🎸 Metal · 2000s

Hand Of Blood by Bullet for My Valentine (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Bullet for My Valentine · riff

The Hand Of Blood by Bullet for My Valentine guitar tone is built on a Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100 Triple Super Lead 3-Channel 100-Watt Guitar Amp Head, dialed in at gain 8.5/10, bass 6, mid 5, treble 7.5, 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)

8.5

GAIN

BASS

MID

7.5

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 8.5 sits above the metal average (7.3) — a hotter, more saturated take than most metal tones; mids at 5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

8-10

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: ESP LTD EC-1000 · Amp: Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100 Triple Super Lead 3-Channel 100-Watt Guitar Amp Head

Studio recording, 2005. Gear confirmed via music video and Equipboard for the 'Hand Of Blood' single/EP era. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for the riff section; all distortion from amp. Pickup and amp model visually confirmed for this song/era.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall Plexi songs & tones →🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ EMG active pickups songs & tones →🎚️ ESP / ESP LTD guitars songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

ESP LTD EC-1000 → Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100 Triple Super Lead 3-Channel 100-Watt Guitar Amp Head

Effects

ESP LTD EC-1000 (EMG 81 bridge) → Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100 (high-gain channel, minimal reverb)

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

tight and percussive, aggressive palm muting, high-gain saturation, scooped but present mids, articulate pick attack, modern metal clarity, compressed and focused, minimal ambience, clear note separation, punchy low end

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, fast tempo, aggressive dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Hand Of Blood sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking and tight palm muting at a high tempo, with precise rhythm and muting technique to maintain clarity and aggression typical of early 2000s metalcore.

Worth knowing

No specific amp knob settings for 'Hand Of Blood' found in sources; settings estimated based on Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100 typical metal usage, genre, and era.
No evidence of pedals or additional effects used for the riff section; all distortion and EQ from amp.
Pedals like TC Electronic Vortex Flanger and Flashback 2 Delay are associated with Michael Paget in later years, but not confirmed for this 2005 recording.
Pickup confirmed as EMG 81 bridge via video and Equipboard, but selector position not explicitly stated—bridge is standard for metal rhythm.
Reverb setting is estimated low, as the tone is dry/tight in the recording.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Bullet for My Valentine in this era used high-gain amps (often Peavey 5150/6505), with tight, aggressive distortion, slightly scooped but not hollow mids, bright treble for pick attack, and minimal reverb for a dry, punchy modern metalcore sound.

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

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Hand Of Blood guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Hand Of Blood guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 8.5, bass 6, mid 5, treble 7.5, presence 6, reverb 1. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Hand Of Blood tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: ESP LTD EC-1000 · Amp: Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100 Triple Super Lead 3-Channel 100-Watt Guitar Amp Head; ESP LTD EC-1000 (EMG 81 bridge) → Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100 (high-gain channel, minimal reverb).

Can I get the Hand Of Blood 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 Bullet for My Valentine on Hand Of Blood — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 8.5, bass 6, mid 5, treble 7.5, presence 6, reverb 1), and ESP LTD EC-1000 (EMG 81 bridge) → Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100 (high-gain channel, minimal reverb). Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

Share this tone

Sources

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More like this

🎸 How to get Bullet for My Valentine’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎚️ Marshall Plexi settings → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎯 more scooped mids tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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