found; values estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier settings for progressive metal/rock in the 2000s and user forum discussions.
No explicit pedal/effects chain for this specific live riff section; no evidence of modulation or time-based effects in the riff section, only high-gain amp distortion.
Pickup choice inferred from genre, tone, and live footage; Steven Wilson typically uses bridge humbucker for heavy riffing.
If more specific live pedalboard or amp settings surface, update is recommended.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Steven Wilson's live 'Blackest Eyes' tone is a modern British crunch with high clarity, tight but not boomy lows, and forward mids for riff articulation. The gain is set for saturated crunch, not extreme metal, with moderate reverb for subtle ambience typical of Porcupine Tree's live sound.

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

🎸 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 7, bass 6, mid 6, treble 7, presence 6, reverb 2. 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 rig, 2000s era); PRS Custom 24 → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (spring reverb low).

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 Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 7, bass 6, mid 6, treble 7, presence 6, reverb 2), and PRS Custom 24 → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (spring reverb low). 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