GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Dam That River Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Alice In Chains
Alice In Chains · 1990s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
G&L Rampage
Pickups
Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB (bridge humbucker)
Amp
Bogner Fish Preamp into power amp (likely VHT or Marshall), layered with Marshall JCM900
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1992. Gear confirmed for Dirt album era and specifically referenced for 'Dam That River' riff. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for this section.
Amp Settings
Mids8
Bass5.5
Gain7
Reverb0
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
Adapt to MY Gear →7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- tight, saturated rhythm crunch
- aggressive, percussive attack
- very pronounced mids
- slightly scooped bass
- clear, articulate note separation
- minimal ambience/reverb
- dry, in-your-face sound
- bridge pickup bite
- fast palm-muted chugs
- dense, layered distortion
Notes & Caveats
- Amp settings are based on forum user estimates for 'Dam That River' and general Alice In Chains tone, not direct from Jerry Cantrell or studio engineer.
- No direct photo or interview with exact knob positions for this song; settings are averaged from forum consensus and typical Bogner/Marshall high-gain usage.
- No evidence of pedals or modulation/time-based effects in the riff section; distortion is amp-based.
- Guitar and pickup confirmed for Dirt album era, but not visually confirmed for this specific session.
- Reverb set to 0 due to dry, close-mic'd studio sound and lack of audible ambience.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Jerry Cantrell's 'Dam That River' tone is a thick, mid-forward, crunchy high-gain sound typical of early 90s grunge/metal, likely using a Bogner-modified amp with moderate bass for tightness, strong mids for punch, and little to no reverb as per the dry, in-your-face production style of 'Dirt.'