Song Rig

Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee

Nuno Bettencourt · Pornograffitti (bonus track) · 1990

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Nuno's solo guitar showcase — a modification of Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee that replaces the classical piano with full Marshall distortion guitar, played at the same tempo. The tone is surprisingly warm for the speed involved, with the Washburn's mahogany body providing resonance beneath the high-gain Marshall.

Signal Chain

1Washburn N4 (both pickups, neck for warmth)
2Marshall JCM800 (medium-high gain)
3Minimal effects — speed is the feature

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume7

Bass6

Mid7

Treble7

Presence7

Medium-high rather than maximum gain — the rapid single-note runs need note definition. Too much gain creates mud at high speed; the moderate setting allows each note to speak clearly.

Technique

How to Play It

Alternate picking at maximum speed — the entire piece requires consistent alternate picking without position shifts causing speed loss. Nuno uses a very small picking motion (less than 5mm of pick movement) to maintain speed with minimal right-hand exertion.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Any guitar with good upper-fret access → Marshall at medium-high gain → practice with metronome starting at 60% of target speed, increasing 5bpm per session. Economy of motion is the key to eventual speed.

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