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Black Magic Bass Tone Settings — Slayer
Slayer · 1980s · Thrash metal
Original Recording
Bass
ESP Tom Araya signature bass (alder body, ebony fretboard, EMG 35‑DC pickups)
Pickups
Active EMG 35‑DC (humbucker bridge, P‑style neck)
Amp
Ampeg SVT head into 8×10 cabinet (recording era Reign in Blood) and Marshall VBA400 heads into Marshall 8×10 cabs (live/tour rig)
Pickup Position
both
For Reign in Blood era (mid‑1980s), Araya recorded through Ampeg SVT into 8×10; in later live setups he uses Marshall VBA400 heads with dbx 160A compressor and Marshall 8×10 cabs.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass5
Gain0
Treble5.5
Presence5
compression4
Tone Matcher
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Tone Character
- bright
- punchy
- aggressive
- clear attack
Playing Technique
- pick
Notes & Caveats
- Bass tone settings derived from AI knowledge of the artist and genre conventions.