Riff Tone
Smooth Criminal (2026 Remastered)
Alien Ant Farm
Guitarrock2000s
Original Gear
GuitarSuhr Classic T Pro
AmpMesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (or Kemper profile of Dual Rectifier/Marshall high-gain stack)
PickupsSuhr Classic T single-coil (bridge position, likely with hum-cancelling circuitry)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass6
mid4.5
treble6.5
reverb1.5
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
overdriveFulltone Fulltone Full Drive 2
phaserMXR MXR Phase 90
chorusUnknown Chorus pedal (model unknown)
delayMXR MXR Carbon Copy
Notes
Studio recording, 2026 remaster of original 2001 session. Gear based on Terry Corso's known studio rig and direct source recommendations for the riff section. Alternative amp: Boss Katana (for modern covers), but original likely Dual Rectifier or Marshall high-gain stack.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivearticulate riff clarityaggressive attackmodern high-gain saturationcontrolled low endcrisp top endslight chorus shimmersubtle phaser movementcompressed punchminimal ambient reverb
Difficulty
The riff requires tight palm muting, fast alternate picking, and precise timing to maintain the percussive, aggressive feel. Syncopated power chord changes and maintaining clarity at tempo add to the challenge.
Sources
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Original Gear
GuitarSuhr Classic T Pro
AmpMesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (or Kemper profile of Dual Rectifier/Marshall high-gain stack)
PickupsSuhr Classic T single-coil (bridge position, likely with hum-cancelling circuitry)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass6
mid4.5
treble6.5
reverb1.5
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
overdriveFulltone Fulltone Full Drive 2
phaserMXR MXR Phase 90
chorusUnknown Chorus pedal (model unknown)
delayMXR MXR Carbon Copy
Notes
Studio recording, 2026 remaster of original 2001 session. Gear based on Terry Corso's known studio rig and direct source recommendations for the riff section. Alternative amp: Boss Katana (for modern covers), but original likely Dual Rectifier or Marshall high-gain stack.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivearticulate riff clarityaggressive attackmodern high-gain saturationcontrolled low endcrisp top endslight chorus shimmersubtle phaser movementcompressed punchminimal ambient reverb
Difficulty
The riff requires tight palm muting, fast alternate picking, and precise timing to maintain the percussive, aggressive feel. Syncopated power chord changes and maintaining clarity at tempo add to the challenge.
More Alien Ant Farm tones
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