MetalShred1980s
Marty Friedman
Jackson guitars through high-gain amps — Friedman's Megadeth soloing incorporated exotic Eastern scales and unconventional string-bending techniques into a highly personal metal vocabulary.
£500 rig from ~£478
Shred Guitar Tone
Shred guitar emerged from the 1980s rock scene as a showcase for technical facility — tapping, sweep picking, legato runs, and whammy bar acrobatics. Players like Van Halen, Vai, and Satriani defined the vocabulary. 6 shred guitarists in the ToneStakr library — explore their gear, rigs, and tone at every budget from £200 to £2,500.
6 guitarists · Rig guides from £200 to £2,500
The best Shred guitarists include Marty Friedman, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen and Jason Becker. Shred guitar is characterised by two-hand tapping, alternate picking at 16th-note or faster speeds, legato runs using hammer-ons and pull-offs, sweep picking through arpeggio patterns, and whammy bar manipulation.
Technique
Two-hand tapping, alternate picking at 16th-note or faster speeds, legato runs using hammer-ons and pull-offs, sweep picking through arpeggio patterns, and whammy bar manipulation.
Defining Gear
Superstrat (Ibanez RG, Jackson Soloist) with high-output humbuckers, a high-gain amp (5150, Mesa), and a noise gate for fast playing.
Essential Listening
♪ Eruption — Eddie Van Halen
The solo that introduced tapping to mainstream rock guitar — the foundational shred reference.
Tone Library
Shred Guitarists
RockShred1980s
Steve Vai
Ibanez JEM through a customised Carvin Legacy amp — Vai's hyper-technical playing fuses alien whammy bar dives, modal legato runs and vocal melodic phrasing in a style that defies genre.
£500 rig from ~£478
RockShred1980s
Joe Satriani
Ibanez JS series through a Marshall and Mesa Boogie — Satriani's smooth legato technique, aggressive whammy use and melodic rock phrasing make him the best-selling instrumental guitarist of all time.
£500 rig from ~£478
MetalShred1980s
Yngwie Malmsteen
Vintage Stratocaster with scalloped fretboard through a Marshall — Malmsteen fused Paganini-level technique with hard rock fury, inventing the neoclassical shred template every metal player since has followed.
£500 rig from ~£477
MetalShred1980s
Jason Becker
Jackson guitars through a Marshall — Becker's brief career produced some of the most emotionally transcendent shred recordings ever made, fusing classical counterpoint with blazing technique.
£500 rig from ~£478
ExperimentalMetal1990s
Buckethead
Custom Les Paul through a Mesa Boogie — Buckethead's anonymity belies astonishing technical range, from hyper-precise alternate picking to eerie clean arpeggios and robot-like melodic phrasing.
£500 rig from ~£478
Budget Tiers
Shred Rigs by Budget
FAQ
Shred Guitar — Common Questions
Among the most celebrated Shred guitarists are Marty Friedman, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker. Each brings a distinct approach — explore their full tone and gear guides below.
Two-hand tapping, alternate picking at 16th-note or faster speeds, legato runs using hammer-ons and pull-offs, sweep picking through arpeggio patterns, and whammy bar manipulation.
Superstrat (Ibanez RG, Jackson Soloist) with high-output humbuckers, a high-gain amp (5150, Mesa), and a noise gate for fast playing.
Eruption by Eddie Van Halen is a definitive reference: The solo that introduced tapping to mainstream rock guitar — the foundational shred reference.
A functional Shred rig starts from around £200 for the essentials. The £500 tier covers a real tube amp and the right guitar — enough for authentic shred tone. Explore the rigs below to see exactly what each budget gets you.
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