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

Holy Wars... The Punishment Due amp settings — Zoom G3Xn

The Megadeth guitar tone for “Holy Wars... The Punishment Due”, dialed in for a Zoom G3Xn with a Jackson JS22 Dinky. Studio version, Rust in Peace (1990) — Dave Mustaine rhythm tone

Original rig

Jackson King V Custom (Seymour Duncan JB bridge) → Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer → Marshall JCM800 2203 head → Marshall 4x12 cab

Tight, aggressive thrash rhythm with scooped mids, razor-sharp pick attack, and controlled low-end thump

Amp settings — Zoom G3Xn

CHANNELHG THRTTL (High Gain Throttle) amp model — closest to modded JCM800 voicing

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	6
Mid	4
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	0
Master	8

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01ZNR (Zoom Noise Reduction)

Essential for tight thrash palm mutes — kills string noise between riffs

Threshold 4 · Decay 2

02TS Drive (Tube Screamer model)

Used as a boost into the amp model — tightens low end, adds pick attack. Low gain, high volume is the key

Gain 3 · Tone 7 · Volume 7

Why these settings

The JS22's stock high-output humbuckers are hotter than Mustaine's JB, so gain dropped from the original's 8-9 to 8 to prevent mud. Mids at 4 replicates the scooped thrash sound; the TS Drive in front restores pick definition that the G3Xn's digital models can lose. Tune to Eb Standard before dialing in.

PRO TIPPalm mute directly over the bridge saddles, not further up the strings — Mustaine's machine-gun attack comes from extremely precise muting position combined with strict downpicking on the gallop sections.

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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.