Solo Tone

He-Man Woman Hater

EXTREME

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarWashburn N4 (early model, likely alder body, Bill Lawrence L500 bridge pickup, Seymour Duncan 59 neck pickup)

AmpMarshall JCM2000 DSL 100 Head

PickupsBill Lawrence L500 (bridge), Seymour Duncan '59 (neck)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass5

mid4

treble4

reverb2

presence3.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1990 (recorded for 'Pornograffitti'). Nuno Bettencourt used his Washburn N4 signature with the Bill Lawrence L500 in the bridge for the solo. Amp settings are based on Nuno's own descriptions for his Marshall DSL head, though not confirmed for this exact song. No evidence of live rig or alternate studio amps for this solo.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivearticulate attacksinging sustainclear note separationdynamic and expressivecrunchy yet smoothwarm midrangefocused high endminimal ambient effectshigh-gain saturation

Difficulty

This solo is widely regarded as one of the most technically demanding in rock, requiring expert-level two-handed tapping, string skipping, and speed, as well as precise articulation and dynamic control.

Sources

Nuno Bettencourt unpicks his Rise guitar solo | Guitar World Nuno Bettencourt’s Hyper-Speed Arpeggios - Premier Guitar Learn 5 ways to shred like Nuno Bettencourt with this lesson in Extreme guitar playing | Guitar World

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