What amp settings do I need for the Blood and Thunder guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7.5, bass 6.5, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 1. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

Can I get the Blood and Thunder 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.

🎸 Progressive Metal · 2004

Blood and Thunder (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

Q: What gear was used for the Blood and Thunder tone?

Original gear/effects: Amp: Marshall JMP Mark II Lead / Diezel VH4 into Orange PPC412 cabs; High-gain amp: Marshall JMP Mark II Lead / Diezel VH4 (Brent Hinds); Friedman JJ Cantrell (Bill Kelliher) into Orange cabs, Mids dialed in (mid ~4.5-5, not scooped) so the guitar cuts, Light reverb; the saturation is amp gain, no boost needed.

by Mastodon · riff

The Blood and Thunder by Mastodon guitar tone is built on a Marshall JMP Mark II Lead / Diezel VH4 into Orange PPC412 cabs, dialed in at gain 7.5/10, bass 6.5, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 6 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ Adapt this tone to YOUR guitar & amp — free →

Amp settings (0–10)

7.5

GAIN

6.5

BASS

4.5

MID

6.5

TREBLE

PRESENCE

REVERB

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

Original gear

Amp: Marshall JMP Mark II Lead / Diezel VH4 into Orange PPC412 cabs

Pickups

Humbuckers in D standard for a thick, sludgy, mid-present tone

Effects / signal chain

High-gain amp: Marshall JMP Mark II Lead / Diezel VH4 (Brent Hinds); Friedman JJ Cantrell (Bill Kelliher) into Orange cabs, Mids dialed in (mid ~4.5-5, not scooped) so the guitar cuts, Light reverb; the saturation is amp gain, no boost needed

Tone character

sludgy, mid-present, thick, galloping, saturated, tight low end

Recording context

Sludge / progressive metal, 2004; D-standard humbuckers into cranked Marshall/Diezel with mids dialed in

How it’s played

galloping, sludgy prog-metal assault — relentless main riff with a wild solo, fast, driving tempo, pummeling and dense dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Blood and Thunder sound.

What makes the Blood and Thunder part tricky

D standard tuning and fast, galloping picking, relentless tight riffing stamina, the wild, dissonant solo, keeping a dense, mid-present tone defined. GuitarToneAdapt gets the tone right so you can focus on the playing.

Note: Unlike most metal, Mastodon keep MIDS DIALED IN (not scooped) so the guitar cuts through the sludge. D standard tuning (whole step down) on normal-scale guitars for a tight, sludgy low end. Knob numbers are community-researched estimates per Guitar Chalk's Blood and Thunder settings.

Get these exact settings for your rig →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

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