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rhythm guitar from “breaking the law” by judas priest | ToneDB

breaking the law

judas priest

rhythm guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

Aggressive and biting high-gain rhythm guitar tone, characterized by a strong mid-range and tight low-end. It's a classic British heavy metal sound, perfect for driving riffs and powerful chord progressions.

Gear

Gibson Les Paulinstrument
ReverbSweetwater
Marshall JMPamp
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Shure SM57microphone
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Fender Blenderprocessing
Reverb$269Sweetwater
MXR Distortion+processing
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

"Breaking the Law" was recorded at Startling Studios in 1980 for Judas Priest's British Steel album, produced by Tom Allom. Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing used Gibson Les Pauls through Marshall JMP amplifiers, with the aggressive tone shaped by distortion pedals including the MXR Distortion+ and Fender Blender. The guitars were captured with Shure SM57 microphones and layered to create the thick, driving rhythm sound that became a template for British heavy metal.

Production Credits

Producer: Tom Allom

Engineer: Louis Austin

Recorded at: Startling Studios (Tittenhurst Park, Ascot)

Signal Chain

Instrument: Gibson Les Paul

Amp: Marshall JMP

Microphone: Shure SM57

Processing: Fender Blender, MXR Distortion+

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Les Paul style guitar with humbucker pickups.
  • Use a Marshall-style amp with a good amount of gain.
  • Experiment with overdrive and distortion pedals to find the sweet spot for the level of distortion. MXR Distortion+ and Fender Blender are good choices.
  • Use a Shure SM57 or similar dynamic microphone close to the speaker.
  • Double track the guitar parts for added thickness.

Original Gear

  • Gibson Les Paul(guitar)
  • Marshall JMP(amp)
  • Shure SM57(mic)
  • Fender Blender(pedal)
  • MXR Distortion+(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Marshall Studio Vintage SV20H$800-$900

Alternative to: Marshall JMP

20-watt plexi-style head captures the JMP's midrange bite and natural overdrive character essential to this tone

ReverbSweetwater
MXR M104 Distortion+$80-$100

Alternative to: MXR Distortion+

Exact reissue of the original pedal used on the recording, providing the same hard clipping and aggressive midrange

ReverbSweetwater
Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s$500-$600

Alternative to: Gibson Les Paul

Budget option with humbucker pickups that delivers the essential Les Paul midrange and sustain for this driving rhythm tone

ReverbSweetwater
Way Huge WHE403 Fuzz$150-$180

Alternative to: Fender Blender

Modern recreation of the rare Fender Blender's octave fuzz circuit that added harmonic complexity to the original tone

ReverbSweetwater
Neural DSP Archetype Gojira$100-$130

Alternative to: Marshall JMP + pedals

Digital option with Marshall-style amps and built-in overdrive effects that can recreate the layered, aggressive character

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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