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

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 8, mid 5, treble 8, presence 4.5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

Amp settings (0–10)

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 5 are right around average (5.2); treble 8 is above the 6.8 norm (brighter attack).

Guitar controls

Original gear

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

Studio recording, 1991. Used bridge pickup. Effects chain included Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive and Boss CH-1 Super Chorus. Delay at end of solo added in mixing, not from pedalboard. Wah and Rotovibe not used on this track.

Gear used on this tone

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 with Celestion G12T-75 speakers

Effects

overdrive, chorus, reverb (amp)

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

bone-crushing crunch, tight and percussive, singing sustain, aggressive attack, articulate note separation, extended treble and bass response, ample definition and body, slightly modulated (chorus shimmer), high output and clarity, muscular, saturated lead tone

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

4/5 · Solo

The solo features fast pentatonic runs, aggressive picking with pinch harmonics, wide bends, and requires precise articulation and timing, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Worth knowing

• Delay at end of solo was added in mixing, not via pedalboard or amp; not present throughout solo.
• No wah or Rotovibe used on this track per direct source.
• Amp and pedal settings are from Guitar World studio documentation; minor variations may exist in live settings.
• Chorus pedal (Boss CH-1) is always on, including during solo.
• Reverb is minimal and likely from amp or mixing, not pedal.
• Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Zakk Wylde's solo tone on 'No More Tears' is high gain but not overly saturated, with a tight low end, slightly scooped but present mids, and enough treble/presence for cut without harshness. The era and genre favor a focused, articulate lead sound with minimal reverb, matching Wylde's known amp settings and production style.

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Sources

• Zakk Wylde's guitar tone on Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears: how he got his sound | Guitar World
• 5 soloing lessons you can learn from Zakk Wylde | Guitar World
• “We were doing that riff and cracking up laughing the whole time”: Zakk Wylde on how a “joke” riff won Ozzy Osbourne his first ever Grammy | MusicRadar

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