🎸 Metal · 2000s

Chapter Four by Avenged Sevenfold (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Avenged Sevenfold · riff

The Chapter Four by Avenged Sevenfold guitar tone is built on a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, dialed in at gain 7.5/10, bass 6.5, mid 6.5, 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)

7.5

GAIN

6.5

BASS

6.5

MID

TREBLE

PRESENCE

0.5

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 7.5 sits right around the metal average (7.3); mids at 6.5 are above average (5.2).

Guitar controls

8-10

VOLUME

8-10

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Schecter Synyster Gates Custom (likely for Synyster) or Schecter Zacky Vengeance Custom · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (highly likely for studio recording on 'Waking the Fallen' era)

Studio recording, 2003 (Waking the Fallen). Gear based on era, artist interviews, and typical studio setup. No direct studio photo evidence for this exact song, but all sources and interviews point to these guitars and amps for this album's rhythm tracks.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Mesa/Boogie songs & tones →🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier songs & tones →🎚️ Seymour Duncan pickups songs & tones →🎚️ Schecter songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Schecter Synyster Gates Custom (likely for Synyster) or Schecter Zacky Vengeance Custom → Noise gate (model unknown) → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (highly likely for studio recording on 'Waking the Fallen' era)

Effects

noise_gate, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 1)

Tone character

tight and percussive, aggressive palm muting, chunky low end, articulate pick attack, modern metal clarity, compressed and saturated, scooped but present mids, fast alternate picking, high-output bridge pickup, minimal ambience

Recording context

studio

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 Chapter Four sound.

Difficulty

4/5 · Riff

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking, tight palm muting, and precise rhythm playing at a high tempo, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Worth knowing

No direct studio photo or interview confirms the exact amp and pedal chain for 'Chapter Four' riff, but all available evidence and genre conventions point to Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier and Schecter guitars with high-output humbuckers.
Amp settings are averaged from forum posts and general A7X tone guides, not from official studio documentation.
No evidence of pedals used for the riff section; effects chain is inferred from genre and audio.
Presence setting is estimated based on typical Rectifier usage for metal rhythm tones.
Reverb is set low based on forum posts and the dry, tight sound of the riff.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Avenged Sevenfold's 'Chapter Four' riff tone is tight, saturated, and modern, typical of early 2000s metalcore. Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance used high-gain amps (often Mesa/Boogie Rectifiers), with moderate bass for tightness, slightly scooped but not hollow mids, aggressive treble/presence for cut, and a bone-dry signal with no reverb.

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

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Chapter Four guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Chapter Four guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7.5, bass 6.5, mid 6.5, treble 7, presence 6, reverb 0.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Chapter Four tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Schecter Synyster Gates Custom (likely for Synyster) or Schecter Zacky Vengeance Custom · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (highly likely for studio recording on 'Waking the Fallen' era); noise_gate, reverb.

Can I get the Chapter Four 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 Avenged Sevenfold on Chapter Four — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 7.5, bass 6.5, mid 6.5, treble 7, presence 6, reverb 0.5), and noise_gate, 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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More like this

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