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rhythm guitar from “holy wars the punishment due” by megadeth | ToneDB

holy wars the punishment due

megadeth

rhythm guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

The rhythm guitar tone is aggressive and tight, with a slightly scooped mid-range that provides a clear and articulate heavy metal sound. It's characterized by high gain and precision, essential for the complex riffs and harmonies.

Gear

Jackson King Vinstrument
Reverb$430Sweetwater
Bogner Fish Preampamp
ReverbSweetwater
Shure SM57microphone
ReverbSweetwater
TC Electronic 2290processing
Reverb$95Sweetwater
Eventide H3000processing
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

Dave Mustaine used a Jackson King V with high-output humbuckers through a Bogner Fish Preamp for the rhythm guitars on "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" from Megadeth's 1990 album "Rust in Peace." The album was recorded at Rumbo Recorders in Los Angeles with producer Max Norman, who was known for his work with heavy metal acts and helped craft the tight, scooped sound using close-miked SM57s and strategic EQing.

Production Credits

Producer: Dave Mustaine, Max Norman

Engineer: Max Norman

Recorded at: Rumbo Recorders, Los Angeles, CA

Signal Chain

Instrument: Jackson King V

Amp: Bogner Fish Preamp

Microphone: Shure SM57

Processing: TC Electronic 2290, Eventide H3000

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a guitar equipped with high-output humbucker pickups for a similar aggressive tone.
  • Use a high-gain amp setting or a distortion pedal to achieve the required level of saturation.
  • Experiment with EQ to scoop the mids slightly, but be careful not to lose too much body in the sound.
  • Consider using a noise gate to keep the tone tight and controlled, especially during fast, intricate riffs.
  • Double-track the guitar parts for added thickness and stereo width.

Original Gear

  • Jackson King V(guitar)
  • Bogner Fish Preamp(amp)
  • Shure SM57(mic)
  • TC Electronic 2290(pedal)
  • Eventide H3000(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

ESP E-II Arrow-7$1,200-$1,400

Alternative to: Jackson King V

High-output EMG pickups and similar V-shaped design for aggressive metal rhythm playing

ReverbSweetwater
Neural DSP Fortin Cali Suite$100-$140

Alternative to: Bogner Fish Preamp

Captures high-gain preamp saturation with tight low-end response for precise metal rhythms

ReverbSweetwater
EVH 5150III 50W Head$1,000-$1,200

Alternative to: Bogner Fish Preamp

High-gain amp head with tight response and mid-scooped character for modern metal tones

ReverbSweetwater
Empress Echosystem$450-$500

Alternative to: TC Electronic 2290

Digital delay with precise timing control for rhythmic doubling effects

ReverbSweetwater
Eventide H9 Max$600-$700

Alternative to: Eventide H3000

Modern Eventide harmonizer with pitch shifting and modulation effects from the original H3000

ReverbSweetwater
Shure SM57$100-$130

Alternative to: Shure SM57

Same dynamic microphone used on the original recording, still the standard for guitar amp miking

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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