🎸 Rock · 1990s

Drown (Edit) by The Smashing Pumpkins (Riff · Clean) — Guitar Tone

by The Smashing Pumpkins · riff

The Drown (Edit) by The Smashing Pumpkins guitar tone is built on a Marshall JCM800 2203 head, dialed in at gain 4.5/10, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 5.5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

4.5

GAIN

BASS

6.5

MID

6.5

TREBLE

5.5

PRESENCE

2.5

REVERB

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 4.5 sits right around the rock average (4.8); mids at 6.5 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

4-5

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: 1991 Fender Stratocaster (likely American Standard, Billy Corgan's main clean guitar at the time) · Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 head (studio recording, 1992, Siamese Dream era sessions, typical for clean tones with Pumpkins in this era)

Studio recording, 1992, clean section of 'Drown (Edit)'. No direct source for exact clean amp model, but Corgan used Strat into Marshall JCM800 for clean/edge-of-breakup tones on Gish/Siamese Dream era. No evidence of live rig or alternate amp for clean part.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall JCM800 songs & tones →🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ Fender Stratocaster songs & tones →🎚️ single-coil guitars songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Neck pickup

Signal chain

1991 Fender Stratocaster (likely American Standard, Billy Corgan's main clean guitar at the time) → Marshall JCM800 2203 head (studio recording, 1992, Siamese Dream era sessions, typical for clean tones with Pumpkins in this era)

Effects

reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 3)

Tone character

warm and glassy, slightly compressed, rounded highs, clear note separation, mildly scooped mids, smooth attack, not sparkly like Fender Twin, subtle amp reverb, dynamic response to picking, no audible modulation or delay

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, soft dynamics · clean distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Drown (Edit) sound.

Difficulty

2/5 · Riff

The clean riff is easy to play technically but requires careful dynamics and volume knob control to maintain clarity and avoid unwanted breakup.

Worth knowing

No direct source confirms exact guitar, amp, or pedal settings for the CLEAN section of 'Drown (Edit)'.
Settings estimated based on typical Billy Corgan studio rig for clean tones in early 1990s (Strat into Marshall JCM800, low gain, moderate EQ).
No evidence of chorus, delay, or modulation effects in the clean section; only slight amp reverb is likely.
No pedal use confirmed for clean section; Big Muff/fuzz is for distorted parts only.
Pickup choice inferred from typical Pumpkins clean tones and audio characteristics (neck pickup, rolled back volume).
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Billy Corgan's 'Drown' riff tone is saturated but not modern-metal extreme, with a thick, mid-forward character typical of early '90s Pumpkins (likely a Big Muff into a Marshall or JMP-1 preamp). The bass is tight but not boomy, mids are prominent for that signature Pumpkins growl, treble and presence are balanced for clarity without harshness, and reverb is minimal as per the dry, upfront mix.

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

🎸 All Drown (Edit) guitar tones — every part & section →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

Recognise famous songs from just the amp dials — a quick 10-round game. Beat your friends. Play free →

🎸 Which guitar legend is your tone twin? Take the quiz & share your result →

Drown (Edit) guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Drown (Edit) guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 4.5, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 2.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Drown (Edit) tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: 1991 Fender Stratocaster (likely American Standard, Billy Corgan's main clean guitar at the time) · Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 head (studio recording, 1992, Siamese Dream era sessions, typical for clean tones with Pumpkins in this era); reverb.

Can I get the Drown (Edit) tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like The Smashing Pumpkins on Drown (Edit) — what gear and pedals?

Start with Neck pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 4.5, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 2.5), and reverb. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

Share this tone

Sources

Free practice tools

🎤 Online guitar tuner → · 🎶 Guitar chords → · 🎸 Guitar tunings → · 🎚️ Tuning chart → · 🎼 Guitar scales → · 🎚️ Chord transposer & capo → · 🥁 Metronome → · 🎶 Song chords → · 🎧 Guess the Tone game → · 🎸 Tone Legend quiz → · 📊 Tone data report →

🔥 The most famous guitar tones of all time → · 🎯 Easy guitar songs to play (with settings) → · 🗂️ Browse tone collections (by genre & language) →

More like this

🎸 How to get The Smashing Pumpkins’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Rock guitar tones → · 🎚️ Marshall JCM800 settings → · 🎛️ best rock amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎯 more scooped mids tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com