Tone library / Judas Priest / Painkiller

Painkiller amp settings — Blackstar Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 10 V4

The Judas Priest guitar tone for “Painkiller”, dialed in for a Blackstar Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 10 V4 with a Jay Turser JT-300. Studio version, Painkiller album (1990)

Original rig

Hamer solidbodies (GT Phantom, Vector, Mini V) with EMG pickups → Marshall JCM800 2203 cranked, recorded by Chris Tsangarides

Searing, aggressive, mid-forward high-gain with razor-sharp attack and natural Marshall grind

Amp settings — Blackstar Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 10 V4

CHANNELOD2BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	9
Bass	4
Mid	6
Treble	7
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The ID:Core 10 V4 lacks a presence knob, so that's null. OD2 is the highest-gain voice on this amp and closest to a JCM800's saturation. The original used EMG active pickups which are hotter and more compressed than your Jay Turser's passive humbuckers — gain is pushed to 9 to compensate, and mid is boosted +1 over the original's 5 to maintain that cutting Marshall bark through the smaller ID:Core speakers. Bass dropped to 4 to keep the low-end tight at speed-metal tempos.

PRO TIPPalm-mute hard and pick aggressively right over the bridge pickup — the Painkiller tone lives in precise, violent right-hand attack more than amp settings. A noise gate pedal would help control the silence between riffs at this gain level.

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These settings are for a Blackstar Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 10 V4. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.