🎸 Metal · 1990s

Hangar 18 by Megadeth (Solo · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Megadeth · solo

The Hangar 18 by Megadeth guitar tone is built on a Marshall JCM800 2203 head, dialed in at gain 7.5/10, bass 6, mid 4, treble 7.5, presence 6.5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

7.5

GAIN

BASS

MID

7.5

TREBLE

6.5

PRESENCE

REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 7.5 sits right around the metal average (7.3); mids at 4 are below average (5.2).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Jackson Kelly KE1 (Marty Friedman signature, 1990, likely with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup) · Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 head (studio recording, 1990)

Studio recording for 'Rust in Peace' (1990). Marty Friedman played the solo using his Jackson Kelly with a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge, into a Marshall JCM800. Some sources mention a Bogner Triple Giant preamp was also used in the studio, but the JCM800 is most consistently cited for the album. No evidence of additional pedals in the solo section; distortion is from amp and/or preamp. No evidence of time-based or modulation effects in the solo section.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall JCM800 songs & tones →🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Bogner songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Jackson Kelly KE1 (Marty Friedman signature, 1990, likely with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup) → Marshall JCM800 2203 head (studio recording, 1990)

Effects

Jackson Kelly KE1 (bridge pickup) → Marshall JCM800 2203 head → Marshall 4x12 cabinet

Tone character

tight and percussive, scooped mids, aggressive palm muting, high-gain saturation, razor-sharp note definition, bright and articulate, singing sustain, minimal ambience, compressed and focused, metallic, cutting presence

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, fast tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Hangar 18 sound.

Difficulty

5/5 · Solo

The solo is considered expert-level due to its high tempo, technical complexity, and the need for advanced picking, phrasing, and fretboard navigation.

Worth knowing

No direct studio knob settings found; amp settings estimated from forum consensus and typical 1990s Marshall JCM800 metal tones.
No evidence of pedals or effects used in the solo section; all distortion from amp/preamp.
Some sources mention Bogner Triple Giant preamp in studio, but most cite Marshall JCM800 for Rust in Peace.
No time-based or modulation effects are audible in the solo section; tone is dry and direct.
Pickup model inferred from Marty's known gear and period-correct Jackson Kelly configuration.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Hangar 18's solo section features classic early 90s Megadeth tone: high gain but not oversaturated, tight low end, heavily scooped mids, and bright, cutting treble with plenty of presence for articulation. The production is very dry, with little to no reverb, matching the genre and era's conventions and Mustaine/Friedman's typical amp settings (Marshall/ADA preamps, scooped EQ, dry mix).

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

🎸 All Hangar 18 guitar tones — every part & section →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

Recognise famous songs from just the amp dials — a quick 10-round game. Beat your friends. Play free →

🎸 Which guitar legend is your tone twin? Take the quiz & share your result →

Hangar 18 guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Hangar 18 guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7.5, bass 6, mid 4, treble 7.5, presence 6.5, reverb 0. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Hangar 18 tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Jackson Kelly KE1 (Marty Friedman signature, 1990, likely with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup) · Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 head (studio recording, 1990); Jackson Kelly KE1 (bridge pickup) → Marshall JCM800 2203 head → Marshall 4x12 cabinet.

Can I get the Hangar 18 tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like Megadeth on Hangar 18 — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 7.5, bass 6, mid 4, treble 7.5, presence 6.5, reverb 0), and Jackson Kelly KE1 (bridge pickup) → Marshall JCM800 2203 head → Marshall 4x12 cabinet. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

Share this tone

Sources

Free practice tools

🎤 Online guitar tuner → · 🎶 Guitar chords → · 🎸 Guitar tunings → · 🎚️ Tuning chart → · 🎼 Guitar scales → · 🎚️ Chord transposer & capo → · 🥁 Metronome → · 🎶 Song chords → · 🎧 Guess the Tone game → · 🎸 Tone Legend quiz → · 📊 Tone data report →

🔥 The most famous guitar tones of all time → · 🎯 Easy guitar songs to play (with settings) → · 🗂️ Browse tone collections (by genre & language) →

More like this

🎸 How to get Megadeth’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎚️ Marshall JCM800 settings → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar solos → · 🎯 more scooped mids tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com