As Dave Mustaine gears up for the 17th and final Megadeth release – the aptly-titled Megadeth – he’s taking the opportunity to reflect on the philosophy and guitar style that not only carried him throughout his career, but defines his legacy as a thrash metal pioneer.
“The term ‘rhythm guitar player’ seems a little diminishing for me,” he tells Premier Guitar. “I love the riff.”
“I went in there, and I didn’t have any Marshalls yet because I was just starting to get serious. I had these Risson amps – they were tan, so from the moment I set up my stack, I was different.”
He continues, “I plugged in my guitar and I started warming up, and I kept warming up and warming up. And I finally said, ‘Where the fuck are these guys?’ I set my guitar down and switched my amp to standby.
“And then I went out there and I said, ‘Man, where’s my audition?’ They said, ‘You got the gig.’ So I got my job just by warming up.” Clearly, Mustaine’s inimitable style made the right impression. Mustaine was recruited on the spot. The rest was history.
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