Riff Tone

Happiness In Slavery

Nine Inch Nails

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s or early 1990s, as used by Trent Reznor in studio)

AmpMarshall JCM800 (likely 2203 or 2210, as used by NIN in early 1990s studio sessions)

PickupsHumbuckers (likely stock Gibson pickups, possibly Dirty Fingers or 490R/498T)

Amp Settings

gain8.5

bass5.5

mid4.5

treble7

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionUnknown Distortion pedal (model unknown)

noise_gateUnknown Noise gate (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1991-1992 for 'Broken' EP. No direct evidence for alternate guitars/amps for this riff; Les Paul/Marshall is the most cited NIN studio setup for this era. No evidence of live rig or alternate gear for this specific song section.

Tone Character(10)

gain-soaked and saturatedtight and percussivecompressed and processedaggressive midrange attackslightly scooped midsindustrial metal wall of soundlow in the mix but densechugging, palm-muted rhythmnot bright or janglystudio multi-tracked layers

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, percussive palm muting and precise rhythm under high-gain settings, with additional challenge from the dense, layered studio production.

Sources

NIN Songs: Hidden "Secrets" : r/nin - Reddit

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