Riff Tone
Diary of a Madman
Ozzy Osbourne
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
Guitar1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom
AmpMarshall JMP 1959 Super Lead MKII 100-watt head (mid-70s, rented for session) into two Marshall 1960A/B 4x12 cabinets with Altec 417-8H speakers
PickupsSuper 74 (Bridge) humbucker
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass3.5
mid6
treble7
reverb1
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
distortionMXR MXR Distortion +
eqMXR MXR Ten Band EQ
delayMXR MXR Analog Delay
Notes
Studio recording, 1981. Settings and gear confirmed for studio use on 'Diary of a Madman' riff section. Pickup and amp details from direct source. Effects chain based on studio sources and pedalboard documentation.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutingBritish crunchfocused midrangecreamy distortion edgesinging sustainarticulate attackhigh-output bridge pickupclassic heavy metal tonenot overly saturated
Difficulty
The main riff features intricate arpeggiated chords, fast picking, and requires tight palm muting and dynamic control, making it challenging for most intermediate players.
Sources
Randy Rhoads’ guitar tone on Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train: secrets behind the sound | Guitar WorldRandy Rhoads | Wiki @ Ultimate-Guitar.comHow Randy Rhoads reinvented classical guitar for metal | Guitar WorldOzzy Osbourne & Ozzy Osbourne – Diary Of A Madman - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | EquipboardThe 25 greatest metal guitar tones of all time | Guitar World
This tone has been researched 4 times by the community
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
Guitar1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom
AmpMarshall JMP 1959 Super Lead MKII 100-watt head (mid-70s, rented for session) into two Marshall 1960A/B 4x12 cabinets with Altec 417-8H speakers
PickupsSuper 74 (Bridge) humbucker
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass3.5
mid6
treble7
reverb1
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
distortionMXR MXR Distortion +
eqMXR MXR Ten Band EQ
delayMXR MXR Analog Delay
Sources
Randy Rhoads’ guitar tone on Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train: secrets behind the sound | Guitar WorldRandy Rhoads | Wiki @ Ultimate-Guitar.comHow Randy Rhoads reinvented classical guitar for metal | Guitar WorldOzzy Osbourne & Ozzy Osbourne – Diary Of A Madman - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | EquipboardThe 25 greatest metal guitar tones of all time | Guitar World
This tone has been researched 4 times by the community
Notes
Studio recording, 1981. Settings and gear confirmed for studio use on 'Diary of a Madman' riff section. Pickup and amp details from direct source. Effects chain based on studio sources and pedalboard documentation.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutingBritish crunchfocused midrangecreamy distortion edgesinging sustainarticulate attackhigh-output bridge pickupclassic heavy metal tonenot overly saturated
Difficulty
The main riff features intricate arpeggiated chords, fast picking, and requires tight palm muting and dynamic control, making it challenging for most intermediate players.
Diary of a Madman settings for your amp
Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.
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