Chasing Guitar Tone: Alice in Chains, “Them Bones”

Fun with isolated tracks! Let's take a look at the isolated guitar tracks for Alice in Chains "Them Bones".
Contest for a free pedal: To be eligible, you must comment on the video and give it a thumbs up. I'll randomly pick ONE viewer to win a Wampler Pedal of their choice. Giveaway ends September 1, 2018. I'll reply to your comment and send you a message through KZbin if you're the lucky winner! Edit update: Contest is now over.
Original song from Alice in Chains in full:
• Alice In Chains - Them...

[@BKandtheUnderstanding]

Dude, I like “Them Bones” even better just listening to these dissected Cantrell tracks. I never realized just how great those guitar parts actually sounded.

[@tomorama223]

Ron Champagne, who was the guitar engineer on this track, is a friend of mine here in Calgary. He still owns the legendary amp that Them Bones (and all of AIC's old stuff) was recorded on. It's a Marshall JCM800 that was modified by the guy from Bogner amps before he started his namesake company. The amp is fucking incredible to play on, and definitely a little noisy, in a good way. He says Jerry still occasionally asks if he can buy it from him! The level of care with which they made those old tracks is still evident today.

[@MRSludgedude]

Do they run full gain and how is the equalizer set? Assume they run scooped mids a bit.

[@jmetalsmith1362]

That's cool that you caught this thread! I always wondered what was driving that tone.

[@blacktoothgriner]

Most likely Rola G65s for the sustain.

[@becauseiwasinverted5222]

Hey man do us all a favor and tell Ron he's got to give out the specs on that amp sometime. Give the people tone!

[@Naughtforeye]

​@@caca_spaniel_123Yes he used that modded JCM800, but he also used a very, very, very early version of a Bogner UberShall and a Bogner Ecstasy modded. He also used a 3 guitar rig one for the lows, mids and highs.... Absolutely massive.

[@MJHunt434]

Love these chasing tone videos. The track that got me going as a younger man was the song straight after this one. Dam That River. Directly responsible for me getting a speeding ticket.

[@CorbCorbin]

TheKiwiSaint Did you sing to the cop, "And maybe I don't give a damn anyway!" ??? 😝 Awesome song. That album is so influential, and I saved up for a CD, after burning through two cassettes, back in the winter of 92'-93'. So many bands made a career off of their formula. Some good, some ok, most bad, but it had influence through multiple genres.

[@justinrisen1929]

@@CorbCorbin Dont agree with that description of them at all lol must be listening to a different band but no worries everyone has an opinion right haha

[@colby69420]

@@justinrisen1929 what don’t u agree with?

[@ronniesmith4834]

I’ve recently just started checking in to these vlogs, and I really, truly enjoy them. Keep up the good work, love the pedals!!!

[@wampler_pedals]

Contest for a free pedal: To be eligible, you must comment on the video and give it a thumbs up. I'll randomly pick ONE viewer to win a Wampler Pedal of their choice. Giveaway ends September 1, 2018. I'll reply to your comment and send you a message through KZbin if you're the lucky winner! (Sept 1 edit, contest is now closed)

[@stevensloane]

Wampler Pedals great video Brian!

[@raleighdentcompany]

I need a Wampler pedal on my board....

[@MrBig8baller]

Wow. Thank you for the great video.

[@xw0ex948]

U da man!

[@Pokey7317]

GREAT VIDEO... I believe he uses Bogner Shiva amps

[@AlphaDude95]

Jerry Cantrell has one of the best tones ever!

[@onevoiceinc]

I've always been a big Satriani fan, but when I heard Jerry's tone, it changed EVERYTHING. Yeah, he's a beast.

[@rachesona7x]

More of this please, loved the tips and wee bits of info!!

[@WilliamKenney]

I've always loved dissecting songs in this manner. Peeling all those layers back is super enlightening. Thanks!

[@willbartnik4166]

Love the idea of these “tone chasing” videos. You’ve done some exceptional work, not only with just making pedals, but also being a public figure when it comes to demonstrating your knowledge through videos, just like this one, and many many more. For me, both Even Flow by Pearl Jam and La Grange by ZZ Top make me want to floor it down the highway.

[@scrapmetalhead8560]

Being a bedroom guitar player myself, I thank you for doing videos like these, that isolate and examine the techniques of recording! I learn so much and are personally indispensable to me. I appreciate you using AIC's 'Them Bones' as it's one of my favorite tracks from the band and clearly a bundle of the sound that they are identified for in such a short composition at 2min 29 sec. Equally one of my favorite songs that I just have to crank up everytime I hear it is Love/Hate 'Blackout In The Red Room'. At 2min 31sec this is also a massive sounding composition in a small package that reveals every quality of tone, technique and attitude 80s-into 90s metal conveyed. Thanks again and keep up the good work!

[@vontippitt]

I've been working on nailing this guitar tone all week. I was pretty stoked to see this!

[@dougnorton4690]

Nice job on the breakdown of the tracks, Brian. It does reveal quite a bit of the “trickery” that they do in the studio. Keep ‘em coming, I enjoyed it.

[@electricaxe0734]

“Kickstart my heart” by Motley Crue always makes me want to speed. Its super high energy. Thanks!

[@starsfire1201]

Great video! I liked hearing the different parts of the song isolated.

[@danmessick]

Appreciate your videos! They’ve really helped me improve my tone

[@GreenIce101]

Awesome video, Brian! Killin it as always!

[@simonfreer9076]

Have yourself a great Labour day weekend Brian. You're a great addition to the guitar community.

[@jordandedomusic]

This was one of the songs that really did it for me when I was younger too but Jerry's tone on Facelift, namely Bleed the Freak really changed my life. That gooey, singing sustain on the intro lead parts over the clean arpeggiated stuff blew me away. Before that it was the tones and overall mix on Empire by Queensryche and Slash's tones but AIC took it over the top for me and caused me to start "chasing".

[@alstiver]

Excellent breakdown and analysis of an awesome song! Well done sir!

[@justinellis9465]

I really dig your video. It really gives a good understanding of how they put everything together to create a masterpiece.

[@seangamble7480]

Love this kind of content!!!!

[@colt.thrower]

Your channel and your pedals are amazing, I've tried out my buddies Ego compressor and was blown away. The album that still makes me feel happy to be alive is Van Halen 1. Just mind blowing

[@rtmcmon]

Love your stuff, man. Started watching your videos and I can't stop! Thanks for making awesome pedals and being such an inspiration to the community!

[@touron119]

Nice work finding the tracks and taking the time to make a video for us. I appreciate your teansparancy of showing us and telling us of the business side of the instrument industry. Thanks

[@JordanBerliant]

I love these videos---they are truly informative and while it would be easy for Brian to use them merely to promote his own products, instead he take a more altruistic approach. Every guitar player can benefit by watching these videos. Thank you, Brian!

[@wampler_pedals]

Thank you! Glad you like the videos! 😊

[@larryd2112]

Absolutely love AIC, and dirt is a brilliant record. It still resonates with me today as much the day it was released. Jerry has been a massive influence for me as a guitar player.

[@houstonhli2]

Great breakdown. Thanks for all the great content!

[@envirotechcleaning1002]

Always appreciate what you guys do, Brian! Keep it up!

[@infectioushobo]

Oh dude Cult of Personality by Living Color always got me going pretty hard growing up. Love that riff and sound.

[@jrae547]

One of my favorite songs. Any groovy metal is fun to learn.

[@imdylanr4503]

Loved the video Brian! I’d like to see more videos like this!

[@dlmvh5150]

Your videos rock Brian! The Eq pedal tutorial really up'd my overall sound!!! Thanks brother and keep them coming!!!!

[@gproud5150]

Jerry's guitar tone is one of the best and I've read multiple interviews of him double, triple, quadruple tracking parts. Massive sound.

[@mtheshust]

Love these breakdowns. Please do more! Btw... I could totally use a tumnus deluxe...

[@stevenconrady1990]

Your videos are always incredibly informative. Thanks for making such great content, you really help me get to know my rig!

[@jayrichards6101]

Brian, Thanks for another great and Informative video You take the mystery out of finding time for us home players It’s like having a connection in the music industry who gives you the insider tips!

[@tituschalk]

Brian, giveaway or not i think what everyone appreciates about you (apart from the pedals!) Is precisely your generosity of spirit and transparency about what you're doing. Anyway, sounds like we grew up in a similar era - grunge definitely being the music that switched me on to guitar (I remember fierce classroom arguments about whether Alice in Chains were better than Nirvana. Certainly we agree they had to better than Pearl Jam). As to the song that gets me going today, something with that nostalgia factor, I'd have to go with Cherub Rock by the Pumpkins. Or for a real guilty pleasure when I'm at the gym or something... how about Screamager by Therapy? :) All the best and keep up the great work!

[@liberty5565]

Smashing Pumpkins live at Metro is a must watch for Pumpkin fans or anyone... Silver F%ck is killer, but I agree with Cherub Rock. Billy was so underrated as a guitarist, that guy can play. His riffs are so wicked and his sound is unmistakable. Big thick heavy sound, Marshall and Big Muff... He also wrote a ton of great songs. We grew up spoiled, when I was a kid it was Sabbath, Zeppelin, Skynyrd, CCR, Pink Floyd, Mud Honey, Ministry, Then when I was 17 or 18, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Tool, AIC, Pearl Jam, Filter, Pantera, NIN, Helmet, Deftones, etc, etc.... Just massive bands.

[@MrChrisPalmer]

Yeah, Therapy?! Glad to hear someone remembers them. Irish powerhouse!

[@thomasfokas]

I’ve been a tone-chaser since the early 80s. I worked for and designed Kirk Hammett’s rig for Justice For All session. When I heard AIC I was floored at how huge it sounded. Ps: Tumnus Deluxe is my favorite pedal ever. Props!!! I’m letting my friend use it and he won’t give it back to me but he’s also let me a shit load of petals as well so he uses them a lot more live and even when he plays clean he has that panel in the signal chain because he says it just makes his amp sound 50 times better.

[@bobibalakchiev6219]

Love this type of video! Nice job, dude!

[@scowlsandjowls]

All hail the wampler vlog! Killer tone breakdown. Keep em coming my man!

[@kevinhanshew3703]

Awesome idea...im 48 years old so ive been jamming for a really long time now. A song that always got my attention was "The Confessor" from Joe Walsh. Awesome tone and always sounded so huge coming out of my pioneer stereo with a lot of bass. Always enjoy your vids Mr.W😀

[@kevinhanshew3703]

Also id like to add that alice in chains producer liked to put the mics at the front and back of the amp cab to get a fuller sound.

[@br0mn0m]

I like this series, it reminds me of one by Rick Beato. The song that gets me to drive faster is Pretender by Foo Fighters

[@wampler_pedals]

I LOVE Rick Beato's channel - highly recommended!

[@planetpjr]

oh yeah Rick is essential.

[@mrzombieteddybear]

I agree with the Beato thing! i love that guys videos! if you see this rick i learn lots of cool things from you! thanks man! also my name is Dylan too!

[@onevoiceinc]

I like that you and Rick can both cover the same song, YET from two different perspectives. Good stuff.

[@patternsintheivey]

Thanks for this! Keep 'em coming.

[@marcuscarrozza732]

I like your instructional pedals build vids. You make them simple & easy for someone like me to build on his own. It makes me feel good that I can do something that will be a part of my gear. I just wanted to say thank you!

[@41DegreesSouth]

Too many songs to list them all, but Minerva by Deftones always gets me hyped! BTW: love these videos - it's interesting following you down your rabbit holes :)

[@kaidengathings3096]

Lhabia gets my blood pumping hahaha. I love both those albums though. Good Morning Beautiful is a great song too! I need to see deftones again

[@alten2122]

I was totally thinking of a ton of Deftones songs too!

[@travislee9662]

I used to play the crap out of EA sports NHL 2004 and it had Minerva on it. It never got old. Still rocks today!

[@OculusSF]

For me, it was Smashing Pumpkins' "Rocket"(or all of Siamese Dream, for that matter). Found out later, it was a massively layered (70s)Big Muff.

[@chrisleoniak4410]

Thanks for your videos. Just found them, but learning lots of good stuff. Cheers!

[@BumDump]

Love these kind of videos. Exactly what it made me hooked to rick beato. Just opened my new studio and planning to record stuff when i complete the gears. Meanwhile, watching videos like these are gems! Keep it up

[@phatman1478]

"Them bones" has one of the most hauntingly, beautiful melodies of all time!

[@philparramore6376]

The song that really gets me is “Ain’t Talking Bout Love” by Van Halen. The guitar tone for the intro is HUGE.

[@bdobberstein]

I always find it so fascinating to hear the comparison between the left and right channels, and how big that makes the guitar tracks... And I always love Brian's videos!!

[@GOOOGAM]

Great video and very informative. Please keep on sharing such videos. I love it and love wampler

[@jaskiniamestwa]

For me it was Blur - Song 2! I used to play a lot o FIFA '98, and the song played on the intro...I would often restart the game just to hear Song 2 again, later I saw the official video and the guitarist kicking ProCo RAT for the total destruction.. Since then I never stopped dreaming to rock out like that one day. I'm not sure though, if my new Wampler distortion pedal will survive such kick. Thanks!

[@davidmoss8993]

awesome how today you can isolate everything it's a great learning tool, for me growing up in the 60s, has to be The Beatles Abbey Road. i still remember walking to the old electrical shop to buy it. so many great songs on there, but if i had to pick one, it would be, Something, by George Harrison, it has everything and that awesome Les Paul solo. regards, David.

[@rypline]

Killer idea Brian. I love having all these iso tracks.

[@jeday76]

Love your videos! Just became a subscriber! I was a teenager in the early 90’s and Alice In Chains was one of my favorite bands. Rooster was the song that really used to get me pumped! Really liked The Mad Season album that Layne sang on too. Thanks for your videos man, and keep them coming!

[@daleweber2579]

Them Bones was recorded by "Quad Tracking" used the bridge humbucker with Les Paul standard,& G&L Rampage and there was a Peavey Wolfgang. Jerry Cantrell is a huge EVH fan as like Dimebag. You can hear his Rampage at part of the solo double track one was a Gibson Les Paul Standard other was G&L Rampage you hear the dive bomb that was the Kahler Trem bar. So, basically, we hear Gibson Les Paul Standard rhythm on the Left Peavey Wolfgang Gold top at that era. rhythm on the right. Then it was blended together for a fat heavy rhythm sound and used the G&L Rampage for the Leads combined with The Les Paul which *cough* sounds better than the Wolfgang (sorry sad but true). The Fender Franken Strat beater backup in the video wasn't used for the recording, was just a video prop but He used playing Live. Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoades, Dimebag Darrell and Zakk Wylde has used this trick. Song makes me wanna drive fast is Machine Head "Locust" but so does any Pantera song, tThe Cure Disintegration and Stone Temple Pilots-Big Empty

[@bigstar5931]

Dale Weber yup, tone on Disintegration is enormous, didn't even consider that one

[@chrismartinez8390]

Disintegration!! I remember getting grief from my metal friends. I never gave a fuck. 56 years old. Cure is, will always be one of greatest bands ever!!

[@japellan6648]

I’m 16 so technically I guess I’m still growing up, but years from now I would say the song that inspired me the most as a young player is Stone Free(Filmore East Version) by Jimi Hendrix. There are of course other songs and bands that mean much more to me on a personal level, but this song just makes me want to pick my guitar up and absolutely suffocate the fretboard more than any other.

[@jamalabdul2009]

Japellan Awesome choice!! Love the guitar solo!!!

[@thisdyingsoul76]

One of my favourites too.

[@andyfromtoystory9000]

I love those vocals so much. The guitars and bass sound so raw. Drums have that perfect room sound. Thanks for breaking this down! Now I wanna go look up their rig rundown...

[@alexmejia6595]

Super fat tones! Love your videos man and I've been following you since the beginning of the Chasing tone podcast with Travis and Max. Keep up the good work!

[@WeDoAdventure]

Commenting because the Nirvana Chorus in Amplitube is the nearest I've got so far to owning an actual Wampler pedal. I have mostly given up speeding but Take Me Home by Phil Collins does get me air drumming!

[@nylesforsyth7341]

Id like to see how close you can get with Wampler pedals to the tone

[@robbievalentine8239]

Nyles Forsyth you can get close with the pinnacle

[@Deathinappalachia]

Cool video Brian... I'm going to have to go through some of the previous ones for more tips & tricks!

[@wesleyharless1526]

I love what you do! Keep up the good work!

[@caseybrentnall9822]

For me it would probably have to be the Siamese Dream tone on a song like Rocket or Hummer.

[@CorbCorbin]

Casey Brentnall Awesome sounds on that album. Corgan usually had two or three tracks, and then Iha would be on a track(not all songs, but most). Usually he's using a 70s Op Amp Big Muff, with MXR Distortion and MXR Phasers, JCM800 with 4x12 cab. Lots of different phasers, but he used the Mu-Tron Bi-phase, on everything. Awesome sounds.

[@User-jk8wq]

CorbCorbin “We run *everything* through it”

[@superdriver777]

Agreed, Hummer has an epic tone. But the ones that alway get me are Window Paine and Rhinoceros from Gish. Big amps, tons of layers, and it's just massive

[@davidpggarrett]

"Hummer" is huge when the crunch guitars come back in after the drum fill!

[@ebiddy4276]

The song that makes me drive way too fast is Roundabout by Yes!

[@jonvandyke9048]

Love the videos and love your pedals more Brian! Keep doing what you do.

[@sylvanzylstra4623]

I like seeing you dig deep to the creation of studio tones. I still feel like your strongest suit is explaining the details and nuance of pedal circuits. Thats what originally brought me to your channel years ago.

[@LeviBulger]

Brian, I'm sure you get asked a thousand times... But will the 65 deluxe pedal ever be reissued? Love the video here btw! Jerry's tone in those older albums is incredible!

[@thorax99]

“Hear About It Later” by VH is my guitar tone ear candy

[@Superjet113]

This in my opinion was one of your best videos Brian. I was very interested and glued to it from beginning to end, no kidding! Those chords are massive and thick sounding anyway and then with the double recording technique, and amp cranked to 11, simply amazing! Please do more of these in a series maybe? Thanks for everything you do on your channel!

[@apollovr6744]

Rooster is that song for me. My all time favorite song. Beautiful sound. Love the channel, great work!

[@evilsquirrelalliance3018]

For me it’s “Burn” by The Cure. It has such an amazing amount of guitars doing all kinds of shit. This video was pretty entertaining and it was great listening to the amazing tone of Jerry Cantrell on this track.

[@justinrisen1929]

Nobody and i mean nobody ive ever met who likes the Cure even remembers Burn let alone sites it as a banger haha... I absolutely love that song.. Fell in love with it from my favorite movie The Crow of course lol awesome to hear it mentioned

[@ClassicK1rk]

Brian, my favorite song of all time is probably going down by Freddie King. 🤘😝🤘

[@41DegreesSouth]

That is such a bloody good song!

[@jackgysbers8770]

THANK YOU! always a good time watching your vids

[@otisblue3533]

Thank you for this video man. Good stuff.

[@daltonpeters7381]

The two songs that always get me fired up is Supernaut by Sabbath or Great white buffalo by ted nugent

[@cirjames2540]

Damn you for taking 2 songs I was going to mention... brilliant picks!

[@travislight9266]

I was gonna say war pigs by Sabbath and stranglehold 😂 but you got here first so I went with Pantera

[@jeddak]

Supernaut - yes!!!!

[@swingthestatue]

Corrosion of Conformity - Clean my Wounds

[@johncore363]

Another great video Brian. Thanks.

[@JosephThayer6]

Awesome! On of my favorite live bands ever!

[@lordwolf123456]

Royal blood is the best band to get pumped to Wampler pedals > everything

[@dotpk1382]

ALex H totally agree! Uh-wait for it- mazing!

[@Diax1324]

Double and quad tracking is a massively important technique

[@grapysword]

Thanks for all the good stuff you share Señor Wampler!

[@samwainman64]

Wampler, you're doing some killer stuff!! Keep it up 👌👌

[@alanredversangel]

For me it has to be the Blue Album by Weezer, but you said song so I'll say My Name is Jonas, the first track, I just can't turn it off after that.

[@caderad3497]

Alan Angel my personal fave off the record 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@bendouglas8733]

My fav song off the blue album is "The World Has Turned and Left me here". "Say it Ain't So" and "The Sweater Song" and "Buddy Holly" got played into the ground.

[@MrAanixon]

Killer video, Creeping Death by Metallica causes me to speed every time.

[@LERDEDERDER]

Great video and awesome song choice. Love that album!

[@matthewyaroslavceff8086]

Loving your pedal videos as well as your general guitar tips and music based videos like this one. There is a reason more than half of my pedals on my board are Wampler!

[@WilmerLebron]

I’m First!! Yeahh!! 🎸🎶🔥🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@Dr_Satan]

Them Bones is one of those songs that's firmly cemented in my memory because of how many freaking times it scared the shit out of me in my ratty old 1970 Ford Ranchero on the way to school in the mornings. As I'm sure you're familiar, on the cassette release of that album the last song on the B side ends a good bit before the end of the actual tape, leaving several minutes of dead air. So as unruly teens are prone to, I would blast that album to ear bleeding volume and rock the whole thing start to finish- as was customary in the day. So it's no surprise that I'd forget the radio was on, and quite loud, only to have that stupid loud "AH!" scream at the beginning of that song startling half awake me into a callback "AH!" multiple times as I frantically searched my brain for the instructions on how to turn the volume knob on the radio down. lol, good times. Good times.

[@wampler_pedals]

ha! Been there!

[@daddyosink4413]

Kids? Dude.... I'm about to be 42 and scared the piss out of myself this morning when I got in the truck.... Apparently I was rocking some Slayer at max volume on the way home last night. Cranked the truck and heard Tom screaming at me. Lol.

[@kSo_music]

Thanks for the tips and the great pedals!

[@chancehowes]

Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge Brian!

[@jjmassey2906]

Jeff Buckley’s entire Grace album, glassy cleans and then thunderous gain interspersed across the tracks underpinning some of the best, rawest and emotive singing I have heard on an album

[@cartercustoms]

Shameless comment to win a pedal! Also, every time I hear Pantera's Walk I definitely drive faster

[@wampler_pedals]

I'm contemplating doing a tone breakdown on that song as well!

[@cartercustoms]

Sweet, looking forward to it if you do it. Can't beat some 90's metal haha. Soundtrack of my youth.

[@smb1412]

This was really cool to see how a song is arranged and recorded!

[@Misha-iw6kd]

LOVE hearing the isolated tracks. Great Job

[@LucasFowler]

Unchained by Van Halen! It’s so gnarly and has so much attitude!

[@oleksandrhorskyi8442]

Them Bones has one of the most haunting melodies! Also: Queens of The Stone Age - Millionaire

[@mitchellwieler]

Really cool to see how a song is put together with the parts in isolation.