Tone library / Pantera / Drag the waters

Drag the waters amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

The Pantera guitar tone for “Drag the waters”, dialed in for a Marshall MG30CFX with a Dean Ml 79 floyd. Studio version, The Great Southern Trendkill (1996)

Original rig

Dean ML with Bill Lawrence L-500XL bridge pickup, Randall RG100ES head (the same one from Cowboys from Hell), Furman PQ-3 parametric EQ, MXR 6-band graphic EQ (V-shape with 800Hz scooped), Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor

Tight, aggressive, scooped-mid thrash with razor-sharp attack and massive low-end chunk — less processed than earlier Pantera, raw and punishing

Amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

CHANNELOD1BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	7
Mid	3
Treble	7
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01MXR 6-band EQ

Dimebag's signature inverted-V shape — 800Hz is the scoop point. Run BEFORE the amp input as a boost/tone shaper, not in FX loop. Level slider full up to push the front end.

100Hz 7 · 200Hz 6 · 400Hz 4 · 800Hz 2 · 1.6kHz 5 · 3.2kHz 7

02Boss OS-2

Color toward OD side (not distortion) — use as a mild boost to tighten the MG30's gain stage and add pick attack. Dime didn't use this pedal but it compensates for the MG30 being looser than a Randall solid-state.

Level 7 · Tone 6 · Drive 3 · Color 2

Why these settings

The Randall RG100ES is a uniquely tight, clinical solid-state amp — the MG30CFX's OD1 channel is warmer and less focused. The MXR EQ scooping 800Hz replicates Dime's signature mid-cut. Added the OS-2 as a light boost (Color toward OD, low Drive) to tighten the attack and compensate for the Marshall's softer low-end response. Keep gain at 8 — the MG saturation gets fizzy above this. No presence knob on MG30CFX.

PRO TIPDime picked HARD directly over the bridge pickup pole pieces with the heel of his palm lightly muting — that percussive attack is 40% of the tone. Practice the pick-hand chunk before tweaking knobs.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Marshall MG30CFX. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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