GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Fire It Up Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Black Label Society
Black Label Society · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom (Zakk Wylde signature or similar, with EMG pickups)
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge), EMG 85 (neck) active humbuckers
Amp
Wylde Audio Master 100 (Marshall JCM800 circuit, custom head) into Marshall 4x12 cabinet
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, circa 2005. Zakk Wylde has stated he uses the same core rig for Black Label Society riff tones as he did since late 1980s: Les Paul with EMGs into a Marshall-based head and 4x12. No evidence of pedal use for the main riff section; high-gain tone is primarily from amp and pickups.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass6
Gain8.5
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Noise gate (model unknown) · noise_gate
Guitar (Les Paul Custom with EMG 81 bridge) → Noise gate (if used) → Wylde Audio Master 100 (Marshall JCM800 circuit) → Marshall 4x12 cabinet
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- chunky low end
- razor-sharp attack
- articulate note separation
- compressed and controlled
- modern metal clarity
- scooped but present mids
- dry, no ambience
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings for 'Fire It Up' found; settings estimated based on Zakk Wylde's consistent use of Marshall JCM800-style amps with EMG pickups for riff tones, as confirmed in Premier Guitar interview.
- No evidence of pedal use for the main riff section; Zakk Wylde is known to run straight into the amp for rhythm tones.
- No time-based or modulation effects are audible or cited for the riff section; tone is dry, tight, and high-gain.
- Settings are inferred based on typical Marshall JCM800 high-gain metal tones and Zakk Wylde's stated approach.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Zakk Wylde's 'Fire It Up' tone is high-gain, tight, and aggressive with a slightly scooped midrange, typical of his Wylde Audio/Marshall JCM800 or 2203 setup with an overdrive boost. The bass is controlled for clarity, treble and presence are boosted for cut, and the tone is bone dry—no reverb, matching the modern metal production style.