Riff Tone

We Die Young

Alice In Chains

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

Guitar1985 G&L Rampage

AmpMarshall JCM800 (modified by Bogner), possibly blended with Bogner Fish preamp and Scholz Rockman X100 (for studio layering)

PickupsSingle Seymour Duncan JB humbucker (bridge position, stock on Rampage)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid6

treble7

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for 'We Die Young' (1990, Facelift album). Jerry Cantrell used his main G&L Rampage with a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge. The amp was a Marshall JCM800 modified by Reinhold Bogner, as confirmed for both Facelift and Dirt. Some sources mention layering with Bogner Fish preamp and Scholz Rockman X100 for added frequencies, but the core riff tone is Marshall/Bogner. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section.

Tone Character(10)

crushing and saturatedtight and percussiveaggressive palm mutingarticulate riff definitionpowerful low endgrowling midrangecrunchy attackslightly scooped but present midsminimal ambiencefocused and punchy

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, tight alternate picking with heavy palm muting and precise timing to maintain the song's aggressive, percussive feel. The syncopated rhythm and need for consistent attack make it moderately challenging for intermediate players.