GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Old Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Machine Head
Machine Head · 1990s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Flying V (early 90s, likely stock pickups)
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (likely stock, possibly 496R/500T or Dirty Fingers, but not confirmed for this exact recording)
Amp
Peavey 5150 (block letter, original model, not 6505+)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1994 (Burn My Eyes album). Logan Mader and Robb Flynn both used Gibson Flying Vs and Peavey 5150s through Mesa/Boogie oversized cabs. No evidence of pedals in the main riff section; tone is amp-driven. No evidence of modulation or time-based effects in the riff. Effects like flanger were used on other songs/sections, but not on the main riff of 'Old'.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass6
Gain8.5
Reverb0
Treble6.5
Presence6
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm muting
- saturated high-gain
- focused midrange growl
- chunky low end
- articulate pick attack
- modern metal clarity
- minimal ambience
- amp-driven distortion
- no modulation or time-based effects
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings found for 'Old' riff; settings estimated based on typical Peavey 5150 usage in early 90s metal and Logan Mader/Robb Flynn interviews.
- No evidence of pedals or effects used in the riff section; all distortion is amp-based.
- Pickups are assumed to be stock Gibson humbuckers as used by both guitarists at the time; exact model not confirmed.
- No modulation or time-based effects are audible in the main riff; flanger and other effects are used elsewhere in Machine Head's catalog but not on this section.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Old' riff tone is a classic mid-90s Bay Area groove/thrash sound: very high gain, tight but not boomy low end, slightly scooped mids, and clear but not harsh top end. Robb Flynn used a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier with mids slightly dialed back, tight bass, and no reverb for a dry, aggressive mix.