Riff Tone

Aerials

System Of A Down

Guitarmetal2000s

Original Gear

GuitarIbanez Iceman IC300

AmpMesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier

PickupsIbanez stock humbuckers (likely ceramic, high output)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid5.5

treble6.5

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 2001. Guitar and amp confirmed for Toxicity album era; clean section uses amp's clean channel. No evidence of pedal-based drive or modulation for clean riff. Drop C tuning (CGCFAD).

Tone Character(10)

warm and roundedslightly compressednot sparkling brightclear and articulatemellow attackfull-bodiedno audible modulationsubtle amp reverbneck pickup characterclean, not edge-of-breakup

Difficulty

The clean riff requires precise picking and timing to maintain clarity, but uses straightforward fretting and rhythm, making it accessible to intermediate players.

Sources

How can I make my guitar sound more like the one in aerials? - Reddit System of a Down's Daron Malakian Rig Rundown - Premier Guitar Why System of a Down’s Daron Malakian plays an Ibanez Iceman | Guitar World SOAD Aerials tuning : r/systemofadown - Reddit

This tone has been researched 7 times by the community

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