Riff Tone

North Side Star

Mastodon

Guitarmetal2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarESP LTD BK-600 Bill Kelliher Signature

AmpMarshall JCM800 Lead Series (1977/1978, 100-watt, through Marshall 1960B 4x12 with 20-watt Celestions)

PickupsLace Dissonant Aggressor humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass6

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveIbanez Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer (or similar overdrive, for tone shaping)

noise_gateUnknown Noise Gate (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 2017 (Emperor of Sand sessions). Bill Kelliher's main rhythm tone for this era was achieved with vintage Marshall JCM800s and his signature ESP LTD BK-600 loaded with Lace Dissonant Aggressor pickups. No evidence of live rig or Friedman amps on this specific recording. Effects are minimal, with overdrive pedals sometimes used for tone shaping but most gain from amp. No evidence of Axe-FX or digital rigs on this track.

Tone Character(9)

tight and percussivecrushing, saturated distortionclear note separationpunchy, mid-forward attackarticulate palm-muted chugsmodern metal clarityaggressive pick attackslightly fuzzy texturecontrolled feedback on sustained notes

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, articulate palm muting and precise alternate picking to maintain clarity under high-gain settings, with syncopated rhythms and dynamic control adding to the challenge.

Sources

Mastodon: Epic Wail - Premier Guitar Gear Rundown: Mastodon - Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher How to Sound Like MASTODON | guitarguitar

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