Riff Tone
Flying High Again
Ozzy Osbourne
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarJackson Concorde (prototype, white, custom-built for Randy Rhoads)
AmpMarshall 1959 Super Lead 100W (Plexi, late 1970s/early 1980s, likely with 4x12 cabinets loaded with Altec 417C speakers)
PickupsSeymour Duncan SH-4 JB (bridge humbucker), Seymour Duncan Jazz (neck humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass6
mid6.5
treble7
reverb1.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
distortionMXR MXR Distortion +
eqMXR MXR M108 10-Band EQ
flangerMXR MXR M117R Flanger
Notes
Studio recording, 1981, Diary of a Madman sessions. Gear confirmed for this era and song by multiple sources. Riff section uses the Jackson Concorde with bridge pickup. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for the studio recording.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutingsaturated British cruncharticulate and cutting high endfocused midrange punchfast attack, minimal sagslight room ambienceclear note separationharmonic overtonescompressed, sustaining power chords
Difficulty
The riff requires tight palm muting, fast alternate picking, and precise timing to capture the aggressive, percussive feel of the original. While not as technically demanding as the solo, the riff's speed and articulation make it challenging for intermediate players.
Sources
This tone has been researched 2 times by the community
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarJackson Concorde (prototype, white, custom-built for Randy Rhoads)
AmpMarshall 1959 Super Lead 100W (Plexi, late 1970s/early 1980s, likely with 4x12 cabinets loaded with Altec 417C speakers)
PickupsSeymour Duncan SH-4 JB (bridge humbucker), Seymour Duncan Jazz (neck humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass6
mid6.5
treble7
reverb1.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
distortionMXR MXR Distortion +
eqMXR MXR M108 10-Band EQ
flangerMXR MXR M117R Flanger
This tone has been researched 2 times by the community
Notes
Studio recording, 1981, Diary of a Madman sessions. Gear confirmed for this era and song by multiple sources. Riff section uses the Jackson Concorde with bridge pickup. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for the studio recording.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutingsaturated British cruncharticulate and cutting high endfocused midrange punchfast attack, minimal sagslight room ambienceclear note separationharmonic overtonescompressed, sustaining power chords
Difficulty
The riff requires tight palm muting, fast alternate picking, and precise timing to capture the aggressive, percussive feel of the original. While not as technically demanding as the solo, the riff's speed and articulation make it challenging for intermediate players.
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