Forty Six & 2

The recording

Adam Jones recorded the guitar parts for "Forty Six & 2" in a Drop D tuning (D A D G B E) during the 1996 sessions for the album Ænima. The performance features tight, palm‑muted rhythm riffs and soaring lead lines that shift between clean and high‑gain textures. The session was produced and mixed by David Bottrill, who captured the aggressive guitar tone that drives the song’s dynamic shifts.

Tuning Drop D (D A D G B E)

Reported gear

Gibson Les Paul Custom (Silverburst)

Guitar

Adam Jones used a Gibson Les Paul Custom in Silverburst finish on the recording, delivering a thick mahogany tone and high‑output humbuckers that drive the heavy riffs of "Forty Six & 2".

Dunlop 535Q Cry Baby Wah

Wah Pedal

A Dunlop 535Q Cry Baby Wah was part of Jones’s effects chain for the Ænima sessions, adding expressive sweeps on the bridge sections of "Forty Six & 2".

MXR Phase 90

Phase Pedal

The subtle modulation heard on the verses was created with an MXR Phase 90, providing a swirling texture that complements the song’s shifting dynamics.

Boss DD-5 Digital Delay

Delay Pedal

Jones employed a Boss DD‑5 digital delay to layer echo on the lead lines, giving the track its atmospheric depth.

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Amp

The core distortion tone was generated by a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier set to the Modern High‑Gain channel with a silicon diode rectifier, delivering tight low end and aggressive mids as described in tone‑analysis posts.

Mesa/Boogie 4×12 Recto Traditional Slant Cabinet (Celestion V30)

Cabinet

The amp was voiced into a Mesa/Boogie 4×12 Recto Traditional Slant cabinet loaded with Celestion V30 speakers, providing focused mids and a tight low‑end that shape the guitar’s presence on the track.

Alternatives

Epiphone Les Paul Standard

Budget alternative · for the Gibson Les Paul Custom (Silverburst)

$400 to $600

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

Budget alternative · for the Boss DD-5 Digital Delay

$100 to $120

Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah

Budget alternative · for the Dunlop 535Q Cry Baby Wah

$50 to $70

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Reissue

Reissue · for the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

$1,800 to $2,200

Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter

Budget alternative · for the MXR Phase 90

$80 to $100

Mesa/Boogie Recto 4×12 Cabinet

Still made · for the Mesa/Boogie 4×12 Recto Traditional Slant Cabinet (Celestion V30)

$800 to $1,200

Practical playing approach

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

1. 1.Tune the guitar to Drop D (D A D G B E) before playing.
2. 2.Use heavy palm‑muting on the low strings for the chuggy rhythm parts.
3. 3.Apply alternate picking on the fast sixteenth‑note sections to keep timing tight.
4. 4.Add subtle vibrato on sustained notes for expressive phrasing.
5. 5.Blend the wah pedal into bridge passages for vocal‑like tone sweeps.