GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Breaking the Law Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Judas Priest
Judas Priest · 1980s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Flying V (K.K. Downing) and Gibson SG (Glenn Tipton)
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (likely stock for era, passive, not EMG/active for 1980)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 1959 Mk II Super Lead (100W, non-master volume, used with overdrive/boost pedal in front)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1980, British Steel album. Both Downing and Tipton used Gibson guitars into Marshall JCM800 heads for the main riff. No evidence of active pickups or modern digital gear on this recording.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5
Gain6.5
Reverb0.5
Treble6.5
Presence6
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
Adapt to MY Gear →7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive British crunch
- mid-heavy punch
- articulate attack
- focused, dry sound
- minimal ambience
- classic Marshall saturation
- bridge pickup bite
- no audible modulation or delay
- palm-muted chug
Notes & Caveats
- No direct studio documentation of exact amp knob settings for 'Breaking the Law' found; settings estimated based on period-correct Marshall JCM800 usage and forum/lesson recommendations.
- Guitar models confirmed for era and album, but exact pickup variants (e.g., PAF vs. T-Top) not specified in sources.
- No evidence of pedals or effects used for the riff section; all sources and audio confirm a dry, amp-driven tone.
- Presence setting estimated based on typical JCM800 use for metal rhythm in 1980.
- Some sources mention EMG pickups and modern gear, but these are from later eras and not relevant to the 1980 recording.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Judas Priest's 'Breaking the Law' features a classic British crunch tone typical of late '70s/early '80s Marshall amps, with prominent mids, moderate bass, and a tight, dry sound (no reverb). The gain is set for a saturated but not modern high-gain sound, and the presence is boosted for clarity and bite.