GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Raining Blood Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Slayer
Slayer · 1980s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
B.C. Rich Bich (circa 1986, as seen in live footage from the era)
Pickups
B.C. Rich stock humbuckers (likely DiMarzio Super Distortion or Seymour Duncan Distortion, as per era and genre conventions)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203 head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1986. Gear confirmed by Equipboard and period live footage. No evidence of pedals or effects used for the riff section; tone is amp distortion only.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass4.5
Gain8.5
Reverb0
Treble7.5
Presence6
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- razor-sharp articulation
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- metallic, biting high end
- focused low end
- scooped but present mids
- very dry (no reverb)
- fast attack
- crushing rhythm clarity
Notes & Caveats
- No direct studio amp knob settings found; settings are averaged from forum posts and typical JCM800 metal usage.
- No evidence of pedals or effects used on the original studio riff section; all distortion is from the amp.
- Pickup model is inferred based on era and genre, as exact pickup model for the B.C. Rich Bich used in the studio is not specified.
- Presence setting is estimated based on typical JCM800 usage for 1980s thrash metal.
- No reverb or time-based effects are audible or cited for the riff section; dry amp tone.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Slayer's 'Raining Blood' features an extremely high-gain, tight, and aggressive tone typical of mid-80s thrash, with scooped mids, tight bass, and biting treble. Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman used Marshall JCM800s with EQ pedals for extra scoop and clarity, and the production is very dry with no audible reverb.