PRS MT15 Mark Tremonti Settings Guide
Mark Tremonti's signature 15W amp head with two independent channels — a warm clean and a tight, articulate high-gain. Punches well above its wattage in tone quality and output.
Used by: Mark Tremonti, Heavy metal approach, Hard rock approach
The best PRS MT15 Mark Tremonti settings start with: Lead Gain at 6/10, Bass at 5/10, Mid at 6/10, Treble at 6/10, Presence at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Hard Rock / Metal: Lead Gain 7/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 6/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 6/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Gain | 6/10 | Crunch → Hi-Gain |
| Bass | 5/10 | Thin → Heavy |
| Mid | 6/10 | Scooped → Present |
| Treble | 6/10 | Dark → Bright |
| Presence | 5/10 | Smooth → Aggressive |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Lead channel at high Gain — the MT15's defining sound. The EL84 power tubes produce a different high-gain character from 6L6 or EL34 amps — slightly softer on the attack with more upper-harmonic complexity. Mid at 6 gives cut without nasal honk.
Clean channel pushed at Volume 7 — the EL84 tubes compress and add character at this level. Add a TS-style overdrive in front for pushed blues territory without switching to the Lead channel.
Lead channel at moderate Gain — the MT15 covers classic rock territory as well as modern metal. Mid at 7 removes the modern scoop for a more vintage character.
Artist Settings
Documented settings used by professional guitarists on this unit.
Tremonti designed the MT15 for his own use — Lead Gain at 7 with balanced EQ produces the defined, articulate high-gain tone he uses for Alter Bridge's heavy passages. Presence at 6 for aggressive upper-harmonic content that cuts through alongside the band's rhythm section.
Maximum Lead Gain with high Presence — the MT15 pushed to extreme saturation. The EL84 power tubes give a different compressed quality at these settings compared to 6L6-based amps. Add a noise gate in the effects loop.
The MT15 Lead channel at moderate Gain with raised Mid covers hard rock territory closer to an SG-into-Marshall character than a modern metal sound. The 15W rating means it can be played at genuine gigging volume in small venues without being overpoweringly loud.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The MT15 ships with EL84 tubes — if you prefer more headroom or a tighter, more American character, retube with 6V6 or 6L6 (check compatibility with a tech first).
- The Lead channel has a noise gate built into the EQ section to some extent by design — it is tidier at high Gain than many comparable amps.
- Use the effects loop for delay and reverb — the Lead channel at high Gain heavily processes signals run into the front input.
- The 15W rating is genuinely loud — at Lead Gain 7 and Lead Vol 6 it will exceed comfortable bedroom listening levels. Match the venue size appropriately.
FAQ
PRS MT15 Mark Tremonti — Common Questions
Best starting settings for PRS MT15 Mark Tremonti: Lead Gain at 6/10, Bass at 5/10, Mid at 6/10, Treble at 6/10, Presence at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Hard Rock / Metal: Lead Gain 7/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 6/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 6/10. Lead channel at high Gain — the MT15's defining sound. The EL84 power tubes produce a different high-gain character from 6L6 or EL34 amps — slightly softer on the attack with more upper-harmonic complexity. Mid at 6 gives cut without nasal honk.
For Clean / Blues: Clean Vol 7/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 6/10, Treble 6/10. Clean channel pushed at Volume 7 — the EL84 tubes compress and add character at this level. Add a TS-style overdrive in front for pushed blues territory without switching to the Lead channel.
Clean Vol: Clean channel output. Push above 6 for natural power amp saturation on the clean channel. (Silent to Full). Lead Gain: Preamp drive on the Lead channel. This channel is voiced for Tremonti's tight, defined metal/rock tone. (Crunch to Hi-Gain). Lead Vol: Lead channel output. Balance against Clean Vol for consistent switching volume. (Silent to Full). Bass: Shared EQ. The MT15 bass is tight by default — moderate settings prevent congestion. (Thin to Heavy). Mid: Shared midrange. Keep above 5 for live mix presence. (Scooped to Present). Treble: Shared high frequencies. At Lead Gain above 7, keep Treble at 5–6. (Dark to Bright). Presence: Power amp resonance — most impactful control on the Lead channel's articulation. (Smooth to Aggressive)
The MT15 ships with EL84 tubes — if you prefer more headroom or a tighter, more American character, retube with 6V6 or 6L6 (check compatibility with a tech first). The Lead channel has a noise gate built into the EQ section to some extent by design — it is tidier at high Gain than many comparable amps. Use the effects loop for delay and reverb — the Lead channel at high Gain heavily processes signals run into the front input. The 15W rating is genuinely loud — at Lead Gain 7 and Lead Vol 6 it will exceed comfortable bedroom listening levels. Match the venue size appropriately.
Mark Tremonti settings: Lead Gain 7/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 6/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 6/10. Tremonti designed the MT15 for his own use — Lead Gain at 7 with balanced EQ produces the defined, articulate high-gain tone he uses for Alter Bridge's heavy passages. Presence at 6 for aggressive upper-harmonic content that cuts through alongside the band's rhythm section.
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