🎸 Rock · 1990s

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

by The Smashing Pumpkins · riff

The Today by The Smashing Pumpkins guitar tone is built on a Marshall JCM800 2203, dialed in at gain 0/10, bass 6, mid 6.5, 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

6.5

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 0 sits well below the rock average (4.8) — cleaner and more dynamic than typical rock; mids at 6.5 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: 1974 Fender Stratocaster · Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 (with KT88 power tubes, studio recording)

Studio recording, 1992-1993 (Siamese Dream sessions). Clean riff section. Billy Corgan is known to use his '74 Strat for the clean parts, direct into the Marshall JCM800 with KT88 tubes for more headroom and less breakup. No evidence of pedals in the clean signal chain for this section; Corgan has stated he prefers as direct a signal as possible for rhythm/clean parts. No evidence of chorus, phaser, or other modulation on the clean riff. No evidence of amp reverb being used.

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

Position 4 (neck + middle)

Signal chain

1974 Fender Stratocaster → Marshall JCM800 2203 (with KT88 power tubes, studio recording)

Effects

1974 Fender Stratocaster → Marshall JCM800 2203 (KT88 tubes), no pedals, no amp effects

Tone character

bright and glassy, articulate and percussive, clear note separation, dynamic and responsive, slightly compressed from amp headroom, no audible breakup, no reverb or delay, direct and unprocessed, Stratocaster chime, tight low end

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, medium dynamics · clean distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Today sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The clean riff requires precise picking and dynamic control to maintain clarity and articulation, but does not involve complex chord shapes or advanced techniques.

Worth knowing

Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
No direct source gives exact amp knob settings for the clean riff section; settings estimated based on typical Marshall JCM800 clean headroom with KT88 tubes and genre/era.
No evidence of pedals or amp reverb/modulation used on the clean riff; confirmed by Corgan's own statements about keeping rhythm/clean parts as direct as possible.
Pickup position inferred from typical Stratocaster clean tones and live footage; not directly confirmed for this exact recording.
If new evidence emerges of subtle modulation or reverb on the clean riff, update accordingly.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Billy Corgan used a Big Muff into a cranked Marshall JCM800 for 'Today,' resulting in a thick, saturated high-gain sound with forward mids and tight low end. The tone is punchy but not scooped, with moderate treble and presence for clarity, and minimal reverb as per early 90s alt-rock production.

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

🎸 All Today guitar tones — every part & section →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

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Today guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Today guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 0, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 1. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Today tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: 1974 Fender Stratocaster · Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 (with KT88 power tubes, studio recording); 1974 Fender Stratocaster → Marshall JCM800 2203 (KT88 tubes), no pedals, no amp effects.

Can I get the Today 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 Today — what gear and pedals?

Start with Position 4 (neck + middle), the amp EQ above (gain 0, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 1), and 1974 Fender Stratocaster → Marshall JCM800 2203 (KT88 tubes), no pedals, no amp effects. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

Share this tone

Sources

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More like this

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