Sextape amp settings — Carlsbro Kickstar 10B

The Deftones guitar tone for “Sextape”, dialed in for a Carlsbro Kickstar 10B with a Yamaha Erg 121. Studio version, Diamond Eyes (2010)

Original rig

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (clean channel with effects), ESP LTD Stephen Carpenter 7-string baritone, Boss CE-2 Chorus, delay (slapback with long feedback), plate reverb

Dreamy, atmospheric clean with lush modulation — shimmering chorus, spacious reverb, warm delayed arpeggios

Amp settings — Carlsbro Kickstar 10B

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	6
Treble	5
Master	5

Don’t have a Carlsbro Kickstar 10B? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE6 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Chorus (any basic analog chorus — TC Electronic Corona, Boss CE-5, or Behringer UC200)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for this tone. A cheap Behringer UC200 (~$25) gets you there.

Rate/Speed 3 · Depth 6 · Level/Mix 5

02Delay (Boss DD-3, TC Flashback, or any digital delay)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Set around 400-500ms with moderate repeats. Critical for the song's atmosphere.

Time/D.Time 5 · Feedback/F.Back 4 · Level/Mix 6

03Reverb (Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Nano, TC Hall of Fame, or any plate/hall reverb)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Plate or hall mode. This creates the 'floating' quality.

Decay/Time 6 · Mix/Level 5 · Tone 6

Why these settings

The Carlsbro Kickstart 10B is a small solid-state practice amp with only gain, bass, treble, and master volume — no mid, presence, or reverb controls. The original Mesa Rectifier clean channel is warm and full; your amp will sound thinner but serviceable for the clean foundation. Gain stays very low (2) because this tone is entirely clean — all the character comes from the effects. Without chorus, delay, and reverb pedals, this tone is fundamentally unreachable; the amp alone produces only a plain clean sound.

PRO TIPRoll your tone knob to 6 and use your neck pickup to warm up the Yamaha's naturally bright ceramic humbuckers. Play the arpeggios with your fingers (not a pick) closer to the neck for that pillowy attack Carpenter uses — the pick attack cuts through the modulation too harshly on this song.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Carlsbro Kickstar 10B. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play

Find your amp

Browse

Sextape on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Deftones tonesALL SONGS Yamaha Erg 121 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.