Tone library / Megadeth / Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

Holy Wars... The Punishment Due amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3

The Megadeth guitar tone for “Holy Wars... The Punishment Due”, dialed in for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3 with a Squier Affinity Stratocaster. Studio version, Rust in Peace (1990)

Original rig

Jackson King V / Randy Rhoads V with EMG pickups, Marshall Super Lead 100W (modified) / JCM800 2203 (modified), Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor

Tight, aggressive, articulate thrash — high presence for cutting attack, controlled low end for fast alternate picking clarity, minimal reverb

Amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3

CHANNELOD2BOOSToff

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

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Noise Gate (RECOMMENDED — Boss NS-2 or similar)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for the dead-silent stops between rapid picking passages. Place between guitar and amp input.

Threshold 5 · Decay 3

Why these settings

Your Squier Affinity Strat has single coils vs Mustaine's hot EMGs — gain +1 compensates for lower output, but the tone will be brighter and less compressed. Bass dropped to 4 (vs original 5-6) because the ID:Core's OD2 voice has loose low-end that muddies fast palm-muted riffs. The ID:Core V3 has no presence knob — the OD2 voice already has forward upper-mids that approximate the Marshall presence bite.

PRO TIPHoly Wars' tightness comes from strict alternate picking, not gain — practice the main riff at half speed with a metronome, ensuring every downstroke and upstroke is perfectly even before adding tempo. Sloppy picking will sound muddy regardless of settings.

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These settings are for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3. 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.