Tone library / System Of A Down / Aerials

Aerials amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

The System Of A Down guitar tone for “Aerials”, dialed in for a Marshall MG30CFX with a Squier Affinity Telecaster. Studio version, Toxicity (2001) — heavy main riff and chorus tone

Original rig

1962 Gibson SG / Les Paul into blended Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier (Modern High Gain) and Marshall JMP 2203, tuned to Drop C

Aggressive, mid-forward wall-of-sound modern high gain with tight low end and sharp bite

Amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

CHANNELCleanBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	7
Mid	6
Treble	5
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Jim Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95

Leave bypassed for the main riff (run direct into amp input)

02Behringer HD300 Heavy Distortion

Primary gain source; emulates Daron's high-gain Dual/Triple Rectifier wall of sound

Dist 8 · Tone 5 · Bottom 7 · Level 7

Why these settings

The Behringer HD300 acts as the dedicated high-gain engine recreating Daron's Mesa Rectifier saturation, so the Marshall MG30CFX is set to its clean channel with gain dropped to 2 to avoid muddy double-gain stacking. Because a single-coil Telecaster bridge pickup is naturally brighter and thinner than a Gibson humbucker in Drop C, we boost the HD300's Bottom control to 7, roll the guitar tone knob down to 8, and push amp bass to 7 for low-end body. Clean verse: bypass the HD300 pedal and play with fingers or a light pick attack.

PRO TIPDaron Malakian tunes to Drop C (C-G-C-F-A-D) with heavy gauge strings (typically .010-.052) and uses heavy downpicking over the bridge pickup to achieve the tight, percussive chug defining the main riff.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Marshall MG30CFX. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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