Riff Tone

Soldier Side - Intro

System Of A Down

Guitarmetal2000s

Original Gear

GuitarIbanez Iceman (likely IC300 or custom, as used by Daron Malakian on Mezmerize/Hypnotize era)

AmpMesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio recording, 2004-2005 era)

PickupsHumbucker (likely stock Ibanez or Seymour Duncan, exact model not confirmed for this track)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6

treble7

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 2004-2005 for Mezmerize; Daron Malakian is known to use Ibanez Iceman with humbuckers and Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier for clean and heavy tones. No evidence of pedal use for the intro riff; all drive from amp. No confirmed live pedalboard for this part.

Tone Character(10)

clean and bell-likewarm and roundedslightly compressedfull-bodiedarticulate and cleardynamic and touch-sensitiveno audible effectsneck pickup fullnessstudio clarityopen, ringing chords

Difficulty

The intro riff is clean and requires good dynamic control and chord clarity, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast playing.

Sources

System of a Down's Daron Malakian Rig Rundown - Premier Guitar Daron Malakian | Equipboard How to Sound Like System of a Down - Guitar Tone

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