GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Hypnotize Riff Guitar Tone Settings — System Of A Down
System Of A Down · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1962 Gibson Les Paul SG Standard (double humbucker), doubled with early '80s Gibson Korina Flying V
Pickups
Gibson PAF-style humbuckers
Amp
Dave Friedman-modded Marshall 100-watt JMP100 (1970s), possibly layered with Friedman BE-100 Deluxe
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2004-2005. Main rhythm riff is double-tracked with SG and Flying V. No evidence of pedals except possible noise gate; distortion from amp. Friedman BE-100 Deluxe and Marshall JMP100 both cited as core studio amps for Mezmerize/Hypnotize era.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass4.5
Gain8
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- MXR Smart Gate Pro · noise_gate
Guitar → (optional: MXR Smart Gate Pro) → Friedman-modded Marshall JMP100 or Friedman BE-100 Deluxe → Marshall 4x12 cab
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- mid-forward punch
- articulate note separation
- dry, focused sound
- minimal ambience
- layered, double-tracked guitars
- modern metal clarity
- thick, powerful distortion
Notes & Caveats
- No official studio knob settings found; amp settings estimated based on genre, era, and user-reported settings from Mezmerize/Hypnotize era.
- User-reported settings (Reddit) suggest lower bass and high mids; averaged with typical Marshall/Friedman settings for modern metal.
- No evidence of overdrive/distortion pedals on studio recording; all gain from amp.
- Noise gate (MXR Smart Gate Pro) is sometimes used live but not confirmed for studio recording.
- No time-based or modulation effects audible or cited for the riff section; tone is very dry and direct.
- Double-tracking with Flying V and SG confirmed, but pickup selector not explicitly stated—bridge pickup inferred from tone.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Daron Malakian's tone on 'Hypnotize' is tight, aggressive, and modern, with high gain but not overly scooped mids, typical of his Mesa/Boogie Rectifier setup. The bass is controlled for clarity, mids are present for punch, treble and presence are set for cut, and the tone is dry with no audible reverb.