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The recording
On "Holy Mountains" from the 2005 album Hypnotize, Daron Malakian recorded his guitars in Drop C# tuning, using a combination of heavy distortion and subtle chorus to blend aggression with atmosphere. The rhythm tracks were double‑tracked and panned wide, with the bridge pickup feeding a high‑gain Marshall stack. Clean interludes feature a slight chorus effect, giving the song its distinctive texture. The track was produced by Malakian and Rick Rubin at The Mansion in Los Angeles, with John O'Mahony engineering, capturing the raw, overdriven tone.
Tuning Drop C# (C# G# C# F# A# D#)·Strings Ernie Ball Regular Slinky .010‑.046
Signal chain
Reported gear
ESP Horizon
Guitar
Daron Malakian wielded his ESP Horizon for the heavy rhythm sections, delivering a thick, aggressive tone from the bridge pickup.
Boss DS-1 Distortion
Distortion Pedal
The DS-1 Distortion pedal adds the searing grit that drives the main riff on "Holy Mountains".
Boss CE-2 Chorus
Chorus Pedal
A subtle CE-2 chorus enriches the clean arpeggios, adding a swirling depth to the song's interludes.
Marshall JCM800
Amp
The Marshall JCM800’s high‑gain channel supplies the raw crunch and sustain heard throughout "Holy Mountains".
Marshall 4x12 Cabinet
Cabinet
The 4×12 cabinet projects the massive low‑end and tight mids, completing the wall of sound for the track.
Alternatives
Ibanez RG
Budget alternative · for the ESP Horizon
Peavey 6505
Modern equivalent · for the Marshall JCM800
MXR Distortion+
Modern equivalent · for the Boss DS-1 Distortion
Orange PPC212 2x12 Cabinet
Budget alternative · for the Marshall 4x12 Cabinet
MXR Stereo Chorus
Modern equivalent · for the Boss CE-2 Chorus
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Tune the guitar to Drop C# (C# G# C# F# A# D#) before playing.
- 2.Select the bridge pickup for maximum aggression on the distorted parts.
- 3.Set the DS-1 Level high (around 7) and Tone around 5 to keep clarity.
- 4.Apply palm‑muting on the low‑string power chords for tight rhythm.
- 5.Add a light touch of chorus on clean sections to emulate the CE‑2 depth.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Holy Mountains guitar tone?
The available research points to ESP Horizon into Marshall JCM800. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Holy Mountains 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 Holy Mountains in?
The current research record lists Drop C# (C# G# C# F# A# D#). ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Holy Mountains 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.
