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Hellraiser Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne · 1990s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge), EMG 85 (neck) active humbuckers
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203 100-watt head (6550 tubes) into Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1991 (No More Tears album). For the riff section, Zakk Wylde used the bridge pickup, with volume and tone on 10. The Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive and Boss CH-1 Super Chorus pedals were used, with the chorus pedal splitting the signal to two Marshall heads. Wah and Rotovibe were not used for this song's rhythm section.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass8
Gain7
Reverb0.5
Treble8
Presence4.5
Effects Chain
- Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive · overdrive
- Boss CH-1 Super Chorus · chorus
Guitar → Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive → Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (stereo out) → Two Marshall JCM800 2203 heads → Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinets
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Tone Character
- bone-crushing crunch
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm muting
- saturated but articulate
- high-output active pickup bite
- stereo width from chorus
- thick, heavy low end
- razor-sharp attack
- modern metal clarity
- no audible reverb
Notes & Caveats
- All gear and settings are directly sourced from Guitar World, which covers the No More Tears album sessions (including 'Hellraiser').
- Pedal settings are taken from the cited source; chorus and overdrive are confirmed, wah and Rotovibe were not used for this song.
- No reverb is used on the amp or in the pedal chain for the riff section.
- Chorus effect is always on for the riff, splitting the signal to two amps.
- Settings are for the studio recording, not live.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Zakk Wylde's 'Hellraiser' tone is high-gain but not overly saturated, with a tight low end, punchy mids, and clear but not harsh highs, typical of his JCM800/Marshall setup in the early 90s. The reverb is minimal for a tight, aggressive metal rhythm sound, and presence is boosted for clarity.