Riff Tone

Rattlehead (Clean)

Megadeth

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarBC Rich Bich (early 1980s, stock pickups, as used by Dave Mustaine on Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head with Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1984/1985)

PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge), DiMarzio PAF (neck) (stock configuration for early BC Rich Bich)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid5

treble7

reverb0

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1984/1985. Gear confirmed for this album/era by multiple interviews and period photos. No evidence of pedals or effects used for clean riff section; Megadeth's early tones were typically direct amp with minimal processing.

Tone Character(10)

bright and glassyarticulate and percussivetight low endslightly scooped midsclear note separationminimal sustainfast note decayno audible reverbdirect and in-your-faceno breakup or distortion

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate picking and tight palm muting at a high tempo, demanding good synchronization and clean technique to maintain clarity without distortion.

Sources

Atomic Punks: Dave Mustaine and Chris Broderick Reminisce About Megadeth’s History and Talk 'Super Collider' | Guitar World

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