🎸 Rock · 2000s

Misery Business by Paramore (Solo · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Paramore · solo

The Misery Business by Paramore guitar tone is built on a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100W head with Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cab, dialed in at gain 6/10, bass 5.5, mid 7, treble 6.5, 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)

GAIN

5.5

BASS

MID

6.5

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 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 6 sits above the rock average (4.8) — a hotter, more saturated take than most rock tones; mids at 7 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 2000s, used by Josh Farro in studio) · Amp: Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100W head with Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cab

Studio recording, 2007. Gear confirmed for studio by Ultimate Guitar Wiki. Taylor York did not play on the studio recording; Josh Farro played all guitar parts. Settings and pedals are for studio recording, not live.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ Mesa/Boogie songs & tones →🎚️ Gibson Les Paul songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars 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 (likely 2000s, used by Josh Farro in studio) → Boss DD-20 Giga Delay → Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100W head with Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cab

Effects

delay, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

mid-forward and punchy, tight and articulate attack, singing sustain on lead lines, slightly compressed mids, clear note separation, moderate gain, not overly saturated, bright but not harsh, controlled feedback on sustained notes, dynamic response to picking, focused, modern alternative rock lead sound

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, fast tempo, loud dynamics · crunch distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Misery Business sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Solo

The solo is accessible to intermediate players, featuring straightforward melodic lines and moderate speed, but requires good timing and articulation for clarity.

Worth knowing

Exact guitar model for the solo is not explicitly confirmed in sources, but Josh Farro is documented as using a Gibson Les Paul Custom in studio for this album.
Pickup model is not specified; inferred as stock Gibson humbuckers.
Amp settings are directly from Ultimate Guitar Wiki; presence and reverb are estimated based on typical Marshall JCM 2000 usage in this genre/era.
Pedal model confirmed for delay (Boss DD-20 Giga Delay), but exact delay settings for the solo are not specified in sources.
No evidence of additional modulation (chorus, flanger, phaser) or wah in the solo section; only delay is audibly present.
Guitar knob settings are estimated based on typical Les Paul usage for lead tones.
No explicit mention of effects loop usage; assumed not used based on typical setups of the era.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Paramore's 'Misery Business' solo uses a tight, modern high-gain tone typical of mid-2000s pop-punk/emo, likely from a Mesa/Boogie or Marshall amp with moderate bass, forward mids, and slightly boosted treble/presence for clarity and cut. Reverb is minimal, as is standard for punchy, radio-ready rock productions of that era.

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

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Misery Business guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Misery Business guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 6, bass 5.5, mid 7, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 2. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Misery Business tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 2000s, used by Josh Farro in studio) · Amp: Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100W head with Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cab; delay, reverb.

Can I get the Misery Business 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 Paramore on Misery Business — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 6, bass 5.5, mid 7, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 2), and delay, 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 Paramore’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Rock guitar tones → · 🎚️ Marshall DSL settings → · 🎛️ best rock amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar solos → · 🎚️ Delay tone guide → · 🎯 more singing sustain tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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