How do I get that Screaming Trees or Smashing Pumpkins sound?

Dogman3

You know, that fuzzyness of the Pumpkins, or that psychadeliafuzz from the Trees? What pedals do I use?

pant.the.pantless

Electroharmonix Big Muff Pi can get you sounds like the some early pumpkins. Mudhoney also loved this pedal. Jack White uses it a lot as well. wikipedia it to learn more of the history.

Dogman3

Well, I want that Cherub Rock/Siamese Dream/Gish sound.

Jooooosh

The big muff pi with the creamy dreamer mod is synonymous with the siamese dream-era pumpkins sound.

Pearl Jam and toast

Also a lot of phasers, layer upon layer of different fuzz and overdrive (Corgan had/has a lot of classic fuzz pedals including a bunch of Big Muffs I believe),.. the occasional flange or wah,.. delay here and there...

You won't be able to nail the Pumpkins' tone. It's heavenly. But you can give it a pretty good shot for the same vibe with big muffs.

And here's a neat trick.. for a lot of those solos Corgan turned down the tone on his guitar to get that really dreamy sound... I think,.. Sounds like it at least.

Most Crate amps that I've heard have a really nice drive channel for Pumpkins playing.

Dogman3

Creamy Dreamer mod?

xtremehardy388

Fender Blender (for the Smashing Pumpkins sound. If you have a BD2 or DS1, you can do it too...kinda)

Pearl Jam and toast

xtremehardy388 wrote:

Fender Blender (for the Smashing Pumpkins sound. If you have a BD2 or DS1, you can do it too...kinda)

Oo why didn't I think of that, I own one.

Wonderful tool to have for Corganesque leads or a varity of fuzz sounds and noise applications. :cool:

exhausted

Dogman3 wrote:

Creamy Dreamer mod?

a variation of the big muff pi. there was a guy making a pedal called the creamer dreamer under the name sustain punch. it was essentially one iteration of the big muff with a few modifications.

http://board.buildyourownclone.com/viewtopic.php?t=1886


there have been so many slightly different version of the muff, it's boggling.

lucylespian

I dunno, but I do know the lead guitarist from the Screaming Trees. I see him regularly. Ask me what song, and I'll ask him.

Dogman3

Just ask him what guitar pedals he used to achieve the effects he did, mostly from Uncle Anesthesia and Sweet Oblivion.

rigneyclan

The Siamese Dream sound was achieved by a lot of layering. Each song on that album has at least 27 tracks of guitar!...

Dogman3

That I know. What pedal is best to duplicate that, or get the closest sound?

xtremehardy388

Dogman3 wrote:

That I know. What pedal is best to duplicate that, or get the closest sound?

If it's a quick riff, a delay or looper might work. I still say the Fender Blender is pretty wicked in that department...or a distortion/fuzz plus the BOSS OC-2. I can't stand the OC-3 but it might work as well.