🎸 Rock · 2000s

Change (In the House of Flies) by Deftones (Riff · Clean) — Guitar Tone

by Deftones · riff

The Change (In the House of Flies) by Deftones guitar tone is built on a Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp, dialed in at gain 0/10, bass 6, 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

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

7-8

VOLUME

6-7

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: ESP Viper VP-200 · Amp: Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp

Studio recording, 1999-2000. Guitar and amp confirmed via Equipboard for White Pony era and live video at album release show. Clean section uses Chino Moreno's rig, not Stephen Carpenter's heavier setup.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Vox AC30 songs & tones →🎚️ Seymour Duncan pickups songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

ESP Viper VP-200 → Boss DD-7 Digital Delay → Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp

Effects

delay, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 4)

Tone character

lush and ambient, clear, bell-like attack, warm midrange presence, slightly compressed, rounded highs, modest amp reverb, subtle delay repeats, full-bodied, not brittle or harsh, dynamic response to picking

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, slow tempo, soft dynamics · clean distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Change (In the House of Flies) sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires clean, even picking and attention to delay timing, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.

Worth knowing

Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
No direct amp knob settings found for the clean section; settings estimated based on typical Vox AC30 clean tones for modern rock and the song's audio.
Pedalboard photos confirm Boss DD-7 Digital Delay was used, but exact settings are not available.
Pickup position inferred from known guitar/pickup configuration and typical Deftones clean tone; bridge pickup is confirmed for this guitar but not explicitly stated for this song section.
No evidence of chorus, flanger, or other modulation effects in the clean section.
Presence and reverb settings are estimated based on genre and amp type.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Deftones' 'Change' riff uses a saturated, modern high-gain tone but with a smooth, dark character—likely from a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier with moderate mids, slightly restrained bass and treble, and minimal reverb to keep it tight and atmospheric. These settings reflect Chino Moreno and Stephen Carpenter's late '90s/early 2000s amp preferences and the song's thick, moody mix.

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

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Change (In the House of Flies) guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Change (In the House of Flies) guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 0, bass 6, 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 Change (In the House of Flies) tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: ESP Viper VP-200 · Amp: Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp; delay, reverb.

Can I get the Change (In the House of Flies) 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 Deftones on Change (In the House of Flies) — what gear and pedals?

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

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