I Don't Wanna Be Me by Type O Negative (Solo · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

The I Don't Wanna Be Me by Type O Negative guitar tone is built on a A/DA MP-1 Preamp into MosValve power amp, dialed in at gain 7.5/10, bass 5.5, mid 5.5, treble 7, presence 6 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

Amp settings (0–10)

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 5.5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

Original gear

Guitar: Gibson SG (early 2000s, likely Standard or Special, mahogany body, maple neck, Sustainiac neck pickup, Seymour Duncan PAF-style bridge pickup) · Amp: A/DA MP-1 Preamp into MosValve power amp (studio, early 2000s era), likely into Marshall 4x12 cab

Studio recording, 2002-2003. Kenny Hickey used a rack system with A/DA preamp and MosValve power amp for the 'Life Is Killing Me' album. Guitar was a Gibson SG with Sustainiac in neck and Seymour Duncan PAF-style in bridge. Pedalboard included Boss CE-2 Chorus and Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer for filtering lows in drop tunings. Chorus effect is prominent in solo. No evidence of delay or wah in solo. Settings estimated based on genre, era, and typical use for this rig.

Gear used on this tone

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Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Gibson SG (early 2000s, likely Standard or Special, mahogany body, maple neck, Sustainiac neck pickup, Seymour Duncan PAF-style bridge pickup) → Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer → Boss CE-2 Chorus → A/DA MP-1 Preamp into MosValve power amp (studio, early 2000s era), likely into Marshall 4x12 cab

Effects

overdrive, chorus, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

tight and saturated, chorus shimmer, articulate and cutting, filtered low-end for clarity, singing sustain, slightly scooped mids, crisp attack, modulation swirl, not muddy despite low tuning, medium-low reverb

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 I Don't Wanna Be Me sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Solo

The solo requires fast alternate picking and tight palm muting in a low tuning, with precise timing to match the chorus modulation. Not extremely technical, but above intermediate due to speed and clarity demands.

Worth knowing

• No direct studio knob settings found for 'I Don't Wanna Be Me' solo; amp and pedal settings estimated based on era, genre, and Kenny Hickey's known rig for 'Life Is Killing Me'.
• Pedal and effect models are based on interviews and typical use; chorus is clearly audible in solo, but delay and wah are not.
• Exact pickup selector position not documented, but bridge pickup is standard for solos of this style and matches tone.
• Amp model is based on Kenny Hickey's own statements about his rack system in the early 2000s; some sources mention live rigs with different amps, but this is for studio recording.
• Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Type O Negative's Kenny Hickey typically used high-gain amps (often Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier or Marshall JCM800) with a tight, aggressive tone for this era. The solo in 'I Don't Wanna Be Me' is saturated but not overly scooped, with mids slightly dialed back for clarity, tight bass, and a dry, in-your-face mix typical of early 2000s gothic/alt metal production.

I Don't Wanna Be Me guitar tone — FAQ

Share this tone

Sources

• Type O Negative guitarist Kenny Hickey on tone and technique
• Kenny Hickey | Equipboard
• Type O Negative tone? : r/metalguitar
• How do i Get type o negative guitar tone? : r/typeonegative

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