Bodies

The recording

‘Bodies’ was recorded at Ocean Studios in Burbank, California during the 2001 Sinner sessions with producer Jay Baumgardner. CJ Pierce crafted the iconic opening riff on a cheap Washburn Lyon Strat before tracking it on his black Jackson Tremonti tuned low, feeding the signal into a Peavey 5150 head. The track’s aggressive crunch comes from a high‑gain preamp combined with a scooped mid‑range, while a DigiTech Whammy adds the pitch‑shifted bends in the bridge solo.

Reported gear

Jackson Tremonti (black, 2001)

Guitar

Pierce used his black Jackson Tremonti as his main drop‑tuned guitar throughout the Sinner sessions, tracking the heavy rhythm parts on 'Bodies'.

DigiTech Whammy (1999)

Pedal

Pierce’s rig included a DigiTech Whammy for pitch‑shifting, used on the bridge solo of 'Bodies' to create soaring octave bends.

Peavey 5150 (1990s)

Amp

The guitars were run through a Peavey 5150 high‑gain head, delivering the saturated, aggressive tone heard on 'Bodies'.

Alternatives

Jackson Dinky

Modern equivalent · for the Jackson Tremonti (black, 2001)

$400 to $600

Peavey 6505+

Modern equivalent · for the Peavey 5150 (1990s)

$1,300 to $1,800

Dunlop DigiTech Whammy

Still made · for the DigiTech Whammy (1999)

$150 to $180

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Palm‑mute the low strings with a tight down‑stroke attack.
2. 2.Tune the guitar low (e.g., Drop D) for the heavy chug.
3. 3.Set the amp’s mids low and boost gain for a saturated, scooped tone.
4. 4.Use a whammy pedal for the octave bends in the bridge solo.
5. 5.Pick near the bridge for a tighter attack and more defined articulation.