GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Bullet With Butterfly Wings (Remastered 2012) Guitar Tone Settings
The Smashing Pumpkins · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster 'Bat Strat' (likely 1974 hardtail, stock pickups, used by Billy Corgan on MCIS sessions)
Pickups
Fender single-coil (stock 1970s Strat pickups, likely bridge position for riff)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1995 MCIS era)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1995. Billy Corgan used his 'Bat Strat' (1974 hardtail Stratocaster) into a Marshall JCM800 2203 head and Marshall 4x12 cab for the main distorted riff tone on 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings'. No evidence of live rig or later signature amps/pedals being used on the original studio recording.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain8
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (likely V7 or NYC reissue, but exact version not confirmed for this track) · fuzz
Fender Stratocaster ('Bat Strat') → (optional) Big Muff Pi fuzz → Marshall JCM800 2203 head → Marshall 4x12 cab (minimal amp reverb)
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Tone Character
- massive and saturated
- tight and percussive
- mid-forward and thick
- grainy, textured fuzz
- compressed attack
- slightly scooped but not hollow
- sustained power chords
- articulate pick attack
- dense wall of sound
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings for 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' studio session found; settings estimated based on typical Marshall JCM800 usage for 1990s alt-rock and Corgan's known approach.
- Some sources mention Big Muff and fuzz pedals in Corgan's general rig, but for this song's riff, the main distortion is widely agreed to be from the JCM800 amp itself, possibly with additional layering.
- No evidence of modulation, delay, or time-based effects on the main riff section; only fuzz/distortion is clearly audible.
- Later signature amps/pedals (Laney, Carstens, Supergrace, etc.) were not used on the original 1995 studio recording.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Billy Corgan's riff tone on 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' is saturated and aggressive but not ultra-modern; he used high-gain Marshall Silver Jubilee amps with mids pushed for punch, moderate bass for tightness, and balanced treble/presence for clarity. The track is very dry, with little to no reverb, matching the 90s alt-rock production aesthetic.