Riff Tone

Hangar 18

Megadeth

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarJackson King V (likely custom, with Seymour Duncan JB pickup)

AmpMarshall JCM 800 (studio recording, 1990)

PickupsSeymour Duncan JB (bridge humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass5.5

mid4.5

treble7.5

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for 'Rust In Peace' (1990). Dave Mustaine used a Jackson guitar with Seymour Duncan pickups (likely JB in bridge), into a Marshall stack (JCM 800 most probable). No evidence of VHT or Bogner for the riff section. No confirmed pedal use for rhythm/riff section; boost/overdrive pedal possible but not confirmed for studio rhythm. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and amp model.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate attackscooped but present midsbright and cuttingcontrolled low endminimal ambiencefocused and dryfast alternate picking clarity

Difficulty

The riff section of 'Hangar 18' is challenging due to its fast tempo, tight palm muting, and precise alternate picking, requiring advanced rhythm technique and stamina.

Sources

Riff writing artist masterclass | MusicRadar Hangar 18/symphony of destruction tone - forum topic - Ultimate Guitar The Megalife of Megadeth's Dave Mustaine - Premier Guitar

This tone has been researched 3 times by the community

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account