Get this tone on your gear
Choose your guitar and amp to get exact knob settings.
Quick tone direction
Use a high-output bridge humbucker into tight solid-state-style gain. Shape the sound before the amp, keep the low end controlled and add enough space for the long lead notes.
- Gain
- High sustain with clear legato and bends
- EQ
- Controlled bass, shaped mids and a bright but smooth attack
- Pickup
- High-output bridge humbucker
- Effects
- Moderate lead ambience; keep repeats below the dry note
- Gate
- Light enough to preserve the long sustain
Floods contains different clean, rhythm, solo and outro textures. This direction is for the main lead sound, not one preset for the full song.
Read the Pantera tone guideThe recording
The solo on Floods was tracked during the sessions for The Great Southern Trendkill using Dimebag Darrell’s Washburn Dime signature‑era guitar equipped with a Bill Lawrence L‑500 series bridge humbucker. The signal passed through a Furman PQ‑3 parametric EQ and an MXR 6‑band graphic EQ before entering a Randall RG‑100 solid‑state head, giving the part its tight, high‑gain, scooped character. Dimebag recorded the part in D‑standard tuning, selecting the bridge pickup and employing his signature aggressive picking and legato phrasing.
Tuning D standard (D–G–C–F–A–D)
Signal chain
Original gear
Washburn Dime 333 Dimebolt (1990s signature‑era)
Guitar
Dimebag recorded the Floods solo using his Washburn Dime signature‑era guitar, his primary instrument during the Trendkill sessions, equipped with a Bill Lawrence L‑500 series bridge humbucker.
Furman PQ‑3 Parametric EQ (1970s)
EQ
A Furman PQ‑3 parametric EQ sits before the amp, shaping the low‑end and adding presence to the solo’s aggressive tone.
MXR 6‑Band Graphic EQ (1980s)
EQ
An MXR 6‑Band Graphic EQ follows the parametric unit, fine‑tuning the frequency response for the scooped tone heard on Floods.
Randall RG‑100 solid‑state head (1990s)
Amp
Alternatives
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Use the bridge pickup on a high‑output humbucker and set the tone control to full.
- 2.Attack the strings with a strong pick attack and incorporate smooth legato runs for fluid phrasing.
- 3.Apply wide‑range vibrato or whammy‑bar bends for the soaring notes.
- 4.Set the amp gain high and shape the tone with a scooped EQ (boosted bass and treble, cut mids) to achieve a tight, aggressive sound.
- 5.Add a subtle delay or reverb to give the solo depth without muddying articulation.
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Floods guitar tone?
The available research points to Washburn Dime 333 Dimebolt (1990s signature‑era) into Randall RG‑100 solid‑state head (1990s). The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Floods amp settings documented?
Exact historical knob positions are not reliably documented for most recordings. ToneTwin does not publish generated values as studio fact; it creates playable settings only for the amp and pedals a player selects.
What tuning is Floods in?
The current research record lists D standard (D–G–C–F–A–D). ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Floods tone on my own gear?
Use the reported pickup, gain character, effects and signal-chain order as the target, then translate that target to your equipment. The matcher models controls for your selected rig rather than copying undocumented studio numbers.
Researched and reviewed by the ToneTwin Research Team.
