Riff Tone
Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
Judas Priest
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s/early 80s, as used by Glenn Tipton on Defenders of the Faith)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1983/1984)
PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker (bridge position, as per Tipton's known mods for this era)
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass5.5
mid5
treble7.5
reverb1.5
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
flangerUnknown Flanger pedal (model unknown)
Notes
Studio recording for 'Defenders of the Faith' (1983/1984). Gear based on era-accurate interviews and typical Judas Priest setup; no direct studio documentation found for this song, but forum and historical evidence supports this configuration.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutingsaturated British crunchslight modulation swirlarticulate note separationfocused midrangemetallic edgecontrolled feedbackcrisp attackclassic 80s metal rhythm
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, consistent palm muting and precise picking to maintain the aggressive metal feel, with moderate technical challenge due to rhythmic syncopation and speed.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s/early 80s, as used by Glenn Tipton on Defenders of the Faith)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1983/1984)
PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker (bridge position, as per Tipton's known mods for this era)
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass5.5
mid5
treble7.5
reverb1.5
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
flangerUnknown Flanger pedal (model unknown)
Notes
Studio recording for 'Defenders of the Faith' (1983/1984). Gear based on era-accurate interviews and typical Judas Priest setup; no direct studio documentation found for this song, but forum and historical evidence supports this configuration.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutingsaturated British crunchslight modulation swirlarticulate note separationfocused midrangemetallic edgecontrolled feedbackcrisp attackclassic 80s metal rhythm
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, consistent palm muting and precise picking to maintain the aggressive metal feel, with moderate technical challenge due to rhythmic syncopation and speed.
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