Marshall CODE50 settings
Holy Wars settings for Marshall CODE50
Megadeth · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Megadeth "Holy Wars" riff tone on a Marshall CODE50, select the JCM800 preset, then set Gain 7.5, Volume 7, Master 7, Bass 5, Mid 6.5, Treble 7. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Epiphone Les Paul · updated 2026-07-20
- Preset / mode
- JCM800
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Marshall CODE50 knobs
- Gain
- 7.5
- Volume
- 7
- Master
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
- Mod fx
- 0
- Pre fx
- 0
- Delay fx
- 0
- Reverb fx
- 0
- Edit button
- 0
- Preset selector
- 4
- Amp model selector
- 0
- Cabinet model selector
- 0
- Power amp model selector
- 0
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting to achieve the percussive attack.
- Use aggressive picking to enhance the articulation of the notes.
- Practice fast, staccato riffing to maintain clarity in high-gain settings.
The original rig
What Megadeth used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall CODE50 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 preset should I use on the Marshall CODE50 for Holy Wars?
Start from the JCM800 preset, then set Gain 7.5, Volume 7, Master 7, Bass 5, Mid 6.5, Treble 7.
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 Les Paul. 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 Marshall CODE50
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Even Flow · Pearl Jam
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Man in the Box · Alice in Chains
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.