🎸 Hardcore · 2021

Mystery by Turnstile (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Turnstile · riff

The Mystery by Turnstile guitar tone is built on a Peavey 5150 / EVH 5150 III blended with a Mesa Dual Rectifier, dialed in at gain 7/10, bass 5, mid 5.5, 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)

7
GAIN
5
BASS
5.5
MID
6.5
TREBLE
6
PRESENCE
2
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 64 punk tones in our researched catalog: Gain 7 sits above the punk average (5.8) — a hotter, more saturated take than most punk tones; mids at 5.5 are right around average (5.8).

Original gear

Amp: Peavey 5150 / EVH 5150 III blended with a Mesa Dual Rectifier

Brady Ebert and Pat McCrory play Jackson Soloist / ESP LTD EC-1000 (EMG) guitars into a blend of Peavey 5150/6505 and Mesa Dual Rectifier amps (Orange too). A Boss CH-1 chorus gives the lush, dreamy texture that defines their modern hardcore sound. Source: Guitar Chalk + Equipboard (GLOW ON).

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Mesa/Boogie songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Peavey 5150 / 6505 songs & tones →🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier 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

Humbuckers (EMG / Jackson) for tight, groovy hardcore rhythm with chorus shimmer

Effects / signal chain

Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (the dreamy, melodic shimmer over the hardcore riffs), High-gain amp: Peavey 5150/6505 blended with a Mesa Dual Rectifier, Light reverb for space

Tone character

groovy, punchy, melodic hardcore, chorus shimmer, anthemic, high-gain

Recording context

Modern hardcore, 2021; humbucker guitar into a blended 5150 + Mesa Recto with a Boss chorus

How it’s played

groovy, melodic hardcore with a dreamy, anthemic lift, mid, bouncy groove tempo, punchy with melodic, atmospheric moments dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Mystery sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

Riff-wise approachable — the magic is the groove and the unique chorus-laced hardcore tone, not technical difficulty.

Level: Beginner-friendly — see more easy guitar songs to play

Worth knowing

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →
🎧 Can you guess the tone?
Recognise famous songs from just the amp dials — a quick 10-round game. Beat your friends. Play free →
🎸 Which guitar legend is your tone twin? Take the quiz & share your result →

Mystery guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Mystery guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7, bass 5, mid 5.5, 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 Mystery tone?

Original gear/effects: Amp: Peavey 5150 / EVH 5150 III blended with a Mesa Dual Rectifier; Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (the dreamy, melodic shimmer over the hardcore riffs), High-gain amp: Peavey 5150/6505 blended with a Mesa Dual Rectifier, Light reverb for space.

Can I get the Mystery 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 Turnstile on Mystery — what gear and pedals?

Start with Humbuckers (EMG / Jackson) for tight, groovy hardcore rhythm with chorus shimmer, the amp EQ above (gain 7, bass 5, mid 5.5, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 2), and Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (the dreamy, melodic shimmer over the hardcore riffs), High-gain amp: Peavey 5150/6505 blended with a Mesa Dual Rectifier, Light reverb for space. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Songs by level: 🎯 Easy  ·  🎸 Intermediate  ·  🔥 Hardest — each with the amp settings.

More like this

🎸 How to get Turnstile’s guitar tone →  ·  🎸 more Hardcore guitar tones →  ·  🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier settings →  ·  🎛️ best punk amp settings →  ·  🎸 more iconic guitar riffs →  ·  🎚️ Chorus tone guide →  ·  🎚️ Reverb tone guide →  ·  🎯 more high gain tones →  ·  📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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