How to Dial In "Spill the Blood" by Slayer - Guitar Tone Settings
What Slayer Actually Used on "Spill the Blood"
Original Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning
Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.
These numbers are for a Marshall JCM800 2203. On your amp, they won't sound the same.
Get the settings for my ampHow the artist had their guitar configured for this take.
E flat standard. Closes South of Heaven and is the most atypical thing in Slayer's catalogue: it opens on clean arpeggiated guitar and stays slow throughout, with no blast section at all. That makes the clean tone as important as the distorted one, which is unusual for this band — set the gain so backing the guitar volume down to around 3 gives a usable clean rather than switching channels. South of Heaven was a deliberate slowing-down after Reign in Blood, and it is where Slayer moved permanently to E flat. Keep the mids up in the Kerry King manner rather than scooping, and let the distorted sections arrive without changing anything but how hard you play.
Common Questions About the "Spill the Blood" Tone
What guitar did Slayer use on "Spill the Blood"?
Slayer tracked "Spill the Blood" on a Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL2 (released 1988). Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. The track is in E♭ Standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), so retune before you dial anything in.
What amp settings does "Spill the Blood" need?
On Marshall JCM800 2203: Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 6.5, Treble 7, Presence 6.5, Volume 7. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale; match them on your amp first, then nudge to taste. ToneMirror can translate these positions for whatever amp you actually own.
Can I play "Spill the Blood" without a Marshall JCM800 2203?
Yes. ToneMirror takes the original recipe above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Spill the Blood" tone on a Katana, a Helix, a tube combo, or anything else. The translation accounts for EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type so the result actually sounds like the record, not just the same knob numbers on different gear.
More Tones You Can Dial In
Tone references for "Spill the Blood" by Slayer are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.