rhythm guitar from “bullet with butterfly wings” by smashing pumpkins | ToneDB
bullet with butterfly wings
smashing pumpkins
rhythm guitar
Tone Profile
A distorted and slightly scooped rhythm guitar tone, with a wall-of-sound character created by layering multiple guitar tracks. It's both aggressive and thick, providing a strong foundation for the song.
Shop This Rig
ToneDB may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
The Story
The rhythm guitar sound on "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" was created using multiple layered Fender Stratocasters run through Marshall JCM800 amps. Billy Corgan used a combination of ProCo Rat and Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi pedals to achieve the thick, saturated distortion. The track was recorded at Pumpkinland studio in Chicago with producers Flood and Alan Moulder, who were known for their dense layering techniques. Multiple guitar tracks were recorded and stacked to create the signature wall-of-sound character.
Production Credits
Producer: Flood, Alan Moulder
Engineer: Unknown
Recorded at: Pumpkinland (Chicago, IL)
Signal Chain
Instrument: Fender StratocasterShop on Reverb
Amp: Marshall JCM800Shop on Reverb
Microphone: Shure SM57Shop on Reverb
Processing: ProCo RatShop on Reverb, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff PiShop on Reverb
Recreation Tips
- Use a Stratocaster-style guitar with a hot bridge pickup.
- Combine a Rat and Big Muff style distortion, experimenting with the order.
- Layer multiple guitar tracks, each with slightly different settings, to create a wide stereo image.
- Use a dynamic microphone like an SM57 close to the speaker cabinet.
- Consider adding a touch of room reverb to thicken the sound.
Original Gear
ToneDB may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: ProCo Rat
Captures the aggressive midrange bite of the Rat with more clarity for layering multiple tracks
Alternative to: Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi
Modern reissue of the specific Big Muff variant used during the Siamese Dream era with the characteristic scooped mids
Alternative to: Marshall JCM800
20-watt version of the JCM800 circuit that can be cranked for natural tube saturation at reasonable volumes
Alternative to: Fender Stratocaster
Modern Stratocaster with hot Alnico V pickups that provides the single-coil brightness needed to cut through heavy layering
Alternative to: Marshall JCM800 + pedal stack
Includes accurate Marshall amp models and multiple distortion pedals that can be easily layered and panned for the wall-of-sound effect
Alternative to: ProCo Rat (budget option)
Budget Rat clone that delivers the essential LM308 chip saturation and filtering for aggressive rhythm tones
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Community Insights
No community insights yet. Be the first to contribute!