Tone library / Dokken / Breaking the chains

Breaking the chains amp settings — Sawtooth St-amp 10

The Dokken guitar tone for “Breaking the chains”, dialed in for a Sawtooth St-amp 10 with a Squier Contemporary Stratocaster. Studio version, Breaking the Chains album (1981 EU / 1983 US reissue)

Original rig

Marshall Model 1959 Plexi, Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster, Maestro Echoplex, Custom Tiger M1 guitar (humbucker)

Mid-forward '80s hard rock crunch with singing upper-mid bite and moderate saturation
Amp settings — Sawtooth St-amp 10
GAIN 3 BASS 5 MID 7 TREBLE 4 PRESENCE 6 REVERB 0 MASTER 6
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain3
Bass5
Mid7
Treble4
Presence6
Reverb0
Master6
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Boss DS-1

Replaces the Rangemaster treble booster function — provides the main gain/saturation. Amp gain stays LOW because the DS-1 is the dirt source.

Tone 4 · Level 7 · Dist 5
Why these settings

The Sawtooth St-amp 10 is a basic solid-state practice amp with limited headroom and a brighter, thinner voicing than a cranked Plexi. Your DS-1 becomes the primary gain stage — amp gain at 3 keeps it clean so the pedal defines the crunch without mud. Mid pushed to 7 compensates for the amp's natural scoop and recreates Lynch's bark. Treble at 4 (lower than typical) prevents the DS-1's harsh upper frequencies from getting fizzy on solid-state. Your Squier's single-coil-sized humbuckers are hotter than vintage singles but cooler than Lynch's full humbuckers — tone knob at 7 rolls off some ice to thicken it.

PRO TIPLynch's Rangemaster boosted upper mids specifically — on your DS-1, keep Tone at 4-5 (not higher) and dig in hard with your pick angled for attack; the dynamics come from pick aggression, not more pedal gain.

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

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