Tone library / John Petrucci / Glasgow Kiss

Glasgow Kiss amp settings — NUX MG-30

The John Petrucci guitar tone for “Glasgow Kiss”, dialed in for a NUX MG-30 with a Ibanez RGA42FM. Studio version, Suspended Animation (2005)

Original rig

Music Man JP6 (DiMarzio humbuckers) → Mesa Boogie Mark IV (Lead channel, EQ engaged) → Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer in front

Tight, articulate high-gain with controlled mids, smooth legato response, precise pick attack for prog-metal riffing and melodic leads

Amp settings — NUX MG-30

CHANNELMesa Mark (or closest high-gain amp model with tight low-end — 'Fireman' or 'US Hi-Gain' in NUX terminology)BRIGHToffBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	4
Mid	6
Treble	6
Presence	6
Reverb	0
Master	7

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Tube Screamer (TS808 block in NUX MG-30)

Place before amp block — used as a clean boost to tighten low-end and push the front of the amp model, not for added distortion

Drive 2 · Tone 5 · Level 6

Why these settings

Your RGA42FM has Quantum humbuckers — hotter and slightly brighter than Petrucci's DiMarzios, so I dropped bass by 1 vs the original Mark IV setting (5→4) to prevent mud. The NUX MG-30's Mesa-style model runs slightly looser than a real Mark IV, so the TS block out front is critical for tightness. Keep the screamer's drive low (2) — it's a boost, not a distortion source. Mid at 6 preserves the cut-through articulation Petrucci's tone is known for.

PRO TIPPetrucci's legato smoothness comes from low picking-hand tension and letting the amp's compression do the sustain work — don't dig in hard on the melodic sections; float over the strings and let gain carry the note.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a NUX MG-30. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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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.