Riff Tone

Attack

System Of A Down

Guitarmetal2000s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson SG Special (1969, P-90s) or Gibson ES-335

AmpMesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier 100W 3-channel Solo Head

PickupsP-90 single coils (SG Special) or humbuckers (ES-335)

Amp Settings

gain8.5

bass6

mid5.5

treble7

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for 'Attack' (2005, Mezmerize/Hypnotize sessions). Multiple sources suggest Daron Malakian used a 1969 Gibson SG Special with P-90s and/or a Gibson ES-335, both seen in studio and live photos from the era. Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier is the most consistently cited amp for heavy SOAD tones in this period. No direct evidence of pedals for the riff section; distortion is from amp. No evidence of additional effects in the riff section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate pick attackchunky low endfocused midrange punchslightly scooped midsminimal ambienceclear note separationmodern metal rhythm

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, precise alternate picking with tight palm muting and aggressive attack, demanding both technical skill and endurance typical of advanced metal rhythm guitar.

Sources

Daron Malakian | Equipboard

This tone has been researched 3 times by the community

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