Riff Tone

Lightning Strikes

Ozzy Osbourne

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarCharvel San Dimas (custom, 1980s, white, hardtail, single humbucker, maple neck, as used by Jake E. Lee)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (100W head, 1980s, likely with 4x12 cabinet, as used by Jake E. Lee on The Ultimate Sin sessions)

PickupsSeymour Duncan JB (SH-4) humbucker (bridge position, direct mounted, no neck pickup)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid5

treble7.5

reverb1.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1985-1986. Gear confirmed for Jake E. Lee's rhythm tone on The Ultimate Sin album. No evidence of pedals for the main riff section; amp distortion used. Pickup selector not applicable (single bridge humbucker).

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivesaturated high-gain crunchaggressive palm mutingarticulate and focusedbiting attackminimal ambiencehigh-output humbucker punchBritish amp voicingmidrange claritystudio-polished

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, tight alternate picking with aggressive palm muting and precise timing, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee on replacing Randy Rhoads | Guitar World Lightning Strikes Guitar Lesson - YouTube

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