🎸 Metal · 2000s

Waking the Demon by Bullet for My Valentine (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Bullet for My Valentine · riff

The Waking the Demon by Bullet for My Valentine guitar tone is built on a Peavey 5150, dialed in at gain 7.5/10, bass 4.5, mid 5.5, treble 6.5, 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

4.5

BASS

5.5

MID

6.5

TREBLE

6.5

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 7.5 sits right around the metal average (7.3); mids at 5.5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: ESP LTD MH-350NT · Amp: Peavey 5150 (Block Letter) into Mesa Boogie Oversized Cab

Studio recording, 2007-2008 era (Scream Aim Fire album). Settings and gear inferred from forum discussions and typical band setup for this album. No evidence of additional pedals for the riff section.

Gear used on this tone

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

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

ESP LTD MH-350NT → Maxon OD808 Overdrive → Noise gate (model unknown) → Peavey 5150 (Block Letter) into Mesa Boogie Oversized Cab

Effects

overdrive, noise_gate

Tone character

tight and percussive, aggressive palm muting, articulate attack, scooped low end, focused midrange, modern metal clarity, high-output active pickup punch, minimal ambience, fast, precise riffing, crisp high end

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, fast tempo, aggressive dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Waking the Demon sound.

Difficulty

4/5 · Riff

The riff requires fast, aggressive downpicking with tight palm muting and precise rhythm, making it challenging for most players.

Worth knowing

No direct studio documentation of exact amp settings for 'Waking the Demon' riff; settings estimated based on Ultimate Guitar forum and typical Peavey 5150 usage for this genre/era.
No explicit evidence of pedals or effects used on the riff section; all effects fields left empty except for amp-based distortion.
Pickup choice inferred from genre, tone, and typical metal rhythm practices.
Presence setting estimated based on typical 5150 settings for tight, modern metal rhythm.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Bullet for My Valentine in 'Waking the Demon' uses a very high-gain, modern metal tone with tight low end, slightly scooped but not hollow mids, aggressive treble and presence for articulation, and a bone-dry, studio-tight sound. These settings reflect their typical Mesa/Peavey amp approach and genre conventions for 2000s metalcore.

⚡ 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 →

Waking the Demon guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Waking the Demon guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7.5, bass 4.5, mid 5.5, treble 6.5, presence 6.5, reverb 0. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Waking the Demon tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: ESP LTD MH-350NT · Amp: Peavey 5150 (Block Letter) into Mesa Boogie Oversized Cab; overdrive, noise_gate.

Can I get the Waking the Demon 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 Bullet for My Valentine on Waking the Demon — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 7.5, bass 4.5, mid 5.5, treble 6.5, presence 6.5, reverb 0), and overdrive, noise_gate. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

Share this tone

Sources

Free practice tools

🎤 Online guitar tuner → · 🎶 Guitar chords → · 🎸 Guitar tunings → · 🎚️ Tuning chart → · 🎼 Guitar scales → · 🎚️ Chord transposer & capo → · 🥁 Metronome → · 🎶 Song chords → · 🎧 Guess the Tone game → · 🎸 Tone Legend quiz → · 📊 Tone data report →

🔥 The most famous guitar tones of all time → · 🎯 Easy guitar songs to play (with settings) → · 🗂️ Browse tone collections (by genre & language) →

More like this

🎸 How to get Bullet for My Valentine’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎚️ Peavey 5150 settings → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎚️ Overdrive 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