Riff Tone
South of Heaven
Slayer
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarB.C. Rich Kerry King V (2nd generation, EMG KFK set)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (Kerry King signature head, likely stock JCM800 for 1988 studio recording)
PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass5.5
mid4.5
treble7
reverb0
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1988. Gear confirmed for this era and album by Premier Guitar and Equipboard. No evidence of live/tour gear differences for this song's riff. Studio use of boost/EQ possible but not confirmed for riff section.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationchunky low endrazor-sharp pick attackarticulate note separationscooped but present midsminimal ambiencecrushing riff claritydry, focused rhythm
Difficulty
The riff demands tight palm muting, precise alternate picking, and aggressive attack to maintain clarity and power at a slow tempo. While not technically fast, the precision and control required elevate the difficulty above basic metal rhythm playing.
Sources
This tone has been researched 2 times by the community
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarB.C. Rich Kerry King V (2nd generation, EMG KFK set)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (Kerry King signature head, likely stock JCM800 for 1988 studio recording)
PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass5.5
mid4.5
treble7
reverb0
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
This tone has been researched 2 times by the community
Notes
Studio recording, 1988. Gear confirmed for this era and album by Premier Guitar and Equipboard. No evidence of live/tour gear differences for this song's riff. Studio use of boost/EQ possible but not confirmed for riff section.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationchunky low endrazor-sharp pick attackarticulate note separationscooped but present midsminimal ambiencecrushing riff claritydry, focused rhythm
Difficulty
The riff demands tight palm muting, precise alternate picking, and aggressive attack to maintain clarity and power at a slow tempo. While not technically fast, the precision and control required elevate the difficulty above basic metal rhythm playing.
South of Heaven settings for your amp
Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.
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