Riff Tone
Protect The Land
System Of A Down
Guitarmetal2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarIbanez Iceman (likely IC300 or signature model, as per Daron Malakian's known studio use in 2020)
AmpMesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (Modern Red Channel, silicon diode rectifier setting)
PickupsHumbuckers (likely stock or DiMarzio, bridge position)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
mid4.5
treble6.5
reverb0.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
noise_gateMXR Noise gate (model unknown, likely MXR Smart Gate or similar)
Notes
Studio recording for 'Protect The Land' (2020). Settings and gear based on direct amp setting recommendations for SOAD's modern era and Daron's known studio rig. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for the studio version.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive high midschug-ready bitemodern metal saturationslightly scooped midsclear and articulate attackpunchy low endhigh output and aggressionbridge pickup clarityminimal ambience
Difficulty
The riff requires tight palm muting and aggressive picking for a percussive metal sound, but the tempo and note choices are accessible to intermediate players. The main challenge is maintaining rhythmic precision and clarity under high gain.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarIbanez Iceman (likely IC300 or signature model, as per Daron Malakian's known studio use in 2020)
AmpMesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (Modern Red Channel, silicon diode rectifier setting)
PickupsHumbuckers (likely stock or DiMarzio, bridge position)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
mid4.5
treble6.5
reverb0.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
noise_gateMXR Noise gate (model unknown, likely MXR Smart Gate or similar)
Notes
Studio recording for 'Protect The Land' (2020). Settings and gear based on direct amp setting recommendations for SOAD's modern era and Daron's known studio rig. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for the studio version.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive high midschug-ready bitemodern metal saturationslightly scooped midsclear and articulate attackpunchy low endhigh output and aggressionbridge pickup clarityminimal ambience
Difficulty
The riff requires tight palm muting and aggressive picking for a percussive metal sound, but the tempo and note choices are accessible to intermediate players. The main challenge is maintaining rhythmic precision and clarity under high gain.
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