Riff Tone

High Speed Dirt

Megadeth

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarJackson King V (early 1990s, likely USA Custom Shop, Dave Mustaine signature or prototype)

AmpMarshall 1959SLP Super Lead (modded for higher gain, as used by Mustaine on 'Countdown to Extinction')

PickupsSeymour Duncan SH-4 JB (bridge humbucker, stock for Mustaine's Jacksons in this era)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid4

treble7.5

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1992. Gear based on known studio rig for 'Countdown to Extinction' era. No evidence of pedals for riff tone; distortion from amp. Pickup and amp model inferred from era and interviews. No evidence of effects loop or additional pedals for rhythm/riff section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutingchunky low endrazor-sharp clarityarticulate note separationdry, immediate responseminimal ambiencesharp pick attackhigh-gain saturation

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking and tight palm muting at high speed, demanding precise right-hand technique and rhythmic accuracy.

Sources

megadeth tone - forum topic | Ultimate Guitar Noobie amp question : r/metalguitar - Reddit

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