Nail the ToneSoundgarden

Spoonman

Soundgarden · Superunknown · 1994

Spoonman's main riff is drop-D power chords through two amps blended: a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo head for weight and a Marshall JMP 50 for attack and mids. Producer Michael Beinhorn has said Chris Cornell cut nearly all the rhythm guitar on Superunknown on a Gretsch Jet or his Jazzmaster, with Kim Thayil handling leads on his Guild S-100. Keep gain moderate and push the mids — the riff sounds heavy because it's tight and mid-forward, not because it's saturated.

Where these numbers come from: worked out from the documented rig and the sound of the record

Tuning

Drop D

The riff is played as one-finger power chords across the low three strings; the record is doubled left and right, so two passes panned wide gets you closer than one.

Part: Riff

Guitar

  • Gretsch Silver Jet (double-cutaway) · Filter'Tron humbuckers · bridge pickup
  • Fender Jazzmaster · Jazzmaster single-coils · bridge pickup
  • Guild S-100 Polara · Guild humbuckers · bridge pickup

Amp

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head

GAIN
6.5
BASS
5.0
MID
6.5
TREBLE
6.0
PRESENCE
3.0

Beinhorn says most Superunknown guitars were a Mesa Dual Rectifier and Marshall JMP 50 blended, retuned per song; the Mesa supplied the dark bottom end. Orange/Vintage channel, no reverb on this head.

Amp

Marshall JMP 50 (Model 1987 Lead)

GAIN
7.0
BASS
5.0
MID
8.0
TREBLE
6.5
PRESENCE
4.0

Gain here is Volume I with the inputs jumpered; these are the documented Black Hole Sun positions nudged brighter and hotter for Spoonman's punchier riff. Marshall 1960 4x12 with Greenbacks, no reverb.

Tone character

forward mids · tight palm-muted low D · moderate gain, not scooped · bright pick attack · dry, almost no effects

medium

The shapes are one-finger drop-D power chords, but the riff runs in 7/4 with hammer-ons, quick position slides and palm muting that all have to land exactly on the count.

Want this on your own amp?

These are the record's settings. Tell us what you play through and we'll translate every knob to the amp you actually own — free.

Adapt it to my gear

Sources