🎸 Rock · 1990s

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

by The Smashing Pumpkins · riff

The Drown (Edit) by The Smashing Pumpkins guitar tone is built on a Marshall JCM800 100-watt head, dialed in at gain 7/10, bass 6, mid 7, treble 6.5, presence 6 (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)

GAIN

BASS

MID

6.5

TREBLE

PRESENCE

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 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

5-6

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (Billy Corgan's 'Bat Strat') · Amp: Marshall JCM800 100-watt head (1984, 'Soul' head, with KT88 tubes) into Marshall 4x12 slant cab ('Mars' cab)

Studio recording, 1992 (Gish/Siamese Dream era). Billy Corgan's main studio rig for this period. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for this song's riff. Pedals and effects as used in studio only.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall JCM800 songs & tones →🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ Fender Stratocaster songs & tones →🎚️ Big Muff songs & tones →🎚️ fuzz songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Fender Stratocaster (Billy Corgan's 'Bat Strat') → Electro-Harmonix Op-Amp Big Muff Pi (V4) → Marshall JCM800 100-watt head (1984, 'Soul' head, with KT88 tubes) into Marshall 4x12 slant cab ('Mars' cab)

Effects

fuzz, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

creamy and seamless, slightly dirty edge, open and punchy, wall of sound, rich harmonic content, dynamic and touch-sensitive, not overly compressed, classic Pumpkins fuzz/distortion, full-bodied mids, not scooped, retains clarity

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

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

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff is moderately challenging due to its syncopated rhythm and need for dynamic control, but does not require advanced techniques or fast playing.

Worth knowing

No direct numeric amp settings for 'Drown' found; amp settings estimated based on typical Marshall JCM800 use in Pumpkins' early 90s studio recordings and genre conventions.
Pickup model inferred from era and Corgan's known gear; exact pickup model for this track not explicitly confirmed.
Pedal settings not found; pedal models confirmed by multiple sources for this era.
No evidence of chorus, phaser, or flanger in riff section; only fuzz/distortion pedal and amp used.
Guitar volume knob turned down for riff per forum consensus; exact number estimated.
No evidence of effects loop use in studio for this song.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Billy Corgan's riff tone on 'Drown' is saturated and sustaining but not modern-metal tight, with prominent mids and a balanced low end typical of early 90s Pumpkins. Likely using a Big Muff into a Marshall or similar, with moderate amp gain, mids pushed, and only subtle ambience from reverb or room.

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Drown (Edit) guitar tone — FAQ

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

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7, bass 6, mid 7, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 2. 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: Fender Stratocaster (Billy Corgan's 'Bat Strat') · Amp: Marshall JCM800 100-watt head (1984, 'Soul' head, with KT88 tubes) into Marshall 4x12 slant cab ('Mars' cab); fuzz, 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 Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 7, bass 6, mid 7, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 2), and fuzz, reverb. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Sources

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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 → · 🎚️ Fuzz tone guide → · 🎯 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