🎸 Metal · 1990s

Floods outro by Pantera (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Pantera · riff

The Floods outro by Pantera guitar tone is built on a Randall RG100ES, dialed in at gain 7.5/10, bass 6, mid 4, treble 7, presence 6.5 (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)

7.5

GAIN

BASS

MID

TREBLE

6.5

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 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 7.5 sits right around the metal average (7.3); mids at 4 are below average (5.2).

Guitar controls

5-7

VOLUME

5-7

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Dean ML · Amp: Randall RG100ES

Studio recording for Pantera's 'Floods' outro riff (1996, The Great Southern Trendkill). Dimebag Darrell was known to use the Dean ML with Bill Lawrence L-500XL bridge pickup and a Randall RG100ES solid-state amp for this era. No evidence of live rig or alternate gear for this specific section.

Pickups

Neck pickup

Signal chain

Dean ML → MXR 6 Band EQ → Furman PQ-3 Parametric EQ → Delay pedal (model unknown) → Randall RG100ES

Effects

eq, delay, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

scooped mids, tight low-end, high-gain saturation, singing sustain, warm and smooth, slightly fuzzy, ambient delay, neck pickup roundness, articulate pick attack, solid-state clarity

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, slow tempo, medium dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Floods outro sound.

Difficulty

4/5 · Riff

The outro riff requires expressive vibrato, controlled bends, and nuanced knob control for the signature tone, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Worth knowing

No official studio knob settings found; amp EQ and gain values estimated based on genre, era, and Randall RG100ES usage.
Pedal/effect models are inferred from Dimebag's known rig and what is clearly audible in the recording.
Pickup choice (neck) is supported by multiple forum posts and the audible tone, but not confirmed in official interviews.
Presence and reverb values are estimated based on typical Dimebag settings and the slightly ambient but not washed-out sound.
Some sources mention a phaser/fuzz effect, but this is likely confusion with the fuzzy, modulated character of the outro tone.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Dimebag Darrell's 'Floods' outro tone is high-gain but not overly saturated, with tight low end, slightly scooped mids, and pronounced treble/presence for clarity. He used a Randall solid-state amp (RG100ES era), which is bright and aggressive, and the track is very dry with no audible reverb.

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

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Floods outro guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Floods outro guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7.5, bass 6, mid 4, treble 7, presence 6.5, reverb 1. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Floods outro tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Dean ML · Amp: Randall RG100ES; eq, delay, reverb.

Can I get the Floods outro 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 Pantera on Floods outro — what gear and pedals?

Start with Neck pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 7.5, bass 6, mid 4, treble 7, presence 6.5, reverb 1), and eq, delay, 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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Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com