Tone library / Pantera / Cowboys from hell

Cowboys from hell amp settings — Spider V 20 Mkll

The Pantera guitar tone for “Cowboys from hell”, dialed in for a Spider V 20 Mkll with a PRS SE Zach Myers Zach Myers. Studio version, Cowboys from Hell (1990)

Original rig

Randall RG100H solid-state head, Dean ML 'From Hell' with Bill Lawrence XL500 bridge pickup, Furman PQ-3 parametric EQ, MXR 6-Band Graphic EQ, Rocktron Hush noise gate

Aggressive scooped chainsaw metal with razor-sharp treble attack and tight low end

Amp settings — Spider V 20 Mkll

CHANNELMetal amp model (Insane or similar high-gain model)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	9
Bass	8
Mid	3
Treble	7
Presence	7
Reverb	0
Master	5

Don’t have a Spider V 20 Mkll? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Noise Gate (Spider V built-in)

Essential — Dime's high-gain scooped tone requires aggressive noise gating to stay tight

Threshold 7

Why these settings

The Spider V's digital high-gain models lack the raw solid-state snarl of the Randall RG100H, so push gain to 9 and keep mids at 3 to approximate the scoop. Your PRS SE humbuckers are warmer and less output than Dime's hot Bill Lawrence XL500, so treble stays at 7 rather than higher — the Spider's modeling can get fizzy if pushed further. Engage the built-in noise gate or the tone will be unmanageable.

PRO TIPDime's right-hand attack was ferocious — dig in hard with the pick at a steep angle near the bridge to get that percussive 'clank' that defines the Cowboys riff. Palm muting should be tight and precise, releasing only for the accented open notes.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Spider V 20 Mkll. 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.