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Riff Tone
Happiness In Slavery
Nine Inch Nails
Guitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s or early 1990s, as used by Trent Reznor in studio)
AmpMarshall JCM800 (likely 2203 or 2210, as used by NIN in early 1990s studio sessions)
Amp Settings
gain8.5
bass5.5
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Notes
Studio recording, 1991-1992 for 'Broken' EP. No direct evidence for alternate guitars/amps for this riff; Les Paul/Marshall is the most cited NIN studio setup for this era. No evidence of live rig or alternate gear for this specific song section.
Tone Character(10)
gain-soaked and saturatedtight and percussivecompressed and processedaggressive midrange attackslightly scooped midsindustrial metal wall of soundlow in the mix but densechugging, palm-muted rhythmnot bright or janglystudio multi-tracked layers
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, percussive palm muting and precise rhythm under high-gain settings, with additional challenge from the dense, layered studio production.
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s or early 1990s, as used by Trent Reznor in studio)
AmpMarshall JCM800 (likely 2203 or 2210, as used by NIN in early 1990s studio sessions)
Amp Settings
gain8.5
bass5.5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording, 1991-1992 for 'Broken' EP. No direct evidence for alternate guitars/amps for this riff; Les Paul/Marshall is the most cited NIN studio setup for this era. No evidence of live rig or alternate gear for this specific song section.
Tone Character(10)
gain-soaked and saturatedtight and percussivecompressed and processedaggressive midrange attackslightly scooped midsindustrial metal wall of soundlow in the mix but densechugging, palm-muted rhythmnot bright or janglystudio multi-tracked layers
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, percussive palm muting and precise rhythm under high-gain settings, with additional challenge from the dense, layered studio production.