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

Holy Wars... The Punishment Due amp settings — Donner Arena 2000

The Megadeth guitar tone for “Holy Wars... The Punishment Due”, dialed in for a Donner Arena 2000 with a Jackson JS32 Dinky. Main riff & rhythm tracks, Studio version, Rust in Peace (1990)

Original rig

Jackson King V with Seymour Duncan / Bill Lawrence / EMG humbuckers, modified Marshall JCM800 2203 / Super Lead, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, Marshall 1960B 4x12 cab

Tight, aggressive, articulate thrash — high presence for cutting attack, controlled low end for fast alternate picking clarity, dry room response

Amp settings — Donner Arena 2000

CHANNELUK 800 (Marshall JCM800 model) + 4x12 UK Greenback Cab IRBOOSTon

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	5
Mid	7
Treble	7
Presence	8
Reverb	1
Master	8

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Noise Gate Block (Arena 2000)

Positioned before amp block to clamp down immediately on high-speed thrash rests

Threshold 6 · Decay 3

02TS Overdrive Block (Tube Screamer style)

Used as a tight boost to cut mud and focus upper-mids into the UK 800 amp block

Drive 0 · Tone 7 · Level 9

Why these settings

The Jackson JS32 ceramic humbuckers have a hot, aggressive attack similar to Mustaine's setup, so keeping the TS drive block at zero tightens the low-end without over-saturating. On the Arena 2000's UK 800 amp model, pushing the mids and presence to 7-8 delivers the signature razor-sharp thrash bite while keeping the bass at 5 avoids flub during rapid 16th-note galloping. A fast-decay noise gate is essential in the multi-FX chain to match the razor-sharp staccato stops of the intro and verse riffs.

PRO TIPAnchor your palm firmly against the bridge saddles to get a hard, percussive chug, and pick with the edge of a heavy (1.0mm+) pick angled slightly downward for maximum high-frequency harmonic scrape.

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