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Chop Suey! (System of a Down) guitar tone and amp settings

Chop Suey! guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Brown amp type, high gain (Gain 7.5), bright top (Treble 6.5), balanced lows (Bass 4), bridge pickup.

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

The song has distinct sounds: Acoustic intro, Acoustic solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.

Chop Suey! settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every song

AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

VariationOff
Amp TypeBrown
Gain7.5
Volume6Set amp-section level to balance the gain and room.
Bass4
Middle5.5
Treble6.5
Booster0
Mod0
FX0
Delay0
Reverb0
Set to your roomMaster
Set to your roomPower Control

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output drives the amp's high-gain voicing.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Variation
Off
Amp Type
Brown
Gain
7.5
Volume
6
Bass
4
Middle
5.5
Treble
6.5
Booster
0
Mod
0
FX
0
Delay
0
Reverb
0
Master
Set to your room
Power Control
Set to your room

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

A steel-string acoustic improves the intro's natural attack and layered texture.

Chop Suey! settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40

Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every song

AmpPositive Grid Spark 40

Amp TypeMetal
Gain7
Bass5
Mid5.5
Treble6.5
Set to your roomMaster
Mod0
Delay0
Reverb0
Set to your roomOutput
App Amp ModelTreadplatein the app, optional
App DriveOffin the app, optional
App Comp/WahOffin the app, optional
App Mod/EQOffin the app, optional
App DelayOffin the app, optional
App ReverbOffin the app, optional

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the bridge humbucker driving the amp.
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Type
Metal
Gain
7
Bass
5
Mid
5.5
Treble
6.5
Master
Set to your room
Mod
0
Delay
0
Reverb
0
Output
Set to your room
App Amp Model
Treadplate
App Drive
Off
App Comp/Wah
Off
App Mod/EQ
Off
App Delay
Off
App Reverb
Off

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
7

Use a separate acoustic guitar and overdubs to recreate the layered parts.

Chop Suey! settings on a Fender Mustang LT25

Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every song

AmpFender Mustang LT25

Amp Model90S ROCKin the menu
Gain6.5
Volume6Preset level; set to balance the modeled amp
Treble6
Bass5.5
Middle5in the menu
Set to your roomMaster
StompNonein the menu
ModNonein the menu
DelayNonein the menu
ReverbNonein the menu

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output to drive the amp model firmly
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Model
90S ROCK
Gain
6.5
Volume
6
Treble
6
Bass
5.5
Middle
5
Master
Set to your room
Stomp
None
Mod
None
Delay
None
Reverb
None

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

A real acoustic guitar is needed for the recorded acoustic layer.

Chop Suey! settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

Amp

Gain7.5
Bass5
Mid6.5
Treble6.5

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output to drive the amp for the dense distortion.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
7.5
Bass
5
Mid
6.5
Treble
6.5

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Add an acoustic guitar or separate acoustic track for the layered parts.

Song parts

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

  1. Acoustic intro:

    Amp Type Acoustic, Gain 2

    .

    Use the Acoustic voicing for the intro.

  2. Acoustic solo:

    Amp Type Crunch, Gain 5.5

    .

    Use Crunch to blend acoustic clarity with driven bite.

Song parts

Positive Grid Spark 40

  1. Acoustic intro:

    Amp Type Acoustic, Gain 1.5, App Amp Model Pure Acoustic

    .

    Favor the acoustic texture; overdub the electric leads separately.

  2. Acoustic solo:

    Amp Type Acoustic, Gain 1.5, App Amp Model Pure Acoustic

    .

    Favor the acoustic layer; overdub the distorted lead separately.

Song parts

Fender Mustang LT25

  1. Acoustic intro:

    Amp Model SUPER CLEAN, Gain 2, Volume 5.5, Pickup Selector Neck + Bridge

    .

    Play lightly for a clearer, more acoustic-like attack.

  2. Acoustic solo:

    Gain 4.8, Middle 5.5

    .

    Keep the bridge pickup; let the layered tone suggest the solo.

Song parts

Any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

  1. Acoustic intro:

    Gain 2.5, Pickup Selector Neck + Bridge, Volume 8

    .

    Play lightly; this electric setting only approximates the layered intro.

  2. Acoustic solo:

    Gain 5.5, Pickup Selector Neck + Bridge, Tone 6

    .

    Keep the electric layer clear; add a separate acoustic layer if available.

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

The intro to Chop Suey! layers acoustic guitar with twin electric leads, then lurches into a thick wall of distortion. The album's guitar sound was built from stacked tracks: a muddy guitar over a rock guitar over a heavy metal guitar, each one played again and again until it was right. The amp sound came from Marshall and Mesa Boogie cabinets and heads, with the Mesa giving the bite and the Marshall the body. Together they make a big, full sound. Malakian doesn't like to play through effects pedals, so his tracks were recorded fairly straight.

  • Layer an acoustic guitar under twin electric leads for the intro.
  • Stack a muddy guitar, a rock guitar and a heavy metal guitar, one over another.

What amp did Daron Malakian use on Chop Suey!?

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

Daron Malakian

Amp
Marshall and Mesa Boogie[4]
  • Acoustic intro: In the intro, Malakian layers acoustic guitar and twin electric leads. (on this song)[1]
  • Malakian said Toxicity had 12 guitar tracks on each song, against two on the last record. (on the album Toxicity)[1]
  • Malakian said he no longer layers 12 tracks of guitar. (in a later era)[2]
  • Intro: Malakian said he wrote the opening riff and pretty much structured the song while touring. (on this song)[2]
  • Odadjian said Malakian would record four tracks with different guitars buried under each other to make a sound one guitar could not make. (on the album Toxicity)[3]
  • Malakian said he would layer a muddy guitar over a rock guitar over a real heavy metal guitar. (on the album Toxicity)[4]
  • Engineer Dave Schiffman said the Mesa gave the sound its teeth and the Marshall gave it its body. (on the album Toxicity)[4]
  • Mix says Malakian's signal went through a combination of Marshall and Mesa Boogie cabinets and heads. (on the album Toxicity)[4]
  • Schiffman said the Mesa and the Marshall together made a big, full sound. (on the album Toxicity)[4]
  • Mix says a 57 and an 87 were placed on each cabinet. (on the album Toxicity)[4]
  • Mix says the signals were then run through a pair of black-faced 1176s. (on the album Toxicity)[4]
  • Malakian said he would play the song about 50 times until each layer was right. (on the album Toxicity)[4]
  • Mix reports Malakian’s guitar tracks were recorded fairly straight-ahead because he doesn’t like to play through effects pedals. (on the album Toxicity)[4]
  • Malakian's guitar on Chop Suey! lurches into a thick wall of distortion. (on this song)[1]

Questions

What amp did Daron Malakian use on Chop Suey!?

The sources on this page document Daron Malakian's gear on Chop Suey! by System of a Down: amp, Marshall and Mesa Boogie [4]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the Chop Suey! settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?

For the Chop Suey! guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Brown, Gain 7.5, Volume 6, Bass 4, Middle 5.5, Treble 6.5, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Power Control to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Chop Suey! settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?

For the Chop Suey! guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Metal, Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.5, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0, App Amp Model Treadplate; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master and Output to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Chop Suey! settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?

For the Chop Suey! guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 90S ROCK, Gain 6.5, Volume 6, Treble 6, Bass 5.5, Middle 5, Stomp None, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb None; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

Can I get the Chop Suey! tone on my own amp?

Yes. The settings above cover 3 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for Chop Suey!, using only the controls your gear has.

Get it for your exact rig

KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for this song.

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