GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Raining blood Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Unknown Artist
Unknown Artist · 1980s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
B.C. Rich Bich (circa 1986) or Dean ML 79
Pickups
DiMarzio Super Distortion (DP100) humbucker
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1986. Both Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King used similar setups for the album. No evidence of effects pedals in the riff section; distortion from amp and possibly a boost/overdrive pedal. Settings and gear confirmed for studio, not live.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass5
Gain9
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- MXR ZW44 Berzerker Overdrive · overdrive
Guitar → MXR ZW44 Berzerker Overdrive → Marshall JCM800 2203
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm muting
- scooped mids (slightly)
- razor-sharp attack
- high-gain saturation
- dry and immediate
- minimal ambience
- fast note decay
- ferocious, saturated distortion
- biting, high-output bridge pickup
Notes & Caveats
- No direct evidence of pedals or effects used in the riff section; all distortion is from amp and possibly a boost/overdrive pedal.
- Settings are averaged from multiple forum sources and typical JCM800 usage for 1980s thrash metal.
- Guitar model is confirmed for era and live video, but exact studio guitar per section is not 100% certain.
- No evidence of reverb, delay, or modulation effects in the riff section; tone is dry and direct.
- If a boost/overdrive pedal was used, it was likely always on for tightening the amp, but not confirmed for the riff specifically.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Assuming 'Raining Blood' refers to Slayer's iconic thrash metal track, the tone is extremely high gain, with tight low end, heavily scooped mids, biting treble, and a dry, in-your-face sound—typical of 1980s thrash metal and Kerry King's/Jeff Hanneman's Marshall JCM800 setups.