🎸 Rock · 1990s

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

by The Smashing Pumpkins · riff

The Today by The Smashing Pumpkins guitar tone is built on a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+, dialed in at gain 8/10, bass 6, mid 7, treble 7, 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

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 8 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

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: 1988 Fender American Standard Stratocaster (nicknamed 'Bat Strat') · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, Siamese Dream era)

Studio recording, 1992-1993. The main riff's heavy tone was achieved with the Stratocaster into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head, boosted with an Electro-Harmonix Op-Amp Big Muff Pi V4. No evidence of live rig or post-2000s gear used on the original recording.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Mesa/Boogie songs & tones →🎚️ Fender Stratocaster songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ single-coil guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Big Muff songs & tones →🎚️ Boss DS-1 songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

1988 Fender American Standard Stratocaster (nicknamed 'Bat Strat') → Electro-Harmonix Op-Amp Big Muff Pi V4 → Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, Siamese Dream era)

Effects

fuzz, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

massive, saturated fuzz wall, thick, creamy distortion, mid-forward, singing sustain, tight, compressed attack, articulate, yet heavy, aggressive, percussive rhythm, notably compressed and layered, distinctive op-amp fuzz character, studio double-tracked guitars, sustained power chords

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

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

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff is based on straightforward power chords and rhythm, but requires tight palm muting, consistent attack, and attention to double-tracking for the signature wall-of-sound effect.

Worth knowing

No direct numeric amp settings for 'Today' found; settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ usage for 1990s alternative rock and confirmed fuzz pedal.
No explicit pickup selector position found, but bridge pickup is strongly indicated by tone and era interviews.
No pedal knob settings found; only pedal model and placement inferred from sources.
No evidence of modulation or time-based effects (chorus, flanger, delay) on the riff section; only fuzz/distortion is clearly audible.
Some sources mention Mu-Tron Bi-Phase and Electric Mistress flanger on the album, but not specifically for 'Today' riff—excluded for accuracy.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Billy Corgan's 'Today' tone is a saturated, mid-forward, compressed distortion typical of early '90s alternative rock, achieved with a Big Muff into a Marshall JCM800 or similar amp. The settings reflect a thick, singing distortion with strong mids, controlled bass for clarity, moderate treble and presence to avoid harshness, and minimal reverb as per the dry, punchy production style.

⚡ 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?

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 →

Today guitar tone — FAQ

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

Set your amp to roughly: gain 8, bass 6, mid 7, treble 7, 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 Today tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: 1988 Fender American Standard Stratocaster (nicknamed 'Bat Strat') · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, Siamese Dream era); fuzz, reverb.

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 Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 8, bass 6, mid 7, treble 7, 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.

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 → · 🎚️ Mesa Mark settings → · 🎛️ best rock amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎚️ Fuzz tone guide → · 🎯 more singing sustain tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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