Donner DA-10 settings
1979 settings for Donner DA-10
The Smashing Pumpkins · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the The Smashing Pumpkins "1979" riff tone on a Donner DA-10, set Gain 4, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6. Use the neck + middle pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Donner Seeker Series DST-152 · updated 2026-08-12
- Pickup
- Neck + Middle
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Donner DA-10 knobs
- Gain
- 4
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use a light touch for a clean, shimmery tone.
- Consider using fingerstyle to enhance the clarity of the notes.
- Experiment with subtle dynamics to capture the elegant feel of the riff.
The original rig
What The Smashing Pumpkins used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Donner DA-10 actually has.
- Guitar
- Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 80s, as used by Billy Corgan in studio)
- Amp
- Marshall JCM800 (modded with KT88 tubes, as used on Mellon Collie sessions)
- Gain
- 4
- Bass
- 5.5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Presence
- 5.5
- Reverb
- 2.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get 1979 adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts The Smashing Pumpkins's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Donner DA-10 settings for 1979?
Set Gain 4, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6.
Which pickup should I use for 1979?
Neck + Middle, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did The Smashing Pumpkins use on 1979?
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 80s, as used by Billy Corgan in studio). Amp: Marshall JCM800 (modded with KT88 tubes, as used on Mellon Collie sessions).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Donner Seeker Series DST-152. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
1979 on other amps
Popular songs on the Donner DA-10
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Do I Wanna Know? · Arctic Monkeys
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Walk · Pantera
- Lithium · Nirvana
- Creep · Radiohead
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.