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Tornado of Souls — Megadeth1 / 2
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Tornado of Souls Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Megadeth

Megadeth · 1990s · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Jackson Kelly KE1 (Marty Friedman's signature, likely used for Rust In Peace sessions)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan TB-4 JB (bridge humbucker)
Amp
Bogner Triple Giant preamp into VHT 2150 power amp (Rust In Peace studio rig)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 1990. Friedman used the Jackson Kelly with Seymour Duncan JB bridge pickup for solos on Rust In Peace, including 'Tornado of Souls'. The amp setup was a Bogner Triple Giant preamp into a VHT 2150 power amp, as confirmed by multiple gear rundowns for the album. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for the studio solo.

Amp Settings

Mids
4.5
Bass
6
Gain
8
Reverb
1
Treble
7.5
Presence
6.5

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Tone Character

  • singing sustain
  • fluid legato runs
  • tight and articulate attack
  • aggressive pick attack
  • cutting lead presence
  • clear note separation
  • high-gain saturation
  • minimal ambient reverb
  • slightly scooped mids
  • bright, harmonically rich top end

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings for 'Tornado of Souls' solo found; values estimated based on typical Bogner/VHT metal tones and genre/era conventions.
  • ⚠️Pedal/effects info for the studio solo is not explicitly documented; Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter (auto-wah) is listed in Friedman's gear for the era, but no clear evidence it was used on this solo.
  • ⚠️No evidence of delay, chorus, flanger, or other modulation effects in the solo section; solo is notably dry and direct except for minimal reverb.
  • ⚠️All gear and effects are for the STUDIO recording, not live/tour setups.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Tornado of Souls' solo features a classic 1990s thrash tone: high gain but not oversaturated, tight low end, heavily scooped mids, and bright, cutting highs. Friedman used a Jackson through a Marshall (often a 1959 or 2203) with minimal reverb, matching Megadeth's signature dry, articulate, and aggressive lead sound.

Sources