Meatplow by Stone Temple Pilots (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

The Meatplow by Stone Temple Pilots guitar tone is built on a Marshall JCM800 head into Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet, dialed in at gain 6/10, bass 6, mid 7, treble 5.5, presence 5.5 (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 6 sits above the rock average (4.8) — a hotter, more saturated take than most rock tones; mids at 7 are right around average (6.2); treble 5.5 is below the 6.5 norm (darker, smoother top end).

Guitar controls

Original gear

Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Standard · Amp: Marshall JCM800 head into Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet

Studio recording, 1994 (album: Purple). Gear confirmed for this era and album, specifically for heavy riff sections. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the 'Meatplow' riff section.

Gear used on this tone

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Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Gibson Les Paul Standard → Boss DS-1 Distortion → Marshall JCM800 head into Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet

Effects

distortion, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

thick and crunchy, mid-forward growl, tight and percussive, warm, compressed, smooth top end, focused distortion, full-bodied, sustain-rich, aggressive attack, avoids harshness

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 Meatplow sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires tight, aggressive palm muting and precise power chord changes at a moderate tempo, but does not involve advanced lead techniques or complex chord voicings.

Worth knowing

• No direct source for 'Meatplow' riff-specific pedal usage; settings and gear inferred from contemporary sources and confirmed gear for 'Core'/'Purple' era.
• Amp EQ and gain settings estimated based on typical Marshall JCM800 usage for 1990s grunge/rock and source recommendations for similar STP tracks.
• No evidence of chorus, delay, or modulation effects in the riff section; distortion is from amp and possibly a pedal, but no pedal confirmed for this exact track.
• Pedalboard and effect chain for 'Meatplow' riff not explicitly documented in available sources.
• Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Dean DeLeo's 'Meatplow' tone is a thick, mid-forward, crunchy sound typical of early '90s alt-rock, likely achieved with a Marshall or similar amp set for classic rock crunch. The riff is dry and punchy with little ambience, and the EQ is set to emphasize mids and keep the sound tight and focused.

Meatplow guitar tone — FAQ

Share this tone

Sources

• Tone Settings for Plush by Stone Temple Pilots (guitar and amp)
• Stone Temple Pilots – Core (Super Deluxe Edition) - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard

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