GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Blood and Thunder Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Mastodon
Mastodon · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom (Bill Kelliher) or Gibson Flying V (Brent Hinds)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan JB (bridge, Bill Kelliher) or Gibson Dirty Fingers (bridge, Brent Hinds)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2004. Gear based on interviews and era-specific rig rundowns for Leviathan sessions. Both Kelliher and Hinds tracked rhythm guitars; both used high-output humbuckers and Marshall JCM800 heads. No evidence of live/touring gear or later signature models used on this recording.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass5.5
Gain7.5
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer · overdrive
Guitar → Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer → Marshall JCM800 2203 head → 4x12 cabinet
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm muting
- saturated high-gain crunch
- articulate note separation
- chunky low end
- focused midrange punch
- slightly scooped mids
- minimal ambience
- fast attack
- no audible modulation or time-based effects
Notes & Caveats
- No direct studio photo or official rig rundown for 'Blood and Thunder' session; gear and settings are inferred from multiple interviews, forum posts, and era-appropriate setups.
- Both Bill Kelliher and Brent Hinds tracked rhythm guitars; exact guitar/pickup per channel is not confirmed.
- Amp settings are estimated based on typical JCM800 usage in metal and forum recommendations for Mastodon tone.
- No evidence of time-based or modulation effects on the riff section; only overdrive/boost pedal (Tube Screamer) is confirmed.
- Presence and reverb settings are estimated; JCM800 has no built-in reverb and no reverb is audible on the riff.
- Pedal settings are not specified in sources; position/order is inferred from typical signal chains.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Mastodon's 'Blood and Thunder' features a tight, aggressive modern metal tone with high gain, controlled bass for clarity, balanced mids (not scooped), and slightly boosted treble/presence for bite. The production is dry, with little to no reverb, matching the band's typical amp settings and early 2000s metal conventions.