🎸 Rock · 2010s+

Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back by My Chemical Romance (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by My Chemical Romance · riff

The Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back by My Chemical Romance guitar tone is built on a Marshall 4x12 Cabinet with high-gain head, dialed in at gain 7.5/10, bass 6, mid 6.5, 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)

7.5
GAIN
6
BASS
6.5
MID
7
TREBLE
6.5
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 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 7.5 sits well above the rock average (4.8) — a hotter, more saturated take than most rock tones; mids at 6.5 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

8-9
VOLUME
7-8
TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Gibson Les Paul (likely Custom or Standard, as used by Ray Toro on Danger Days sessions) · Amp: Marshall 4x12 Cabinet with high-gain head (likely Marshall JCM800 or JCM900, as used on Danger Days), possible layering with Orange Dual Dark 100 (Kemper profile, but not confirmed for studio recording)

Studio recording, 2010 (Danger Days era). Gear based on known studio use for Danger Days and Premier Guitar rig rundown. No explicit pedalboard or amp settings for this song's studio recording; live rig includes additional amps and pedals but not confirmed for this track.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall JCM800 songs & tones →🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ Gibson Les Paul songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Tube Screamer songs & tones →🎚️ Ibanez RG 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 (likely Custom or Standard, as used by Ray Toro on Danger Days sessions) → Ibanez Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro → MXR Custom Badass ’78 Distortion → Boss GE-7 Equalizer → Reverb pedal (model unknown) → Marshall 4x12 Cabinet with high-gain head (likely Marshall JCM800 or JCM900, as used on Danger Days), possible layering with Orange Dual Dark 100 (Kemper profile, but not confirmed for studio recording)

Effects

overdrive, distortion, eq, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 3)

Tone character

tight, saturated rhythm crunch, aggressive, percussive attack, articulate palm-muted chugs, full-bodied, mid-forward tone, modern high-gain clarity, punchy low end, slightly scooped but present mids, crisp, cutting treble, controlled feedback, studio-polished distortion

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires tight, aggressive palm muting and precise alternate picking at a medium-fast tempo, with syncopated rhythms and clarity under high-gain settings.

Worth knowing

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →
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Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7.5, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 7, presence 6.5, reverb 2. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Gibson Les Paul (likely Custom or Standard, as used by Ray Toro on Danger Days sessions) · Amp: Marshall 4x12 Cabinet with high-gain head (likely Marshall JCM800 or JCM900, as used on Danger Days), possible layering with Orange Dual Dark 100 (Kemper profile, but not confirmed for studio recording); overdrive, distortion, eq, reverb.

Can I get the Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back 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 My Chemical Romance on Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 7.5, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 7, presence 6.5, reverb 2), and overdrive, distortion, eq, reverb. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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