Riff Tone

Lonely Day

System Of A Down

Guitarrock2000s

Original Gear

GuitarIbanez Iceman IC300 (2000s production, likely stock)

AmpMesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio recording, clean channel)

PickupsIbanez stock humbuckers (likely Powersound or V7/V8, passive, ceramic magnet)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid6

treble6.5

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 2005 (Mezmerize/Hypnotize sessions). Daron Malakian is known to use the Ibanez Iceman with stock humbuckers and Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier amps in the studio for this era. Clean tone sections use the amp's clean channel with minimal gain. No evidence of pedals or additional effects in the clean riff section.

Tone Character(10)

clean and glassybright and articulatetight and percussiveminimal breakupclear note separationslight warmth from humbuckersno audible modulation or time-based effectsstudio-polished claritydynamic response to pickingno compression or sustain artifacts

Difficulty

The riff is beginner-friendly, using simple open chords and a slow, steady rhythm. The main challenge is maintaining clean articulation and dynamic control.

Sources

System of a Down - Lonely Day | Wiki @ Ultimate-Guitar.com System of a Down Amp Settings (gear and tone tips) - Guitar Chalk System Of A Down - Lonely Day (Guitar Lesson with TAB) - DROP C#

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