Get this tone on your gear
Choose your guitar and amp to get exact knob settings.
Quick tone direction
Use a high-output bridge humbucker into tight high gain. Keep the low end firm, retain enough mids for the riff and use gating only to clean the stops.
- Gain
- High gain, reduced until the riff stops stay clean
- EQ
- Firm bass, present mids and controlled treble
- Pickup
- High-output bridge humbucker
- Gate
- Only strong enough to control noise between notes
- Tuning
- Drop D
The recording
Synyster Gates recorded the riff and solo in Drop D tuning using his 2013 Schecter Synyster Gates Signature Custom with a bridge‑mounted Seymour Duncan SH‑8 Invader and a Sustainiac neck pickup. The signal runs through a Boss CS‑3 compressor, a rack‑mounted Cry Baby wah, and a Visual Sound H2O chorus/echo before hitting his signature Schecter Hellwin USA 100‑watt EL4 head and a Schecter 4×12 cabinet loaded with Celestion V30s, producing the tight, mid‑heavy metal tone that drives the track.
Tuning Drop D (D A D G B E)·Strings Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom .010–.052
Signal chain
Original gear
2013 Schecter Synyster Gates Signature Custom
Guitar
Synyster Gates recorded the lead and rhythm parts on "Hail to the King" with his signature Schecter custom guitar featuring a Seymour Duncan SH‑8 Invader pickup in the bridge and a Sustainiac pickup in the neck, delivering the aggressive high‑output tone heard throughout the track.
Boss CS‑3 Compression
Compression
A Boss CS‑3 compressor sits at the start of the chain, tightening attack and adding sustain to the rhythm parts.
Dunlop Cry Baby Wah (rack)
Wah
The rack‑mounted Cry Baby wah adds expressive sweeps to the solo sections, enhancing phrasing and dynamics.
Visual Sound H2O Chorus & Echo
Chorus & Delay
A Visual Sound H2O provides subtle chorus and echo that thickens the clean arpeggios and adds depth to the solo passages.
Schecter Hellwin USA 100W Head
Amp
Gates used his signature Schecter Hellwin USA 100‑watt EL4 head, delivering a tight, mid‑heavy high‑gain tone that sits prominently in the mix of "Hail to the King".
Schecter 4x12 Cabinet (Celestion V30)
Cabinet
The amp is paired with a Schecter 4×12 cabinet loaded with Celestion V30 speakers, providing a tight low‑end and articulate mids that define the track's aggressive character.
Alternatives
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Select the bridge pickup and set the selector to bridge.
- 2.Use a hard pick attack with palm‑muted downstrokes for the rhythm parts.
- 3.Engage the wah pedal during the solo to add expressive sweeps.
- 4.Set the amp to the high‑gain channel and boost mids for a thick metal crunch.
- 5.Apply light compression before the amp to tighten dynamics and sustain leads.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Hail to the King guitar tone?
The available research points to 2013 Schecter Synyster Gates Signature Custom into Schecter Hellwin USA 100W Head. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Hail to the King amp settings documented?
Exact historical knob positions are not reliably documented for most recordings. ToneTwin does not publish generated values as studio fact; it creates playable settings only for the amp and pedals a player selects.
What tuning is Hail to the King in?
The current research record lists Drop D (D A D G B E). ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Hail to the King tone on my own gear?
Use the reported pickup, gain character, effects and signal-chain order as the target, then translate that target to your equipment. The matcher models controls for your selected rig rather than copying undocumented studio numbers.
Researched and reviewed by the ToneTwin Research Team.
