How to Dial In "Let Me Drown" by Soundgarden - Guitar Tone Settings
What Soundgarden Actually Used on "Let Me Drown"
Original Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning
Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.
These numbers are for a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. On your amp, they won't sound the same.
Get the settings for my ampHow the artist had their guitar configured for this take.
Opens Superunknown and is the most straightforwardly heavy thing on it. Soundgarden used a different tuning on almost every song and transcriptions of this one disagree, so it is logged as a custom tuning and the honest instruction is to tune to the record — that is the single most common reason Soundgarden covers sound wrong, more than any amp setting. Recorded July-September 1993 at Bad Animals in Seattle with Michael Beinhorn. Thayil favoured Mesa Rectifiers for solos and 50-watt Mavericks for rhythm by this point. Keep the gain controlled and mids present: the riff is built on dissonant intervals that need to read as intervals rather than as a block.
Common Questions About the "Let Me Drown" Tone
What guitar did Soundgarden use on "Let Me Drown"?
Soundgarden tracked "Let Me Drown" on a Guild S-100 Polara (released 1994). Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. The track is in Custom tuning, so retune before you dial anything in.
What amp settings does "Let Me Drown" need?
On Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier: Gain 7, Bass 5.5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, Volume 7. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale; match them on your amp first, then nudge to taste. ToneMirror can translate these positions for whatever amp you actually own.
Can I play "Let Me Drown" without a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier?
Yes. ToneMirror takes the original recipe above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Let Me Drown" tone on a Katana, a Helix, a tube combo, or anything else. The translation accounts for EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type so the result actually sounds like the record, not just the same knob numbers on different gear.
More Tones You Can Dial In
Tone references for "Let Me Drown" by Soundgarden are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.