Bound for the Floor by Local H (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

The Bound for the Floor by Local H guitar tone is built on a Matchless Superchief 120 Head into Marshall cabinets, dialed in at gain 7/10, bass 6.5, mid 7, treble 7, presence 6 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

Amp settings (0–10)

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 7 sits well above the rock average (4.8) — a hotter, more saturated take than most rock tones; mids at 7 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

Original gear

Guitar: Gibson SG Standard (modified with additional bass pickup for lower strings) · Amp: Matchless Superchief 120 Head into Marshall cabinets (guitar); Ampeg bass amp (for bass pickup); Vox AC15 (sometimes blended live, but not confirmed for studio)

Studio recording, 1996. Scott Lucas used a custom-wired Gibson SG Standard with a separate bass pickup for the lower two strings, splitting the signal to a Matchless Superchief 120 for guitar and an Ampeg bass amp for the bass signal. The riff section is the main focus. No explicit studio pedalboard photos from the session, but era-appropriate pedals and effects inferred from interviews and rig rundowns. No evidence of Vox AC15 being used on the original studio recording, more likely a live addition.

Gear used on this tone

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Pickups

Bridge pickup (main riff), plus custom bass pickup for lower strings

Signal chain

Gibson SG Standard (modified with additional bass pickup for lower strings) → DOD FX59 Thrash Master → KHDK Scuzz Box → Boss OC-2 Octave → Matchless Superchief 120 Head into Marshall cabinets (guitar); Ampeg bass amp (for bass pickup); Vox AC15 (sometimes blended live, but not confirmed for studio)

Effects

distortion, fuzz, octave, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

super clanky attack, aggressive and gritty, tight, focused low end, articulate upper mids, robust, punchy tone, raw, uncompromising, percussive and dynamic, slightly compressed, full-bodied, minimal ambience

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, loud dynamics · crunch distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Bound for the Floor sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff is built on straightforward power chords and rhythm, but requires tight timing, dynamic control, and a strong percussive attack to nail the song's signature clanky sound.

Worth knowing

• No explicit numeric amp settings found for studio session; settings estimated based on typical Matchless/Marshall rock tones of the 1990s and genre.
• Pedal models used on the original studio recording are not confirmed; effects chain inferred from era, genre, and later rig rundowns.
• Vox AC15 is mentioned in later live setups but not confirmed for the original studio recording.
• No evidence of time-based or modulation effects (delay, chorus, flanger, phaser) on the riff section; only distortion/fuzz and octave effects are relevant.
• Custom guitar wiring with bass pickup is unique to Scott Lucas and essential for the riff's tone.
• Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Local H's 'Bound for the Floor' riff features a thick, crunchy, mid-forward 90s alt-rock tone typical of Scott Lucas's setup (often a Marshall JCM800 or similar), with moderate gain, boosted mids for punch, balanced bass/treble, minimal reverb, and neutral presence for clarity without harshness.

Bound for the Floor guitar tone — FAQ

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Sources

• Local H Members, Gear & Sound | Equipboard
• VIDEO: Local H's Scott Lucas on his unique guitar/bass setup | MusicRadar
• The main rig. Super clanky guitar sound. : r/GuitarAmps - Reddit

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