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The Ghoul — Pentagram1 / 2
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The Ghoul Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Pentagram

Pentagram · 1980s · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard (late 1970s/early 1980s, likely Norlin-era, used by Victor Griffin on 'Relentless')
Pickups
Stock Gibson humbuckers (likely T-Top or Dirty Fingers, era-correct for Norlin Les Pauls)
Amp
Marshall JMP 2203 (100W, era-correct for early 1980s doom metal, widely cited as Victor Griffin's amp for 'Relentless')
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 1984 (album released 1985, but recorded in 1984). No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this track. All sources point to Les Paul into Marshall JMP for the main riff section.

Amp Settings

Mids
7
Bass
7.5
Gain
7.5
Reverb
0
Treble
6
Presence
5.5

Effects Chain

  • Way Huge Electronics WHE101 Angry Troll · boost

Gibson Les Paul Standard → Way Huge Angry Troll → Marshall JMP 2203 (no reverb, no effects loop)

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Tone Character

  • thick and saturated
  • mid-heavy British crunch
  • tight and percussive
  • dark, heavy low end
  • articulate note separation
  • minimal top-end fizz
  • classic Marshall punch
  • sustained power chords
  • aggressive, forward midrange
  • dry, unprocessed amp tone

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct source gives exact amp knob settings for 'The Ghoul' riff; settings are estimated based on Marshall JMP usage in early 80s doom metal and typical Victor Griffin tones.
  • ⚠️No explicit confirmation of pickup selector, but bridge pickup is standard for heavy riffing in this style and era.
  • ⚠️No evidence of reverb or time-based effects in the riff section; dry, amp-only tone is consistent with genre and recording.
  • ⚠️Way Huge Angry Troll boost pedal is confirmed as part of Victor Griffin's rig, but not explicitly tied to 'The Ghoul' studio recording; included due to strong association with his core rhythm tone.
  • ⚠️Pedal settings are not documented; boost is assumed to be used for added saturation into Marshall JMP.
  • ⚠️All effects and settings are for the studio recording, not live.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Pentagram's 'The Ghoul' features a thick, saturated doom tone typical of 70s/80s tube amps (often Laney or Marshall), with high bass for heaviness, strong mids for cut, moderate treble to avoid harshness, and little to no reverb as was common in early doom production. The gain is set for a classic hard rock/early metal crunch, not modern high-gain.

Sources