Riff Tone

Holy Diver

Dio

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul (Vivian Campbell's original, maple top, mahogany body, brass nut, DiMarzio X2N bridge pickup)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (likely 100W head, 1982-83 era, with 4x12 cabinet)

PickupsDiMarzio X2N (bridge humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid6

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1982-1983. Gear confirmed by signature model specs and interviews. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for the riff section; tone is amp-driven. Pickup and amp model inferred from Equipboard and signature guitar details. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for studio recording.

Tone Character(10)

scorching and powerful outputharmonic-heavy soundpunchy midrangethick and saturatedtight and percussivearticulate attackhigh-output, aggressiveenhanced sustainclassic British crunchresonant with strong bite

Difficulty

The riff requires tight palm muting, precise timing, and consistent picking attack to achieve the signature percussive metal sound, but does not involve advanced lead techniques or complex chord voicings.

Sources

Epiphone Vivian Campbell “Holy Diver” Les Paul Outfit - What To Know & Where To Buy | Equipboard Bare Knuckle Holy Diver Pickup - What To Know & Where To Buy | Equipboard Dio Members, Gear & Sound | Equipboard

This tone has been researched 9 times by the community

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