Tone library / Ozzy osbourne / Desire

Desire amp settings — Meteoro Nitrous

The Ozzy osbourne guitar tone for “Desire”, dialed in for a Meteoro Nitrous with a Tagima Les Paul. Studio version, No More Tears (1991)

Original rig

Marshall JCM800 2203 modded by José Arredondo, Gibson Les Paul Custom with EMG 81/85 pickups, Boss SD-1 as boost, MXR Phase 90

Thick, aggressive high-gain with scooped mids and tight low-end chug, signature Zakk Wylde 'piano tone' clarity on leads
Amp settings — Meteoro Nitrous
CHANNELDrive/Overdrive channelBRIGHToff
GAIN 8 BASS 6 MID 4 TREBLE 7 PRESENCE 5 REVERB 0 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain8
Bass6
Mid4
Treble7
Presence5
Reverb0
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Zakk uses this as a clean boost to tighten the low end and add pick attack. Essential for his tone. Run into amp input.

Level 8 · Tone 6 · Drive 2
Why these settings

The Meteoro Nitrous is a Brazilian solid-state amp with a Marshall-voiced drive channel. Your Tagima Les Paul with passive humbuckers has less output than Zakk's active EMGs, so gain is pushed to 8 (vs his ~6-7 on a modded tube head). Mids are kept at 4 for his signature scoop but not lower—the Nitrous gets muddy when scooped hard. Treble at 7 compensates for the amp's darker solid-state voicing.

PRO TIPZakk's 'piano tone' clarity comes from extremely hard picking directly over the bridge pickup pole pieces—dig in aggressively with the pick angled slightly and you'll get that percussive attack that cuts through the high gain.

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These settings are for a Meteoro Nitrous. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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