GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Toxicity Riff Guitar Tone Settings — System Of A Down
System Of A Down · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard (black, used in Toxicity recording sessions)
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (stock Les Paul Standard pickups, likely 490R/498T or similar, no evidence of aftermarket pickups for this session)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203 head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2001. Gear confirmed by session photos and Equipboard. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the main riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass6
Gain8
Reverb1
Treble7
Presence6
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
Adapt to MY Gear →7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive attack
- chunky low end
- clear pick articulation
- saturated distortion
- focused midrange
- minimal ambience
- metallic edge
- articulate note separation
- punchy rhythm
Notes & Caveats
- No direct amp knob settings found for Toxicity riff; settings estimated based on Marshall JCM800 typical metal usage and era.
- Guitar and amp confirmed by session photos and Equipboard; pickup type inferred from stock Les Paul Standard of the era.
- No evidence of pedals used for main riff; Tube Screamer was used on earlier album, but not confirmed for Toxicity.
- No modulation or time-based effects audible or cited for the main riff section; tone is dry and direct.
- If alternate gear or settings are found in future, update accordingly.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Daron Malakian's 'Toxicity' tone is a tight, aggressive modern metal sound with high gain, slightly scooped mids, and controlled bass for clarity, typical of late-90s/early-2000s nu-metal. The amp is set dry with no reverb, and presence is boosted for articulation, matching his Mesa/Marshall hybrid approach and the song's production style.