Riff Tone

Mayonaise

The Smashing Pumpkins

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely 1970s, as used by James Iha on Siamese Dream)

AmpMarshall JCM800 (studio recording, Siamese Dream era)

PickupsSingle-coil (stock Fender or Lace Sensor, bridge position)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

fuzzElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Op-Amp Big Muff Pi

Notes

Studio recording, 1993. Most rhythm/riff guitars on 'Mayonaise' were played by James Iha using a Stratocaster with single-coil pickups into a Marshall JCM800, with the Electro-Harmonix Op-Amp Big Muff providing the main fuzz/distortion. Billy Corgan overdubbed additional layers, but the main riff tone is attributed to Iha. No evidence of live/touring gear or other amps for this specific recording.

Tone Character(10)

wall of soundcascading wave of fuzzmid-forward saturationsquare-wave chord textureface-melting punchthick and layeredsustained chordsslightly compressedrich harmonic contentaggressive attack

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate skill due to the alternate tuning, thick fuzz tone management, and the need for precise strumming to maintain note clarity in a dense, layered mix.

Sources

Guitar lesson: learn to play Smashing Pumpkins song Mayonaise from their classic album Siamese Dream | MusicRadar Best fuzz pedals 2026: add some filth to your sound with these essential pedalboard effects | Guitar World My main goal is to play Mayonnaise by Smashing Pumpkins ... - Reddit

This tone has been researched 33 times by the community

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