Song Rig

In My Darkest Hour

Dave Mustaine · So Far, So Good... So What! · 1988

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Dave's most emotionally direct song — written on the day he learned of Cliff Burton's death. The tone shifts from clean arpeggios to heavy thrash riffing and extended guitar solos within the song's six-minute runtime, demonstrating a wider dynamic range than most Megadeth material.

Signal Chain

1Kramer or Jackson (clean-to-heavy configuration)
2Marshall JCM800 (clean and high-gain channels)
3Boss DD-3 Delay (solo sections)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume7

Bass6

Mid7

Treble8

Presence8

The clean intro uses the JCM800 at low gain — unusual for Dave, who is primarily associated with maximum gain settings. The dynamic contrast between the clean and heavy sections is the emotional heart of the song.

Technique

How to Play It

Arpeggio picking in the intro — the clean arpeggiated opening is unusual for thrash metal and shows Dave's melodic range beyond pure aggression. The transition from clean to heavy is abrupt and deliberate, reflecting the emotional content.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Any superstrat with clean/lead switching → Boss DD-3 for the solo section → high-gain amp for the heavy sections. The clean intro is the challenging part — it needs to be precise and emotionally restrained.

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