🎸 Metal · 2000s

Pink Maggit by Deftones (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Deftones · riff

The Pink Maggit by Deftones guitar tone is built on a Bogner Uberschall, dialed in at gain 8.5/10, bass 6, mid 4.5, 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)

8.5

GAIN

BASS

4.5

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 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 8.5 sits 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

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: ESP Stef B-7 (Stephen Carpenter Signature 7-string, likely custom shop, used on White Pony sessions) · Amp: Bogner Uberschall (original EL34 model, studio version, not MK2/KT88 live variant)

Studio recording for 'White Pony' (2000). Gear confirmed for album era; live rigs may differ. Pedalboard details for this song are sparse, but delay is confirmed for 'Pink Maggit' riff. No evidence of fuzz, wah, or modulation in riff section.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ wah songs & tones →🎚️ Bogner songs & tones →🎚️ Seymour Duncan 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

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

ESP Stef B-7 (Stephen Carpenter Signature 7-string, likely custom shop, used on White Pony sessions) → TC Electronic 2290 Dynamic Digital Delay → Pigtronix Gatekeeper Micro → Bogner Uberschall (original EL34 model, studio version, not MK2/KT88 live variant)

Effects

delay, noise_gate, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (room, level 2)

Tone character

tight and percussive, saturated high-gain, dark and brooding, articulate palm muting, slightly scooped mids, crushing low end, modern, aggressive attack, minimal ambience, wall-of-sound rhythm, extended low range

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, slow tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Pink Maggit sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff is rhythmically straightforward but demands tight palm muting and control over a high-gain, low-tuned 7-string guitar. The main challenge is clarity and articulation in a saturated, heavy mix.

Worth knowing

No direct studio amp knob settings for 'Pink Maggit' riff found; amp settings estimated based on Bogner Uberschall typical metal usage and era.
Pedalboard details for the studio recording are limited; TC Electronic 2290 delay is confirmed for 'Pink Maggit' but settings are not specified.
Live rigs (e.g., KT88 Uberschall, Helix, Fuzz Factory) are not included as they are not confirmed for the studio recording.
No evidence of fuzz, wah, chorus, flanger, or phaser in the riff section; only delay is confirmed.
Pickup model for neck is not 100% confirmed, but bridge pickup is almost certainly used for the heavy riff.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Stephen Carpenter's tone on 'Pink Maggit' is heavy, saturated, and tight, typical of late-90s/early-2000s Deftones. He used high-gain amps (often Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier), with mids slightly scooped, tight bass, and little to no reverb for a dry, punchy modern metal sound.

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

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Pink Maggit guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Pink Maggit guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 8.5, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 1. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Pink Maggit tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: ESP Stef B-7 (Stephen Carpenter Signature 7-string, likely custom shop, used on White Pony sessions) · Amp: Bogner Uberschall (original EL34 model, studio version, not MK2/KT88 live variant); delay, noise_gate, reverb.

Can I get the Pink Maggit 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 Pink Maggit — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 8.5, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 1), and delay, noise_gate, 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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More like this

🎸 How to get Deftones’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎚️ Bogner settings → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎚️ Delay tone guide → · 🎯 more scooped mids tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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