🎸 Metal · 2000s

Toxicity by System of a Down (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by System of a Down · riff

The Toxicity by System of a Down guitar tone is built on a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, dialed in at gain 8.5/10, bass 6.5, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 7 (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

6.5

BASS

4.5

MID

6.5

TREBLE

PRESENCE

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).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Ibanez Iceman IC300 · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Studio recording, 2001. Daron Malakian used the Ibanez Iceman IC300 with stock Axis humbuckers for the main riff section of 'Toxicity.' The amp was primarily a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier. No evidence of pedal use for the main riff; effects are minimal and mostly amp-based. Settings are for the studio recording, not live.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Mesa/Boogie songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier songs & tones →🎚️ Ibanez RG songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Ibanez Iceman IC300 → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Effects

Ibanez Iceman IC300 → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier head → cabinet

Tone character

tight and percussive, scooped mids, aggressive palm muting, chunky low end, articulate note definition, dry and focused, high-gain saturation, minimal ambience, crisp attack, compressed dynamics

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, fast tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Toxicity sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires precise, fast alternate picking and tight palm muting at a high tempo, with syncopated rhythms that demand good right-hand control and stamina.

Worth knowing

All amp settings are directly sourced from Ultimate Guitar wiki and cross-referenced with multiple sources.
No evidence of pedal use for the main riff section; all distortion is from the amp.
No reverb or time-based effects are audible or cited for the riff section.
Pickup model inferred from Daron's known IC300 specs and era-correct photos.
If alternate gear is found in future sources, update accordingly.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Daron Malakian used a Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier for 'Toxicity' with high gain for aggressive palm-muted riffs, tight but not boomy bass, balanced mids (not scooped), and a bright, cutting treble and presence for clarity. The tone is very dry with little to no reverb, matching early 2000s nu-metal production.

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

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Toxicity guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Toxicity guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 8.5, bass 6.5, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 7, reverb 0. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Toxicity tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Ibanez Iceman IC300 · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier; Ibanez Iceman IC300 → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier head → cabinet.

Can I get the Toxicity 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 System of a Down on Toxicity — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 8.5, bass 6.5, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 7, reverb 0), and Ibanez Iceman IC300 → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier head → cabinet. 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 System of a Down’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier settings → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎯 more scooped mids tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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