Get this tone on your rig
Tuned to the exact gear you own
The recording
Recorded for the 2007 album Riot! with producer David Bendeth and engineer Tim Flanzbaum. The guitars were tracked through a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier into a 4×12 cabinet, using a Gibson Les Paul Standard. The tone features a tight, high‑gain crunch with the bridge pickup engaged, layered with double‑tracked rhythm parts.
Tuning Standard (E A D G B E)
Signal chain
Reported gear
Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar
Josh Farro’s Gibson Les Paul Standard, equipped with high‑output humbuckers, was used to drive the thick, crunchy rhythm tone that defines the song’s aggressive verses.
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
Amp
The high‑gain crunch comes from a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier set to its Red channel, providing aggressive mids and a tight low end.
Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Cabinet
Cabinet
A Mesa/Boogie 4×12 cabinet was paired with the Dual Rectifier, delivering the dense, saturated tone heard on the track.
Alternatives
Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Budget alternative · for the Gibson Les Paul Standard
Orange PPC412
Modern equivalent · for the Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Cabinet
Peavey 6505
Modern equivalent · for the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Select the bridge pickup for the bright, aggressive tone used on the main riff.
- 2.Engage tight palm‑muting on the rhythm chords and use alternate picking for the fast eighth‑note runs.
- 3.Keep the guitar volume knob near full to preserve the amp’s high‑gain response; roll back slightly for the verses to add clarity.
- 4.Attack each downstroke with force to drive the amp’s gain and maintain the song’s punchy feel.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Misery Business guitar tone?
The available research points to Gibson Les Paul Standard into Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Misery Business 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 Misery Business in?
The current research record lists Standard (E A D G B E). ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Misery Business 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.
