🎸 Metal · 2000s

Hole In the Earth by Deftones (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Deftones · riff

The Hole In the Earth by Deftones guitar tone is built on a Orange Thunderverb 50 or Orange Dual Terror, dialed in at gain 8/10, bass 6, mid 5, treble 6.5, presence 6.5 (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

6.5

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 8 sits right around the metal average (7.3); mids at 5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (likely Japanese or American Standard, as seen in 'Hole In The Earth' music video) · Amp: Orange Thunderverb 50 or Orange Dual Terror (both seen in Chino Moreno's rig for this era, with Thunderverb 50 most likely for studio recording)

Studio recording, 2006 (Saturday Night Wrist era). Guitar and amp confirmed via music video and Equipboard. Pickup confirmed via Equipboard and Seymour Duncan. No evidence of alternate guitars/amps for the riff section in the studio.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Fender Stratocaster 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

Fender Stratocaster (likely Japanese or American Standard, as seen in 'Hole In The Earth' music video) → MXR Micro Chorus M148 → Orange Thunderverb 50 or Orange Dual Terror (both seen in Chino Moreno's rig for this era, with Thunderverb 50 most likely for studio recording)

Effects

chorus, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

tight and percussive, lush, swirling modulation, articulate note separation, full-bodied low end, slightly scooped mids, aggressive palm muting, present, cutting high end, ambient, spatial feel, saturated rhythm crunch, modern alternative metal

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Hole In the Earth sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires tight palm muting, precise rhythm, and dynamic control to maintain clarity with heavy modulation. The tempo and syncopation add moderate complexity.

Worth knowing

No direct source lists exact amp knob settings for the studio recording; values estimated based on typical Orange Thunderverb/modern Deftones tones and genre/era.
Guitar model confirmed via music video and Equipboard; pickup model confirmed via Equipboard and Seymour Duncan.
Chorus effect is clearly audible in the riff; MXR Micro Chorus is seen on Chino's pedalboard for this era.
Amp model inferred from multiple sources showing Chino's Orange Thunderverb 50 and Dual Terror in this period; Thunderverb 50 is most likely for studio.
No evidence of additional pedals (delay, reverb, etc.) in the riff section; only chorus is clearly audible.
Settings are not from direct studio documentation but are estimated from genre, amp, and era.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Stephen Carpenter's tone on 'Hole In the Earth' is modern, saturated, and tight, typical of his high-gain, low-tuned 7-string/8-string approach with Mesa/Peavey amps. The mids are slightly scooped for clarity, bass is controlled to avoid muddiness, and presence is boosted for articulation; reverb is minimal for a dry, punchy mix.

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

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Hole In the Earth guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Hole In the Earth guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 8, bass 6, mid 5, treble 6.5, presence 6.5, reverb 1.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Hole In the Earth tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (likely Japanese or American Standard, as seen in 'Hole In The Earth' music video) · Amp: Orange Thunderverb 50 or Orange Dual Terror (both seen in Chino Moreno's rig for this era, with Thunderverb 50 most likely for studio recording); chorus, reverb.

Can I get the Hole In the Earth 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 Hole In the Earth — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 8, bass 6, mid 5, treble 6.5, presence 6.5, reverb 1.5), and chorus, 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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Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com