Riff Tone

Ride The Lightning (Bonus Track)

Megadeth

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarB.C. Rich Bich

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203

PickupsB.C. Rich stock humbuckers (likely DiMarzio Super Distortion or similar, era-correct high-output humbuckers)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass5.5

mid4

treble7

reverb0

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1984-1985 era. Dave Mustaine used B.C. Rich Bich guitars and Marshall JCM800 amps for the 'Killing Is My Business...' sessions and era. No direct evidence of pedals or effects for this specific bonus track, but this matches the documented rig for Megadeth's earliest recordings. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this track.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutingscooped midshigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationcrisp, biting treblechunky low endfast, staccato riffingminimal ambiencedry, focused sound

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking with aggressive palm muting and tight rhythm, typical of early thrash metal. The tempo and technical demands make it challenging for most players.

Sources

Dave Mustaine Reflects on Megadeth's 'Killing Is My Business… and ...

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