Riff Tone
The Ninja (feat. Jason Becker and Marty Friedman)
Cacophony
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarJackson Kelly (Marty Friedman) or Carvin DC200 (Jason Becker)
AmpCarvin X100B or Marshall JCM800 (student's amp, possibly both used interchangeably)
PickupsHumbuckers (likely stock Jackson or Carvin humbuckers from late 1980s)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
mid4
treble7.5
reverb1
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1987; both Friedman and Becker report using their Jackson Kelly and Carvin guitars, and either Carvin X100B amps or a borrowed Marshall JCM800 from a student. Few, if any, pedals were used. Settings are estimated based on typical 1980s metal studio tones and the gear mentioned.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivesaturated high-gainslightly scooped midsarticulate and clear note definitionaggressive palm mutingfast attackcompressed and focusedminimal ambiencebright but not harshhigh output, modern metal character
Difficulty
The riff section is highly technical, requiring expert-level speed, accuracy, and synchronization, with advanced picking and muting techniques at a very fast tempo.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarJackson Kelly (Marty Friedman) or Carvin DC200 (Jason Becker)
AmpCarvin X100B or Marshall JCM800 (student's amp, possibly both used interchangeably)
PickupsHumbuckers (likely stock Jackson or Carvin humbuckers from late 1980s)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
mid4
treble7.5
reverb1
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1987; both Friedman and Becker report using their Jackson Kelly and Carvin guitars, and either Carvin X100B amps or a borrowed Marshall JCM800 from a student. Few, if any, pedals were used. Settings are estimated based on typical 1980s metal studio tones and the gear mentioned.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivesaturated high-gainslightly scooped midsarticulate and clear note definitionaggressive palm mutingfast attackcompressed and focusedminimal ambiencebright but not harshhigh output, modern metal character
Difficulty
The riff section is highly technical, requiring expert-level speed, accuracy, and synchronization, with advanced picking and muting techniques at a very fast tempo.
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