🎸 Metal · 1990s

No More Tears by Ozzy Osbourne (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Ozzy Osbourne · riff

The No More Tears by Ozzy Osbourne guitar tone is built on a Marshall JCM800 2203 100-watt head, dialed in at gain 8.5/10, bass 7.5, mid 4.5, treble 8, presence 4.5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

8.5

GAIN

7.5

BASS

4.5

MID

TREBLE

4.5

PRESENCE

0.5

REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 8.5 sits above the metal average (7.3) — a hotter, more saturated take than most metal tones; mids at 4.5 are right around average (5.2); treble 8 is above the 6.8 norm (brighter attack).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: 1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom · Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 100-watt head (6550 tubes) into Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers

Studio recording, 1991. Rhythm section for 'No More Tears' riff. Used bridge pickup, heavy-gauge strings, Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive and Boss CH-1 Super Chorus pedals. Chorus pedal always on for rhythm. No wah or delay on riff section. Settings and gear confirmed for studio recording, not live.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall JCM800 songs & tones →🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ Gibson Les Paul songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ wah songs & tones →🎚️ EMG active pickups songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom → Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive → Boss CH-1 Super Chorus → Marshall JCM800 2203 100-watt head (6550 tubes) into Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers

Effects

overdrive, chorus

Tone character

bone-crushing crunch, tight and percussive, extended treble and bass response, ample midrange definition, high-output, aggressive bridge pickup, saturated high-gain, tight palm-muted chugs, slightly modulated, thickened by chorus, articulate attack, heavy, modern metal rhythm

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the No More Tears sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires precise palm muting, aggressive picking, and control over heavy-gauge strings, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Worth knowing

All amp and pedal settings are sourced directly from Guitar World (Chris Gill) for the studio recording of 'No More Tears' riff section.
No reverb or delay is used on the riff section; chorus pedal is always on for rhythm.
No evidence of wah, flanger, phaser, or other effects in the riff section.
Settings are for studio recording, not live.
If alternate settings are found in other sources, they are not specific to this song/section and are not included.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Zakk Wylde's 'No More Tears' riff tone is a saturated, tight, and aggressive 90s high-gain sound with moderately scooped mids, tight bass, and biting treble/presence, likely using a Marshall JCM800/900 with an overdrive boost and minimal reverb, matching genre and production conventions of the era.

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

🎸 All No More Tears guitar tones — every part & section →

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No More Tears guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the No More Tears guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 8.5, bass 7.5, mid 4.5, treble 8, presence 4.5, reverb 0.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the No More Tears tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: 1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom · Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 100-watt head (6550 tubes) into Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers; overdrive, chorus.

Can I get the No More Tears tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like Ozzy Osbourne on No More Tears — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 8.5, bass 7.5, mid 4.5, treble 8, presence 4.5, reverb 0.5), and overdrive, chorus. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Sources

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More like this

🎸 How to get Ozzy Osbourne’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎚️ Marshall JCM800 settings → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎚️ Chorus tone guide → · 🎯 more high gain tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com