🎸 Metal · 1990s

Cemetary Gates by Pantera (Riff · Clean) — Guitar Tone

by Pantera · riff

The Cemetary Gates by Pantera guitar tone is built on a Randall RG100ES solid-state head, dialed in at gain 0/10, bass 5.5, mid 4.5, 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

5.5

BASS

4.5

MID

TREBLE

PRESENCE

1.5

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 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 0 sits well below the metal average (7.3) — cleaner and more dynamic than typical metal; mids at 4.5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Dean ML (likely 1980s/early 1990s, Bill Lawrence L-500XL bridge pickup, Seymour Duncan '59 neck pickup, Floyd Rose tremolo) · Amp: Randall RG100ES solid-state head

Studio recording, 1990 (Cowboys from Hell album). Dimebag used his Dean ML with the neck pickup for the clean intro/riff. Amp is Randall RG100ES, with Furman PQ-3 parametric EQ and MXR 6-band EQ in the signal chain. No evidence of chorus or delay pedals in the clean section. Some subtle reverb likely from the amp or studio. No evidence of live/touring gear for this section.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Seymour Duncan pickups songs & tones →🎚️ Randall songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Neck pickup

Signal chain

Dean ML (likely 1980s/early 1990s, Bill Lawrence L-500XL bridge pickup, Seymour Duncan '59 neck pickup, Floyd Rose tremolo) → Furman PQ-3 Parametric EQ → MXR 6-Band EQ → Randall RG100ES solid-state head

Effects

reverb, eq

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 3)

Tone character

glassy and bell-like, warm and rounded, articulate note separation, slight reverb ambience, dynamic and touch-sensitive, no breakup or crunch, percussive attack, studio-polished clean, no modulation swirl, clear low end

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, soft dynamics · clean distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Cemetary Gates sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Riff

The clean riff requires accurate picking, string skipping, and dynamic control to maintain clarity and avoid unwanted noise, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Worth knowing

Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
No direct source gives exact clean amp settings for the intro/riff; values estimated based on typical Randall RG100ES clean settings and Dimebag's known EQ preferences.
No evidence of chorus, delay, or modulation effects in the clean section; only subtle reverb is audible, likely from amp or studio.
Guitar model and pickup choice inferred from Dimebag's known gear and interviews about the Cowboys from Hell recording.
If new evidence of effects or alternate gear emerges, settings may need revision.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Dimebag Darrell's tone on 'Cemetary Gates' is classic early 90s Pantera: high gain and tight, with scooped mids, aggressive treble and presence for cut, and a dry, in-your-face sound. These settings reflect his Randall amp approach and the genre's production style.

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

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Cemetary Gates guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Cemetary Gates guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 0, bass 5.5, mid 4.5, treble 7, presence 6, reverb 1.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Cemetary Gates tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Dean ML (likely 1980s/early 1990s, Bill Lawrence L-500XL bridge pickup, Seymour Duncan '59 neck pickup, Floyd Rose tremolo) · Amp: Randall RG100ES solid-state head; reverb, eq.

Can I get the Cemetary Gates 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 Pantera on Cemetary Gates — what gear and pedals?

Start with Neck pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 0, bass 5.5, mid 4.5, treble 7, presence 6, reverb 1.5), and reverb, eq. 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