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On Fire
Van Halen
GuitarRiffDistortedrock1970s
Original Gear
GuitarHomemade 'Frankenstrat' (Strat-style body, maple neck, single humbucker, Floyd Rose prototype or vintage Fender tremolo)
AmpMarshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (late '60s, run through a Variac at reduced voltage, into Marshall 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12M Greenbacks)
Amp Settings
mid6.5
bass5.5
gain8.5
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explosive and harmonically richtight, percussive attacksinging sustainraw, saturated overdriveaggressive bridge pickup biteBritish crunchdynamic response to pickingtouch-sensitiveslight tape echo ambienceclassic late-'70s hard rock
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, aggressive picking, tight palm muting, and precise dynamic control to capture the explosive, percussive feel of the original recording.
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