Fender Hot Rod Deluxe settings
Holy Wars settings for Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
Megadeth · adapted 4 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Megadeth "Holy Wars" riff tone on a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, 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 Epiphone Explorer · updated 2026-10-17
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe knobs
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0
- Bright Switch
- 1
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting for clarity in the riff.
- Use aggressive pick attack to achieve sharp articulation.
- Maintain a staccato feel to enhance the percussive nature of the riff.
The original rig
What Megadeth used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 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 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 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 Epiphone Explorer. 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 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Pride and Joy · Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
- Back In Black · AC/DC
- Man in the Box · Alice in Chains
- Walk · Pantera
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.