Tone library / Deftones / Swerve City

Swerve City amp settings — 7mor Orange

The Deftones guitar tone for “Swerve City”, dialed in for a 7mor Orange with a Bromo BAA4C. Studio version, Koi No Yokan (2012)

Original rig

Stephen Carpenter's eight-string ESP guitars with EMG pickups, Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier amps, heavy distortion pedals with significant reverb/atmospheric processing

Thick, downtuned groove with heavy palm-muted chugs, layered shoegaze-style reverb wash, aggressive yet hazy distortion
Amp settings — 7mor Orange
CHANNELDirty channel (highest gain available)BRIGHToff
GAIN 8 BASS 6 MID 5 TREBLE 5 PRESENCE 4 REVERB 6 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain8
Bass6
Mid5
Treble5
Presence4
Reverb6
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Boss DS-1 or ProCo RAT

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Needed for the scooped modern high-gain character; Orange's natural voicing is warmer/fuzzier than Mesa Rectifier's tight aggression. A RAT or DS-1 tightens the low end and adds that modern metal grind.

Tone 4 · Level 7 · Dist 6

02Hall/Plate Reverb Pedal (e.g., Boss RV-6, TC Hall of Fame)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for the shoegaze wash that defines this track's atmosphere. Run after distortion for that 'wall of sound' effect.

Decay 6 · Level 5 · Tone 5
Why these settings

Your Orange amp naturally has warm, compressed low-mids which actually helps approximate the thick Deftones wall-of-sound, but it lacks the tight, scooped modern Rectifier aggression. Dropping treble and presence from where a Mesa would sit prevents the Orange's inherent warmth from becoming muddy. The Bromo's acoustic-electric nature means you're working with piezo or similar pickups — keep tone rolled slightly back to reduce piezo quack and simulate humbucker warmth. Without a distortion pedal, the Orange's gain alone will be fuzzier and less defined than the original.

PRO TIPCarpenter's palm-muting technique on this track is extremely precise — mute right at the bridge saddles with the fleshy part of your palm, not too far forward, and pick aggressively close to the bridge for that tight, percussive chug. The groove locks with the drums, so internalize Abe Cunningham's kick pattern before tracking.

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These settings are for a 7mor Orange. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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