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Riff Tone

Creeping Death (Live at the Keystone, Palo Alto, CA – Oct. 31st, 1983)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Flying V (early 1980s, likely 1981-1982 model, stock pickups)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head (likely unmodded for this 1983 live show)

Amp Settings

gain8
bass5

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Effects & Signal Chain

Notes

Live at the Keystone, Palo Alto, CA – Oct. 31st, 1983. This is a live performance, pre-Ride the Lightning studio sessions. Evidence from ToneMirror and period interviews confirms the Flying V and JCM800 2203 were used. Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer was likely used as a boost, as on the studio recording, but no evidence of additional effects or amp reverb. Quad-tracking and studio layering not relevant for this live context.

Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutingscooped mids with mid-hump from Tube Screamercrisp, biting treblefocused, tight low enddry, immediate responsehigh output, saturated rhythm tonearticulate note separation at high speedmetallic, cold, and frosty characterrelentless E-string gallop

Difficulty

The main riff requires fast, aggressive downpicking and precise palm muting at high speed, demanding stamina and tight rhythmic control typical of thrash metal.

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