Tone library / Deftones / Passenger

Passenger amp settings — Hartke HD75

The Deftones guitar tone for “Passenger”, dialed in for a Hartke HD75 with a Jackson JS22 Dinky. Studio version, White Pony (2000)

Original rig

Guitar: ESP Stef B-7 7-string with Seymour Duncan JB in bridge · Amp: Marshall JMP-1 Preamp into Marshall EL34 100/100 power amp · Boost/overdrive pedal for tightening

Saturated modern metal, tight percussive chugs, slightly scooped mids for clarity, dry and direct, articulate low end despite heavy gain
Amp settings — Hartke HD75
GAIN 10 BASS 7 TREBLE 7 MASTER 6
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain10
Bass7
Treble7
Master6
Don’t have a Hartke HD75? Match your own rig →
Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Distortion pedal (Boss DS-1, ProCo Rat, or similar)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for this tone. The Hartke HD75 is a bass combo amp with clean voicing; it cannot produce Marshall-style saturation on its own. A distortion pedal is required. With the pedal as your gain source, keep the amp relatively clean (gain at practice level, not cranked).

Dist/Gain 7 · Tone 5 · Level 7
Why these settings

The Hartke HD75 is a 75W bass combo amp designed for clean, full-range reproduction — it has no guitar preamp distortion circuit and only bass/treble EQ (no mid knob, no presence, no reverb). The original Marshall JMP-1 high-gain preamp tone is physically unreachable from this amp alone. A distortion pedal in front is mandatory. Set the Hartke's Shape control to noon (5) for neutral response. Your Jackson JS22 with its high-output humbuckers gets you closer to Carpenter's JB-equipped 7-string than single coils would, but you lack the extended low range of a 7-string — compensate by tuning to Drop C if your strings allow.

PRO TIPCarpenter's riff attack on 'Passenger' is tight and percussive — palm-mute hard directly over the bridge saddles and pick aggressively with downstrokes to get that chunky, gated quality. The tone is notably dry with zero reverb or ambience.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Hartke HD75. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play
More tones for the Hartke HD75
SelflessThe Strokes
Find your amp
Browse
Hartke HD75 settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Deftones tonesALL SONGS Jackson JS22 Dinky tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.

Get ToneAdapt — first match free