Riff Tone

Fire In the Sky

Ozzy Osbourne

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

Guitar1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom 'Bullseye'

AmpMarshall JCM 800 combo (run into Marshall 4x12 cab)

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge), EMG 85 (neck) active humbuckers (bridge pickup used exclusively)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid5.5

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveBoss Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive

Notes

Studio recording, 1988, No Rest for the Wicked album. Zakk Wylde used only the bridge pickup (EMG 81) per Ozzy's instructions. Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive pedal used as boost. Lee Jackson Metaltronix amps were tried but not used for final tracks. Settings estimated based on typical JCM 800/SD-1 metal setup for this era and genre.

Tone Character(10)

tight, saturated rhythm toneaggressive palm-muted chugshigh-output active pickupsBritish crunch with modern edgearticulate note separationthick, compressed distortionpercussive attackscooped but present midsfocused low endsinging sustain

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, aggressive palm muting and precise picking to maintain clarity with high-gain distortion, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

Zakk Wylde and Ozzy Osbourne Revisit 1988's 'No Rest for the Wicked' | Guitar World Zakk Wylde's guitar instructions upon joining Ozzy's band | Guitar World

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