Down with the Sickness

The recording

On “Down with the Sickness”, Dan Donegan recorded the razor‑sharp rhythm guitars using a Gibson Les Paul Standard set to the bridge pickup and played through a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier. The amp was run in its high‑gain channel with the silicon diode mode, delivering a tight, percussive low end and aggressive mids. The signal was routed directly into a Mesa Boogie 4×12 cabinet fitted with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers, and the guitar was tuned to Drop Db (Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb). No external pedals were confirmed for the main riff, though a template suggests a Cry Baby wah and other effects may have been used for additional textures.

Tuning Db-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb (Drop Db)

Reported gear

1990s Gibson Les Paul Standard

Guitar

Dan Donegan used his 1990s Gibson Les Paul Standard, equipped with stock humbuckers, for the rhythm tracks on “Down with the Sickness”. He set the guitar’s volume to full and selected the bridge pickup for a tight, aggressive tone.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah (vintage)

Wah Pedal

A Cry Baby wah pedal is listed in Dan Donegan’s tone template for the song and is consistent with his live rig of the era, though no studio documentation confirms its use in this specific track.

Digitech Whammy (1990s)

Whammy Pedal

A Digitech Whammy appears in the Line 6 tone template and matches the pitch‑bending effect heard on the vocal‑like guitar squeals in the bridge section.

Digitech Multi Chorus (1990s)

Chorus Pedal

The Multi Chorus unit is listed in the tone template, likely providing the subtle thickening on the clean interlude sections.

Boss PH‑1 Phaser (1990s)

Phaser Pedal

A Boss PH‑1 phaser is part of the documented template and would add the swirling motion heard in the background textures of the track.

Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier (1990s)

Amplifier

Donegan’s studio tone was driven by a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier, set on the high‑gain channel with the silicon diode mode for tight low end and aggressive saturation.

Mesa Boogie 412 Cabinet (1990s) with Celestion Vintage 30

Cabinet

The amp was miked through a Mesa Boogie 4×12 cabinet loaded with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers, contributing the pronounced mid‑range bite and tight low‑end response heard on the record.

Alternatives

Epiphone Les Paul Standard

Modern equivalent · for the 1990s Gibson Les Paul Standard

$500 to $600

Boss PH‑3 Phase Shifter

Modern equivalent · for the Boss PH‑1 Phaser (1990s)

$130 to $150

Dunlop Cry Baby Classic

Budget alternative · for the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah (vintage)

$70 to $90

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier

Modern equivalent · for the Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier (1990s)

$1,200 to $1,800

Digitech Whammy 4

Modern equivalent · for the Digitech Whammy (1990s)

$150 to $200

Mesa Boogie 4×12 Cabinet (current)

Modern equivalent · for the Mesa Boogie 412 Cabinet (1990s) with Celestion Vintage 30

$900 to $1,300

Boss CE‑2W Chorus (reissue)

Modern equivalent · for the Digitech Multi Chorus (1990s)

$130 to $150

Practical playing approach

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

1. 1.Set the guitar volume to full for maximum pick attack
2. 2.Palm‑mute the bridge strings with tight downstrokes for the chuggy rhythm
3. 3.Let the amp’s high‑gain channel shape the distortion—avoid relying on pedals for the main riff
4. 4.Tune the guitar to Drop Db (Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) to match the recording’s low‑end