Use CHATGPT or other AI to get guitar tone settings

Headache

Headache

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I am not an AI believer or user per se.... But I just learned how to use it for a good reason today.

I went to CHATGPT and asked:
I have a Gibson flying V with a Seymour Duncan TB-6 pickup, a Seymour Duncan 805, a Marshall JVM 410, a Marshall 1960a cabinet and an celestion V-30 speaker.
How do I get James (Metallica) - Fade to Black rhythm guitar tone?

Here is the response:

Great rig for this song — you’re actually very close already. James’ “Fade to Black” rhythm tone is tight, mid-forward, and not overly saturated. It’s early-’84 Metallica: hot pickups → Marshall → pushed, not fuzzed.
Below is a dialed-in, practical setup using exactly your gear.
1. Guitar & Pickup Setup
Guitar: Gibson Flying V
Pickup: Seymour Duncan TB-6 Distortion
Use the bridge pickup
Volume: 10
Tone: 6–7 (important — James’ tone is not wide open or shrill)
Pick hard — this tone lives in the right hand
TB-6 is hotter than James’ old EMGs/DiMarzios, so we’ll compensate with gain control.
2. Pedal: Seymour Duncan 805 (CRITICAL)
This pedal should tighten and push, not add gain.
805 Settings
Gain: 0–9 o’clock (very low)
Level: 2–3 o’clock (high)
Bass: 10–11 o’clock
Mid: 1–2 o’clock
Treble: Noon
This simulates how James pushed his Marshalls and tightens the low end for palm-mutes.
3. Marshall JVM 410 Settings
Use OD1 (Orange) — NOT Red. Red is too modern and compressed.
Channel
OD1 – Orange Mode
Master Volume: As loud as you can reasonably go (this matters)
EQ (Starting Point)
Gain: 10–11 o’clock
Bass: 10–11 o’clock
Middle: 1:30–2 o’clock (Fade to Black is mid-heavy)
Treble: Noon
Presence: 11 o’clock
Resonance: 10 o’clock
If it sounds fizzy: lower Presence first, not treble.
4. Cabinet & Speaker
Marshall 1960A w/ Celestion V30
Use bottom right speaker (usually tighter lows)
Stand off-axis (don’t point the cab straight at your ears)
V30s emphasize upper mids — perfect for this tone
5. Playing & Technique (This Matters a LOT)
James’ rhythm tone is 50% gear, 50% attack.
Heavy palm muting, but don’t choke the strings
Downpicking
Let chords ring longer than you think
Don’t scoop mids — that kills the Fade to Black body
6. Quick “If It’s Still Not Right” Fixes
Too modern / compressed?
Lower amp gain
Switch OD1 Orange → OD1 Green
Reduce pedal Level slightly
Too muddy?
Lower Bass on amp
Raise Mid slightly
Tighten pedal Bass
Too thin?
Raise Resonance a touch
Slightly roll guitar tone back more (5–6)
7. What This Tone Is NOT
Not scooped (that’s Black Album)
Not ultra-gainy (that’s Master of Puppets)
Not fizzy or saturated
Think: tight, angry, articulate Marshall
If you want, I can:
Dial this specifically for bedroom vs band volume
Help you nail the clean intro tone
Give you exact JVM knob positions by number
Adjust this for live vs recording
Just tell me how loud you’re playing
 
Example 2

I have a Gibson Explorer with a Seymour Duncan TB-6 pickup, an EHX East River drive, an ISP decimator noise gate, a Marshall JVM 410, playing through a Marshall 1960a cabinet and an Eminence DV-77 speaker.
How do I get a Vader - triumph of death rhythm guitar tone at live volumes?


Response:
That rig is very well-suited for Vader’s Triumph of Death tone. You’re basically chasing a tight, percussive, mid-forward Polish death-metal sound: fast pick attack, dry low end, aggressive upper mids, and controlled saturation rather than fuzz.
Below is a live-volume–ready setup that will get you extremely close.
1. Core Vader Tone Characteristics (Triumph of Death era)
Very tight low end (almost no flub)
Moderate gain (less than modern deathcore)
Strong low-mid punch, not scooped
Aggressive pick attack
Dry and focused, not overly saturated
This is more about tightness and attack than sheer gain.
2. Signal Chain (Important Order)
Guitar → ISP Decimator → EHX East River Drive → Marshall JVM → Cab
Gate before the drive keeps palm-mutes surgical without choking sustain.
3. Marshall JVM 410 Settings
Channel
OD2 – Orange (this is crucial)
This channel has the right aggression without being fizzy.
Gain
Gain: 4.5–5.5
Vader tones are not max gain.
Let the boost do the tightening.
EQ (Starting Point)
Bass: 3–4
Middle: 6–7
Treble: 5–6
Presence: 4–5
Resonance: 2–3
Keep resonance low — Vader tones are tight, not boomy.
4. East River Drive (Tube Screamer-Style Boost)
Use it as a tightening boost, not distortion.
Drive: 0–9 o’clock
Tone: 12–1 o’clock
Level: 3 o’clock or higher
This:
Cuts flubby bass
Sharpens palm-mutes
Adds bite without fizz
5. ISP Decimator Settings
Threshold: Just enough to kill noise during stops
Typically 10–11 o’clock
Do NOT over-gate — Vader riffs need note clarity.
6. Pickup & Guitar Setup
Your Seymour Duncan TB-6 (Distortion) is perfect.
Pickup height matters a lot here:
Lower the pickup slightly more than “metal default”
Too close = mush
You want tight attack, not compression
If possible:
Use thicker picks (1.14–1.5mm)
Fresh strings (10–52 or 11–54)
7. Speaker & Cabinet Notes
Your Eminence DV-77 is ideal for Vader:
Strong low mids
Smooth highs
Excellent live cut
Mic/live tip:
If mic’d, aim slightly off-center cone
Avoid excessive high-end boost at FOH
8. Fine-Tuning at Live Volume (Critical)
Once loud:
Lower gain slightly
Lower bass more than you think
Raise mids if buried in the mix
Vader tone lives in low-mid aggression, not sub-bass.
9. Optional “Extra Vader” Touch
If available:
Slight post-EQ cut around 120–150 Hz
Small boost around 800–1kHz
This matches that brutal, grinding rhythm presence.
Quick “Dial-It-Now” Summary
JVM OD2 Orange
Gain: 5
Bass: 3.5
Mid: 6.5
Treble: 5.5
Presence: 4.5
Resonance: 2.5
East River Drive
Drive: 0
Tone: 1 o’clock
Level: High
If you want, I can:
Adjust this specifically for drop tuning
Match early vs later Vader tones
Help you dial this for recording vs stage
Just tell me how you’re tuned and how loud you’re running the JVM
 
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Headache said:
I am not an AI believer or user per se.... But I just learned how to use it for a good reason today.

I went to CHATGPT and asked:
I have a Gibson flying V with a Seymour Duncan TB-6 pickup, a Seymour Duncan 805, a Marshall JVM 410, a Marshall 1960a cabinet and an celestion V-30 speaker.
How do I get James (Metallica) - Fade to Black rhythm guitar tone?

Here is the response:

Great rig for this song — you’re actually very close already. James’ “Fade to Black” rhythm tone is tight, mid-forward, and not overly saturated. It’s early-’84 Metallica: hot pickups → Marshall → pushed, not fuzzed.
Below is a dialed-in, practical setup using exactly your gear.
1. Guitar & Pickup Setup
Guitar: Gibson Flying V
Pickup: Seymour Duncan TB-6 Distortion
Use the bridge pickup
Volume: 10
Tone: 6–7 (important — James’ tone is not wide open or shrill)
Pick hard — this tone lives in the right hand
TB-6 is hotter than James’ old EMGs/DiMarzios, so we’ll compensate with gain control.
2. Pedal: Seymour Duncan 805 (CRITICAL)
This pedal should tighten and push, not add gain.
805 Settings
Gain: 0–9 o’clock (very low)
Level: 2–3 o’clock (high)
Bass: 10–11 o’clock
Mid: 1–2 o’clock
Treble: Noon
This simulates how James pushed his Marshalls and tightens the low end for palm-mutes.
3. Marshall JVM 410 Settings
Use OD1 (Orange) — NOT Red. Red is too modern and compressed.
Channel
OD1 – Orange Mode
Master Volume: As loud as you can reasonably go (this matters)
EQ (Starting Point)
Gain: 10–11 o’clock
Bass: 10–11 o’clock
Middle: 1:30–2 o’clock (Fade to Black is mid-heavy)
Treble: Noon
Presence: 11 o’clock
Resonance: 10 o’clock
If it sounds fizzy: lower Presence first, not treble.
4. Cabinet & Speaker
Marshall 1960A w/ Celestion V30
Use bottom right speaker (usually tighter lows)
Stand off-axis (don’t point the cab straight at your ears)
V30s emphasize upper mids — perfect for this tone
5. Playing & Technique (This Matters a LOT)
James’ rhythm tone is 50% gear, 50% attack.
Heavy palm muting, but don’t choke the strings
Downpicking
Let chords ring longer than you think
Don’t scoop mids — that kills the Fade to Black body
6. Quick “If It’s Still Not Right” Fixes
Too modern / compressed?
Lower amp gain
Switch OD1 Orange → OD1 Green
Reduce pedal Level slightly
Too muddy?
Lower Bass on amp
Raise Mid slightly
Tighten pedal Bass
Too thin?
Raise Resonance a touch
Slightly roll guitar tone back more (5–6)
7. What This Tone Is NOT
Not scooped (that’s Black Album)
Not ultra-gainy (that’s Master of Puppets)
Not fizzy or saturated
Think: tight, angry, articulate Marshall
If you want, I can:
Dial this specifically for bedroom vs band volume
Help you nail the clean intro tone
Give you exact JVM knob positions by number
Adjust this for live vs recording
Just tell me how loud you’re playing
Click to expand...

ChatGPT is a large language model (LLM) AI platform. It learns from data sets. In this case, the primary data set was likely the internet, so it essentially just did a whole lot of internet searching and consolidated the results for you.

Go ahead and give these suggestions a try; it may work.

I will say, I have occasionally found AI results to be incorrect or incomplete.
 
Good idea, I did a similar thing with KK Downing. A lot less gain and saturation.
Different amps too of course.
Very interesting reply.

DSL 40CR but I put the Les Paul Classic on there with the 61 burst buckets.

Perfect choice. “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)” is bright, snarling, and almost feral at band volume. You want cut + attack + raw crunch, not thickness.

This is late-’70s KK Downing at his most aggressive.

Below is a dialed-in, almost-band-volume setup for your exact rig.

TONE TARGET — GREEN MANALISHI

  • Dry Marshall crunch
  • Sharp upper mids
  • Lean low end
  • Slight fuzziness from power section, not pedals
  • Notes “spit” when you dig in
If it feels edgy and borderline too bright alone — you’re right.

AMP SETTINGS (LOCK THESE FIRST)








  • Perfect choice. “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)” is bright, snarling, and almost feral at band volume. You want cut + attack + raw crunch, not thickness.





    This is late-’70s KK Downing at his most aggressive.





    Below is a dialed-in, almost-band-volume setup for your exact rig.














    TONE TARGET — GREEN MANALISHI







    • Dry Marshall crunch
    • Sharp upper mids
    • Lean low end
    • Slight fuzziness from power section, not pedals
    • Notes “spit” when you dig in







  • If it feels edgy and borderline too bright alone — you’re right.


  • Gain: 5
  • Bass: 3
  • Middle: 7
  • Treble: 6.5 – 7
  • Presence: 7
  • Resonance: 2







The G12-T75 scoops lows mids already — don’t fight it.
 
Last edited:
So I was just messing around with Copilot that comes with Windows. Thought I'd be interesting to see if it could do what @Headache did with ChatGTP. So I plugged in my question for how to set up my Boss GT1 for a particular song. And another for a particular amp. I got results for both on how to set up patches. Will have to try and see how it works out.

What got me started down this rabbit hole was the other day I was messing with the Acoustic Patch that came as a preset from Boss. It's really bad. I've played acoustic for 50+ years, so I kinda have a clue how it ought to sound. So I started tweaking and got it sounding way better.
 
67plexi said:
I thought my Mesa MK3 green stripe 2 6LGC 2 EL34 sounds correct
View attachment 109470
Click to expand...
I’ll bet it does. As does my YGM3 Traynor.

However. These days since I play thru the multi effect box into headphones more than I do into an amp…. Just thought it’d be interesting to see…. as @Headache did…. If AI could come up with patch settings for the GT1. Now. Plug the info in and see what my opinion is as to yay or nay.
 
I also used one called Chatbot AI (a phone app) and it gave a little different take with more equipment settings and less specific gear settings. It was interesting to read through it.
 
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