Riff Tone
Down 'n' Dirty (Live)
Loudness
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarJackson Soloist (Akira Takasaki signature, likely custom shop, 1980s live era)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (standard for Loudness live in the 1980s)
PickupsSeymour Duncan TB-6 Distortion (bridge humbucker, confirmed for Akira's main live guitar in this era)
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass6
mid6
treble7.5
reverb1.5
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Live performance, 1980s era. Gear based on Akira Takasaki's confirmed live rig for Loudness in this period. No evidence of pedal use for main riff; high-gain Marshall tone. Pickup and amp confirmed by multiple interviews and live footage. Studio versions may differ, but this is for the live version.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive high-gain saturationarticulate pick attackclear note separation under distortioncrisp upper midschunky low endfast alternate picking claritycutting bridge pickup presenceminimal ambience, dry rhythm toneclassic 1980s Japanese metal rhythm sound
Difficulty
The riff demands fast alternate picking, tight palm muting, and precise rhythm at a high tempo, making it challenging for most players.
Sources
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarJackson Soloist (Akira Takasaki signature, likely custom shop, 1980s live era)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (standard for Loudness live in the 1980s)
PickupsSeymour Duncan TB-6 Distortion (bridge humbucker, confirmed for Akira's main live guitar in this era)
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass6
mid6
treble7.5
reverb1.5
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Live performance, 1980s era. Gear based on Akira Takasaki's confirmed live rig for Loudness in this period. No evidence of pedal use for main riff; high-gain Marshall tone. Pickup and amp confirmed by multiple interviews and live footage. Studio versions may differ, but this is for the live version.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive high-gain saturationarticulate pick attackclear note separation under distortioncrisp upper midschunky low endfast alternate picking claritycutting bridge pickup presenceminimal ambience, dry rhythm toneclassic 1980s Japanese metal rhythm sound
Difficulty
The riff demands fast alternate picking, tight palm muting, and precise rhythm at a high tempo, making it challenging for most players.
More Loudness tones
- Soldier of Fortune · riff
- High Try · riff