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Riff Tone
The Ballad
Testament
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarESP M-II Custom (Alex Skolnick signature, 1987-88 era)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head with 25-watt speakers
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass4
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Notes
Studio recording for 'The Ballad' (distorted riff section), 1988. Amp boosted with Ibanez Tube Screamer. No evidence of other pedals or rack effects for rhythm/riff tone. Settings and gear confirmed for 'The New Order' album era.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped low endaggressive palm-muted chugshigh-gain saturationarticulate riff clarityfocused midrange punchclassic thrash metal crunchfast alternate picking responsetight low endminimal ambience
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, tight alternate picking and palm muting at a medium-fast tempo, with precise rhythm and aggressive attack typical of late 1980s thrash metal.
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarESP M-II Custom (Alex Skolnick signature, 1987-88 era)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head with 25-watt speakers
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass4
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording for 'The Ballad' (distorted riff section), 1988. Amp boosted with Ibanez Tube Screamer. No evidence of other pedals or rack effects for rhythm/riff tone. Settings and gear confirmed for 'The New Order' album era.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped low endaggressive palm-muted chugshigh-gain saturationarticulate riff clarityfocused midrange punchclassic thrash metal crunchfast alternate picking responsetight low endminimal ambience
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, tight alternate picking and palm muting at a medium-fast tempo, with precise rhythm and aggressive attack typical of late 1980s thrash metal.