🎸 Metal · 2000s

Like Light to the Flies by Trivium (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Trivium · riff

The Like Light to the Flies by Trivium guitar tone is built on a Peavey 5150 or Peavey 6505+ head into Marshall JCM900BV 4x12 cab, dialed in at gain 9.5/10, bass 7.5, mid 4.5, treble 7, 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)

9.5

GAIN

7.5

BASS

4.5

MID

TREBLE

6.5

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 9.5 sits well above the metal average (7.3) — a hotter, more saturated take than most metal tones; mids at 4.5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

8-10

VOLUME

8-10

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Custom (Matt Heafy) or Ibanez RG1527 (Corey Beaulieu) · Amp: Peavey 5150 or Peavey 6505+ head into Marshall JCM900BV 4x12 cab

Studio recording, 2004-2005 (Ascendancy album). Sources confirm Peavey 5150/6505+ heads and Marshall cabs for the album. Maxon OD808 and Boss NS-2 Noise Gate pedals were in the rig. Guitar choice varies between Heafy and Beaulieu; both used for rhythm tracks. Settings are for studio rhythm/riff section, not live.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ Gibson Les Paul songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Peavey 5150 / 6505 songs & tones →🎚️ Ibanez RG songs & tones →🎚️ EMG active pickups songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Gibson Les Paul Custom (Matt Heafy) or Ibanez RG1527 (Corey Beaulieu) → Maxon OD808 Overdrive → Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor → Peavey 5150 or Peavey 6505+ head into Marshall JCM900BV 4x12 cab

Effects

overdrive, noise_gate, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (room, level 1)

Tone character

tight and percussive, scooped mids, aggressive palm muting, high-gain saturation, compressed attack, articulate note separation, low-end punch, modern metal clarity, minimal ambience, focused, heavy rhythm

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 Like Light to the Flies sound.

Difficulty

4/5 · Riff

The riff section requires fast, precise alternate picking and palm muting at high speed, with tight rhythm synchronization and stamina for extended chugging, making it challenging for most players.

Worth knowing

No explicit amp knob settings for 'Like Light to the Flies' found; settings are based on Ascendancy-era Peavey 5150/6505+ usage and typical metal tones.
Guitar model alternates between Matt Heafy's Gibson Les Paul Custom (EMG pickups) and Corey Beaulieu's Ibanez RG1527; both used for rhythm tracks.
Pedal settings are not specified; Maxon OD808 and Boss NS-2 confirmed in rig but not all settings known.
Presence setting estimated based on typical 5150/6505+ metal usage.
Reverb is minimal; sources mention 'light, fairly short reverb'.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Trivium's 'Like Light to the Flies' features a very saturated, modern metal tone with tight lows, slightly scooped but present mids, and aggressive high end. Their gear at the time (Peavey 5150/6505, EMG pickups) and genre conventions point to high gain, tight bass, and a dry, cutting sound with minimal reverb.

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

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Like Light to the Flies guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Like Light to the Flies guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 9.5, bass 7.5, mid 4.5, treble 7, presence 6.5, reverb 0.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Like Light to the Flies tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Custom (Matt Heafy) or Ibanez RG1527 (Corey Beaulieu) · Amp: Peavey 5150 or Peavey 6505+ head into Marshall JCM900BV 4x12 cab; overdrive, noise_gate, reverb.

Can I get the Like Light to the 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 Trivium on Like Light to the Flies — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 9.5, bass 7.5, mid 4.5, treble 7, presence 6.5, reverb 0.5), and overdrive, noise_gate, 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

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