Riff Tone

I Want Out

Helloween

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP Mirage Custom (Kai Hansen) or Fender Stratocaster (Michael Weikath), both with humbuckers

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203

PickupsSeymour Duncan JB (bridge humbucker) or DiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid5

treble7.5

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1987-1988. Gear inferred from artist interviews and era; no direct source confirms exact guitar for riff, but Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath both used ESP Mirage/Strat-style guitars with humbuckers and Marshall JCM800 amps for the 'Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II' sessions. No evidence of pedal use for main riff; effects inferred from audio and genre.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivecrisp attackhigh-gain saturationarticulate rhythm clarityfocused low endslight upper-mid biteminimal ambienceclassic 80s Marshall crunchfast alternate pickingaggressive palm muting

Difficulty

The riff requires fast alternate picking and tight palm muting at a high tempo, demanding precise rhythm and stamina, but does not involve advanced lead techniques.

Sources

The NEWER Ultimate Settings Thread! - forum topic | Ultimate Guitar Helloween guitar tone : r/metalguitar - Reddit Iron Savior Members, Gear & Sound | Equipboard

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