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No More Tears — Ozzy Osbourne1 / 2
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No More Tears 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 (late '80s, 6550 tubes) into Marshall 1960B 4x12 with Celestion G12T-75 speakers
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 1991. Riff section used bridge pickup, no wah or Rotovibe, stereo setup with Boss CH-1 splitting to two Marshall heads. SD-1 used for additional drive. Chorus pedal always on for stereo width. No amp reverb or delay. Settings from Guitar World studio breakdown.

Amp Settings

Mids
4.5
Bass
8
Gain
8.5
Reverb
0.5
Treble
8
Presence
4.5

Effects Chain

  • Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive · overdrive
  • Boss CH-1 Super Chorus · chorus

Guitar (Les Paul Custom, bridge EMG 81) → Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive → Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (stereo out) → 2x Marshall JCM800 2203 heads → Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinets

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Tone Character

  • bone-crushing crunch
  • tight and percussive
  • full-bodied low end
  • cutting upper mids
  • saturated, harmonically rich distortion
  • articulate pick attack
  • aggressive palm muting
  • stereo width from chorus
  • modern metal edge
  • high-output, compressed dynamics

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️All amp and pedal settings are from Guitar World studio breakdown (Source 1), which is highly reliable.
  • ⚠️No amp reverb or delay used; chorus effect is from Boss CH-1 pedal, not amp.
  • ⚠️No wah or Rotovibe used on riff section per direct source quote.
  • ⚠️Signal chain and settings are for studio recording, not live.
  • ⚠️No evidence of other modulation or time-based effects in riff section.
  • ⚠️Settings are for the main riff/rhythm, not the solo.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Zakk Wylde's 'No More Tears' riff tone is high gain but not overly saturated, with a tight low end, slightly scooped mids, and enough treble/presence for bite. The production is dry with minimal reverb, typical of early 90s Ozzy, and these settings reflect his Marshall JCM800/2203 setup and genre conventions.

Sources