Song Rig
Would?
Jerry Cantrell · Dirt · 1992
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Dirt's guitar tones are darker and more compressed than Facelift — the album was recorded during the grunge peak and the production reflects a more deliberate heaviness. Would? uses a drop D tuning approach on some guitar tracks to add bass register weight to the riff. Cantrell had moved to a more refined version of the Randall-based rig with more precise tone shaping.
Signal Chain
- 1G&L Rampage
- 2Randall Century 200
- 3Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (supplementary)
- 4Marshall 4x12 cabinets
Amp Settings
Darker and more bottom-heavy than the Facelift tones. The bass is up significantly and the treble is rolled back to create the murky, compressed character of the Dirt album.
Technique
How to Play It
The main riff uses hammer-ons from an open low E/D string to fretted notes — the open string resonance adds to the heaviness and makes the riff physically easier to execute at medium-fast tempo.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Drop-D tuned guitar (or baritone) into a high-gain amp with the bass boosted and treble controlled. The open string to fretted note hammer-on technique is essential for the riff's character.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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