Tone library / Alice in chains / Man in the box

Man in the box amp settings — Marshall Code 50

The Alice in chains guitar tone for “Man in the box”, dialed in for a Marshall Code 50 with a Dean Vendetta XM. Studio version, Facelift (1990)

Original rig

G&L Rampage with Seymour Duncan humbucker (bridge), Bogner Fish preamp into Marshall JCM800 power section, Dunlop Crybaby wah cocked/swept

Dark grinding crunch with vocal midrange bite, wah-colored aggression, not fully saturated metal
Amp settings — Marshall Code 50
CHANNELJCM800 preamp modelBRIGHToffBOOSToff
GAIN 7 BASS 7 MID 6 TREBLE 6 PRESENCE 6 REVERB 0 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain7
Bass7
Mid6
Treble6
Presence6
Reverb0
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Auto Wah (CODE built-in)

Set Mode to ENV or LFO slow; park it mid-sweep for the cocked-wah vowel sound on the main riff, or sweep manually during fills

Sensitivity 4 · Frequency 5 · Tone 4
Why these settings

Your CODE 50 has the JCM800 preamp model which matches the original power section character. Gain 7 captures the grinding crunch without over-saturating — Cantrell's tone breathes more than modern metal. The Dean's humbuckers are slightly hotter than the original G&L, so gain stays moderate. The Auto Wah effect built into the CODE substitutes for the Crybaby; set sensitivity low so it responds to pick attack like a real wah rocked partway.

PRO TIPThe iconic 'man in the box' vocal quality comes from the wah parked at about 40% sweep — not fully cocked, not toe-down. Experiment with the Frequency knob on the Auto Wah between 4-6 to find that nasal vowel sweet spot, then dig in hard with downstrokes on the low strings.

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These settings are for a Marshall Code 50. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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