Riff Tone
God Smack
Alice In Chains
Guitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarG&L Rampage (Jerry Cantrell signature, 1980s-early 1990s, likely used for 'God Smack' studio recording)
AmpBogner Fish Preamp into Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet with Celestion Greenbacks (studio recording setup, early 1990s)
PickupsSingle Seymour Duncan JB humbucker (bridge position, high output)
Amp Settings
gain6
bass5
mid5
treble6.5
reverb1.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1992 (Dirt album). Gear confirmed for era and album sessions; Cantrell is known for using the G&L Rampage with a Seymour Duncan JB and Bogner Fish preamp into Marshall cabs for heavy riff sections on Dirt. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for this song's original riff section.
Tone Character(10)
tight palm-muted chugsaggressive, saturated rhythm tonechunky, percussive attackarticulate note separationdark, brooding atmospherecrunchy guitar tonespowerful and resonantminor-key riffingslightly scooped midsthick, compressed distortion
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, aggressive palm muting and precise alternate picking at a moderate tempo, with careful string muting to maintain clarity under high gain. The rhythmic complexity and need for articulation make it moderately challenging for intermediate players.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarG&L Rampage (Jerry Cantrell signature, 1980s-early 1990s, likely used for 'God Smack' studio recording)
AmpBogner Fish Preamp into Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet with Celestion Greenbacks (studio recording setup, early 1990s)
PickupsSingle Seymour Duncan JB humbucker (bridge position, high output)
Amp Settings
gain6
bass5
mid5
treble6.5
reverb1.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1992 (Dirt album). Gear confirmed for era and album sessions; Cantrell is known for using the G&L Rampage with a Seymour Duncan JB and Bogner Fish preamp into Marshall cabs for heavy riff sections on Dirt. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for this song's original riff section.
Tone Character(10)
tight palm-muted chugsaggressive, saturated rhythm tonechunky, percussive attackarticulate note separationdark, brooding atmospherecrunchy guitar tonespowerful and resonantminor-key riffingslightly scooped midsthick, compressed distortion
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, aggressive palm muting and precise alternate picking at a moderate tempo, with careful string muting to maintain clarity under high gain. The rhythmic complexity and need for articulation make it moderately challenging for intermediate players.
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