Blackstar ID:X 50 settings
Holy Wars settings for Blackstar ID:X 50
Megadeth · adapted 10 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Megadeth "Holy Wars" riff tone on a Blackstar ID:X 50, set Gain 7.5, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 7, Presence 6.5, Reverb 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Ibanez GRG131DX-BKF · updated 2026-10-31
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Blackstar ID:X 50 knobs
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0
Playing tips
- Use aggressive palm muting for tight articulation.
- Focus on staccato picking for clarity in fast riffs.
- Maintain a consistent attack to preserve the percussive nature of the riff.
The original rig
What Megadeth used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Blackstar ID:X 50 actually has.
- Guitar
- Jackson KV Pro Dave Mustaine Signature (likely with Bill Lawrence L-500XL bridge pickup)
- Amp
- Marshall JCM800 2203 head into DeCuir 4x12 cabinet with Celestion speakers
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0
Different guitar or pedals? Get Holy Wars adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Megadeth's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Blackstar ID:X 50 settings for Holy Wars?
Set Gain 7.5, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 7, Presence 6.5, Reverb 0.
Which pickup should I use for Holy Wars?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 10.
What gear did Megadeth use on Holy Wars?
Guitar: Jackson KV Pro Dave Mustaine Signature (likely with Bill Lawrence L-500XL bridge pickup). Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 head into DeCuir 4x12 cabinet with Celestion speakers.
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Ibanez GRG131DX-BKF. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Holy Wars on other amps
Popular songs on the Blackstar ID:X 50
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Layla · Derek and the Dominos
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.