Real AmpTuning: E StandardPickup: BridgeAlternative RockMost AccurateClean Tone
Hot Fuss Open-E Chime — Destroyer Arpeggio Wall
Dave Keuning confirms that the recording used his Ibanez Destroyer into a Fender Hot Rod DeVille, the same basic chain heard across most of Hot Fuss. The famous riff is a Dadd9-derived voicing high on the neck with the open high-E string ringing throughout; exact amplifier controls were not published, so the settings are approximated from the documented rig. Source: Guitar Player’s Dave Keuning career retrospective (2022).
Signal Chain
Ibanez Destroyer→Fender Hot Rod DeVille 2x12→Fender Hot Rod DeVille 2x12 speakers→Studio Double and Short Delay→Output
GuitarIbanez Destroyer
Tone
9
PickupBridge
TuningE Standard
Volume
10
AmpFender Hot Rod DeVille 2x12
Bass
4.5
Gain
3.5
Mids
6.5
Master
6.5
Reverb
3
Treble
7
Presence
6
Cab / IRFender Hot Rod DeVille 2x12 speakers
MicClose dynamic and condenser blend
Mic PositionDynamic off-axis; condenser slightly distant
EffectStudio Double and Short Delay
PanWide
Layers2
Feedback
1
Delay Mix1.5
Delay Time115 ms
Notes
Let the open high-E string ring continuously and keep every fretted note even. Use only light breakup so the arpeggio does not collapse into distortion.
Don't have this gear?
See the same signal chain mapped to another platform. Knob values carry over as starting points — gain ranges differ between platforms.