Riff Tone

diary of a madman

Unknown Artist

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

Guitar1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom (white, stock humbuckers)

AmpMarshall 1959 Super Lead 100-watt head (early 1970s, metal panel) into Marshall 4x12 cabinets

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock, likely T-Top or Super Humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid6.5

treble7

reverb1

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionMXR MXR Distortion +

eqMXR MXR 10-Band Graphic Equalizer

flangerMXR MXR Flanger

chorusMXR MXR Stereo Chorus

Notes

Studio recording, 1981. Randy Rhoads used his white Les Paul Custom for the main riff sections of 'Diary of a Madman.' The amp was a Marshall Super Lead 100-watt head, likely with no master volume, cranked for distortion. Effects were added via pedals (not amp). No evidence of effects loop use in studio. All info specific to studio recording of the riff section, not live or solo.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveaggressive British crunchhigh-gain saturationarticulate attackclear note separationpunchy low endcutting upper midsslight compressiondry, in-your-face soundminimal ambience

Difficulty

The main riff requires fast, accurate picking, tight palm muting, and advanced chord shapes, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

The 25 greatest metal guitar tones of all time | Guitar World How to Play Ozzy Osbourne's "I Don't Know" | Guitar World Making Blizzard of Ozz with Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads | Guitar World

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account