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The Lead Guitar Sounds of Siamese Dream (The Smashing Pumpkins)

Eddie Clark

128,573 views

UPDATE! Better alternative to the Jordan Boss Tone here!

The Siamese Dream Secret Weapon Fuzz
The Siamese Dream Secret Weapon Fuzz | MSA...

These are the pedals I used in my latest covers of Siamese Dream (by the Smashing Pumpkins) to emulate Billy Corgan's lead guitar sounds. This time we make it work with just pedals for playing live.

Effects chain:

Muff is on it’s own then in the loop switcher:

comp - Microsynth - Buzz Tone - Phaser - Dist 2 - H9 Harmonizer - Strymon Deco

Then to the amp input.

Notice how there's no Mutron Bipase?

Siamese Dream and the Mu-Tron Bi-Phase
Siamese Dream and the Mu-Tron Bi-Phase (Th...

Contents:

0:00 - Intro Jam
0:50 - Intro
1:05 - Today's Pedals
4:27 - Building the Pedalboard
6:01 - Building the Lead
8:19 - Blast Off
8:54 - Shhhhh
9:29 - Soma
10:05 - Bummer
10:38 - Bread Spread
11:12 - Ebow
12:11 - Ending

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Video on the Siamese Dream rhythm guitar sound and using post production - How to Sound Like Siamese Dream (The Smash...

Black Guitar:
2019 Fender American Professional Stratocaster w/ R/S/B Lace Sensors
Tuning - E Standard

Butterscotch Guitar:
2018 Fender American Professional FSR Stratocaster
Tuning - E Standard

Amp:
Marshall SC20C JCM800 in a Mojotone Bluesbreaker cabinet
https://www.mojotone.com/cabinets/vin...

Pedals:
Made by Mike '78 IC Muff - http://www.madebymike.co.uk/icmuff.shtml
Made by Mike DistII - http://www.madebymike.co.uk/dist2.shtml
EHX Microsynth - https://www.ehx.com/products/micro-sy...
Jordan Buzz Tone - http://www.mahoneyguitargear.com/prod...
MXR Phase 100 - https://www.jimdunlop.com/mxr-phase-100/
Strymon Deco - https://www.strymon.net/product/deco/
Eventide H9 Max - https://www.eventideaudio.com/product...
JHS 3 Series Comressor - https://www.jhspedals.info/3-series-c...

Bass:
Squire Affinity J Bass direct

Gear for Recording:
Universal Audio OX
Steinberg UR-RT2 Interface
Logic Pro
Amplitube Custom Shop

20 Comments

@ellescer 3 years ago

you even got the hair down

@jillesguzman3333 4 years ago

Makes you realize how much production Butch and Billy put into the recording of the album. Never in a thousand lives would I contemplate about using 6+ pedals for a lead sound. Makes me realize how much of a sonic architect Billy is. I suppose the less is more approach simply didn't cut it back then :) Now I understand why he was using a looper switcher on the Siamese Dream tour. You can see it in many videos. Such a crazy record. Soundwise totally unique. Almost a bit alien, really muddy sometimes - but it worked 100%. Funny that no band (at least to my knowledge) ever tried to use a similar sound configuration for their records. You wouldn't dare to get too close to Siamese Dream because it's so all encompassing and recognizable. The guys at EHX in New York probably keep a Billy Corgan altar with candles and a Big Muff in the middle :)

@andresav1073 3 years ago

SIAMESE DREAM is a perfect album

@markmalonson7531 2 years ago

I am a Siamese zombie this s*** is cool 50 years later wow I love it.

@NickN888-s2z 1 month ago

How to get the Smashing Pumpkins Sound:
This video: "Spend a million bucks on pedals you never heard of"

@Farold_Haltermeyer 3 years ago

Well this was slightly embaressing...you have literally just built my pedalboard. Only differences are a Diamond Comp Jr, a Mid-Fi Peace Gun in place of the Jordan fuzz and a Bad Stone phaser. You made me realise how much I owe to Billy's tones!! Great demo, thanks so much

@aefenleoht 4 years ago (edited)

Thru the eyes of ruby!

@Tantacrul 2 years ago

This is quite unexpected. I would never have arrived at this organisation of pedals to achieve this sound (and I would have failed massively had I tried). Brilliant and instructive. Thanks!

@blacknapalm2131 3 years ago

Billy is the most under-rated axe man of all time
Amazing video by the way <3

@anthonysclafani3963 4 years ago

This channel deserves way more subscribers

@nine9whitepony526 1 year ago (edited)

P.s, i took a screenshot of your microsynth settings. I bought that exact pedal years ago because i knew he used one but I never really cared for the sound of it, never even thought to use it with a compressor. You're brilliant.

@bobbybrown1787 4 years ago

Man I really don’t know how you don’t have a huge following this is so useful and in depth. Thank hou

@GuitarsRgood7 1 year ago

I think Siamese Dream was the album to make me really interested in pedals. I didn't even pay attention for the longest time. I just used some built-in amp effects. Then I started buying pedals and buying amps that didn't have built-in effects. Now I've got quite the collection of pedals.

@ReeseChown 2 years ago (edited)

Marshall amps will set you free. Using that as the power amp and base of your tone will get you into Pumpkin territory. Modern Marshalls like the JVM and DSL series heads will definitely get it done, since he had always used modded, jumped up versions of the JCM-800 with KT-88 tubes. Now for live tones...

A common misconception is that Corgan used the same Big Muff Pi and JCM-800 live on the Siamese Dream TOUR, which is false. He couldn't get the Muff to sound good live, so he ditched the JCM "SOUL" head and started using a JMP-1 preamp going through a Marshall Monobloc power amp in rackmount form. He had already owned the Mesa-Boogie Strategy 500 power amps during the recording of Siamese Dream, but he wouldn't incorporate the two units into his rack until early 1995. A lot of the effects was an Eventide H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer and possibly something else. He loved the Yamaha REX-50 on the Gish tour as well.

I know this is for the album tones, but I'd like to add context to a live application

@BillypilgrimII 1 month ago (edited)

As a gear head I love this. As a musician tone fixations are kinda silly. What makes Siamese Dream great is inspired playing and musical ideas. Listen to 'Beneath the Remains' by Sepultura. Recorded on toilet paper equipment using potatoes for guitars. Sounds amazing, because of the great playing and great ideas. Props to Eddie for his amazing ear. Thanks for the research and work, Eddie.

@jsantos1104 4 years ago

For your Melancholy cover, try “Here is no why” and “Bodies”. Thanks! Also, awesome tip on the Jordan Buzz Tone.

@martinalmaraz8244 3 years ago

Infinite Sadness tone next with only pedals

@joshuacotto 2 years ago

Yeah I think I’ve replicated your sounds with a few changes to the choice of pedals. HUGE SOUND. Thank you so much and I’ve tested this live, it holds up really greatly

@garethwonham 2 years ago

Staggered this ain’t a bigger channel or more views at the minimum. Amazing band and a true masterpiece of the 90s. Really does make you miss the 90s

@colmkelly5524 7 days ago (edited)

Reading through the Performance Notes in the Siamese Dream tab book, Billy talks about using a “Univibe wah pedal” to control the pitch of “this squealing sound” or “weird harmonic feedback” which was happening through the amp head on the solo to Quiet.