Riff Tone

The Conjuring

Megadeth

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarBC Rich NJ Series Mockingbird (1980s, likely stock pickups, used by Dave Mustaine on Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head (100W, used in studio for Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? 1986) into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (Celestion speakers)

PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker (bridge position, stock for NJ Mockingbird in mid-80s, ceramic magnet, high output)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid4

treble7.5

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1986. Dave Mustaine played all main rhythm guitars on 'The Conjuring' riff section. No evidence of additional preamp or distortion pedals; distortion from amp. No effects loop or rack gear. No chorus, delay, or reverb pedals on rhythm. No evidence of noise gate or compression in studio. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and amp model. Pickup selector set to bridge. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this part.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midrangerazor-sharp attackaggressive palm mutingfast alternate picking claritydry, immediate responseminimal ambiencehigh output, saturated distortionarticulate note separationslightly compressed, focused low end

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, precise alternate picking and palm muting at a high tempo, with complex rhythm patterns and tight synchronization, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Might be a stupid question, does anyone know if Marty plays rhythm on the albums or if Dave does it? I’m just curious. : r/Megadeth Which Megadeth album has the best guitar tone? : r/Megadeth 5 songs guitarists need to hear by… Megadeth | MusicRadar

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account