lead guitar from “disarm” by smashing pumpkins | ToneDB
disarm
smashing pumpkins
lead guitar
Tone Profile
The lead guitar tone in "Disarm" is characterized by its warm, overdriven sound with a slightly fuzzy edge, providing a balance between melodic clarity and distorted aggression. It's a tone that sits well in the mix, offering both sustain and definition.
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The Story
The lead guitar tone on "Disarm" was created using Billy Corgan's signature setup of a Fender Stratocaster (often equipped with Lace Sensor pickups) running through an ADA MP-1 preamp and ProCo RAT distortion pedal. The track was recorded at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, with producer Butch Vig and engineer Brian Styrer, using a Shure SM57 to capture the amplified sound.
Production Credits
Producer: Butch Vig
Engineer: Brian Styrer
Recorded at: Smart Studios (Madison, WI)
Signal Chain
Instrument: Fender StratocasterShop on Reverb
Microphone: Shure SM57Shop on Reverb
Processing: ProCo RATShop on Reverb
Recreation Tips
- Start with a Fender Stratocaster-style guitar; if you have a model with single-coil pickups, that will get you closer to the original sound.
- Use an ADA MP-1 preamp to get the core amp tone. Dial in a moderate gain setting to provide a solid foundation for the distortion.
- Introduce a ProCo RAT distortion pedal to add the desired level of fuzz and saturation. Adjust the RAT's filter knob to shape the overall tone, finding the sweet spot where the distortion doesn't become harsh.
- Place a Shure SM57 microphone close to the speaker cone of your amplifier, slightly off-axis, to capture the sound.
- Experiment with EQ to further refine the tone, focusing on the midrange frequencies to bring out the guitar's presence in the mix.
Original Gear
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Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: ADA MP-1 preamp
Provides similar preamp saturation characteristics with excellent cabinet simulation for the MP-1's warm, driven sound
Alternative to: ProCo RAT distortion pedal
Direct modern reissue of the original RAT circuit, providing the exact same fuzzy, compressed distortion character
Alternative to: ProCo RAT distortion pedal
Contains multiple RAT variants in one pedal, allowing you to dial in the specific RAT sound used on this recording
Alternative to: Fender Stratocaster with Lace Sensor pickups
Modern Strat with similar single-coil pickup output and tonal characteristics, providing the bright, cutting foundation tone
Alternative to: ADA MP-1 preamp
Versatile preamp with similar gain staging capabilities and built-in cabinet simulation for the MP-1's saturated preamp sound
Alternative to: ProCo RAT distortion pedal
Budget-friendly RAT clone that captures the essential fuzzy distortion character at a fraction of the cost
Sources
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