Floods amp settings — Vox VT40X

The Pantera guitar tone for “Floods”, dialed in for a Vox VT40X with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) — outro solo

Original rig

Randall RG-100 head, Dean/Washburn ML with Bill Lawrence L-500XL (bridge), Furman PQ3 parametric EQ, MXR 6-Band EQ, Rocktron Hush noise gate

Scooped yet articulate high-gain lead with singing sustain, strong 800Hz cut, boosted highs around 3.2kHz, tight low end, fluid legato response

Amp settings — Vox VT40X

CHANNELUS HI GAIN (amp model selector)BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	7
Mid	3
Treble	7
Presence	8
Reverb	0
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01VT40X Internal Noise Gate

Essential for Dimebag's tight, gated attack — access via VET software or panel edit

Threshold 6

02VT40X Internal Graphic EQ (post-amp)

Mimics Dime's scooped 800Hz dip and boosted upper-mids — use VET editor or onboard EQ block

100Hz 5 · 200Hz 5 · 400Hz 4 · 800Hz 2 · 1.6kHz 6 · 3.2kHz 8 · 6.4kHz 6

Why these settings

The VT40X's US HI GAIN model approximates solid-state Randall aggression better than its tube-voiced options. Dimebag's original ran mid at 3/10 with gain at 10, but your Ibanez's ceramic humbuckers are hotter than his L-500XL, so gain drops to 8 to prevent mud. The internal graphic EQ is critical — Dime's entire rig was built around stacked EQs cutting 800Hz and boosting 3.2kHz for that searing, scooped-but-present lead voice.

PRO TIPDimebag's legato sustain came from extremely low action and light fretting pressure — let the gain do the work, don't death-grip the neck. For his signature squeals, catch the harmonic node directly above the neck pickup while picking aggressively near the bridge.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Vox VT40X. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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