Get this tone on your rig
Tuned to the exact gear you own
The recording
Pull Me Under was recorded between October and December 1991 at BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York, produced by David Prater. John Petrucci tracked his parts with his original Ibanez RG equipped with DiMarzio humbucker pickups, routed through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head into a 4x12 Rectifier cabinet, creating the aggressive high-gain tone that drives the song.
Tuning Standard (E A D G B E)
Signal chain
Reported gear
Ibanez RG (late 1980s)
Guitar
Petrucci recorded Pull Me Under using his original Ibanez RG fitted with DiMarzio humbucker pickups, delivering the aggressive rhythm tone heard throughout the track.
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (1990)
Amp
The guitar signal was routed through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head, providing the high-gain distortion foundation for both rhythm and lead sections of Pull Me Under.
Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Rectifier Cabinet (early 1990s)
Cabinet
The distorted signal was projected through a Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Rectifier cabinet, contributing to the tight low-end and pronounced mids heard throughout the mix.
Alternatives
Ibanez RG series
Modern equivalent · for the Ibanez RG (late 1980s)
Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 4x12 Cabinet (reissue)
Modern equivalent · for the Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Rectifier Cabinet (early 1990s)
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (reissue)
Modern equivalent · for the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (1990)
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Maintain strict alternate-picking on the main riff for tight rhythmic precision.
- 2.Palm-mute the low E string on the verses to tighten the groove.
- 3.Execute legato runs on the lead sections with smooth finger transitions.
- 4.Use a firm pick attack to accentuate the high-gain tone.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Pull Me Under guitar tone?
The available research points to Ibanez RG (late 1980s) into Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (1990). The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Pull Me Under 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 Pull Me Under in?
The current research record lists Standard (E A D G B E). ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Pull Me Under 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.
