Marshall DSL40C settings
Holy Wars settings for Marshall DSL40C
Megadeth · adapted 10 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Megadeth "Holy Wars" riff tone on a Marshall DSL40C, set Gain 7.5, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 7, Presence 6.5, Resonance 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a PRS SE Custom 24 · updated 2026-10-21
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Marshall DSL40C knobs
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Resonance
- 6
- Tone shift
- 0
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting for clarity in the riff.
- Use aggressive pick attack to achieve the sharp articulation.
- Maintain a staccato feel in your playing to match the original riff's rhythm.
The original rig
What Megadeth used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall DSL40C 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 Marshall DSL40C settings for Holy Wars?
Set Gain 7.5, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 7, Presence 6.5, Resonance 6.
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 PRS SE Custom 24. 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 DSL40C
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Alive · Pearl Jam
- Man in the Box · Alice in Chains
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Lithium · Nirvana
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.