Riff Tone
Pacific Rim (feat. Tom Morello)
Ramin Djawadi
Guitarrock2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarFender Telecaster (likely American Standard or similar, as used by Tom Morello in studio sessions of this era)
AmpMarshall JCM800 (most likely, based on Tom Morello's known studio rig for heavy riffing in the 2010s)
PickupsFender single-coil (stock Telecaster pickups)
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass5.5
mid6
treble7
reverb1.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
distortionUnknown Distortion pedal (model unknown)
Notes
Studio recording, 2013. No direct source confirms the exact Telecaster or amp model for this track, but Morello is widely documented using a Telecaster and Marshall JCM800 for heavy riff work in this era. No evidence of live-specific gear for this riff section.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivemid-heavy puncharticulate pick attackaggressive and modernclear note separationslightly compresseddynamic responsecontrolled feedbacknot overly saturatedfocused low end
Difficulty
The riff requires solid alternate picking technique, tight timing, and dynamic control to achieve the percussive, punchy sound. While not technically advanced, the precision and energy needed place it at an intermediate level.
Sources
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Original Gear
GuitarFender Telecaster (likely American Standard or similar, as used by Tom Morello in studio sessions of this era)
AmpMarshall JCM800 (most likely, based on Tom Morello's known studio rig for heavy riffing in the 2010s)
PickupsFender single-coil (stock Telecaster pickups)
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass5.5
mid6
treble7
reverb1.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
distortionUnknown Distortion pedal (model unknown)
Notes
Studio recording, 2013. No direct source confirms the exact Telecaster or amp model for this track, but Morello is widely documented using a Telecaster and Marshall JCM800 for heavy riff work in this era. No evidence of live-specific gear for this riff section.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivemid-heavy puncharticulate pick attackaggressive and modernclear note separationslightly compresseddynamic responsecontrolled feedbacknot overly saturatedfocused low end
Difficulty
The riff requires solid alternate picking technique, tight timing, and dynamic control to achieve the percussive, punchy sound. While not technically advanced, the precision and energy needed place it at an intermediate level.