Randy Rhoads Amp Settings

Randy Rhoads combined classical music training with hard rock aggression — his tone on the first two Ozzy albums (Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman) set the template for 1980s metal guitar.

The Guitar

Rhoads played two primary guitars:

• 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom (Black Beauty) — primary guitar on Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
• Custom Polka Dot V (Karl Sandoval-built) — the white flying-V shape with black polka dots, his most photographed guitar; used from late 1980 onwards

Both guitars had humbuckers — the Les Paul Custom's factory units, and custom high-output pickups in the Polka Dot V.

Primary Amp: Marshall Super Lead 100W (JMP)

Model: Marshall Super Lead 100W (JMP series, late 1970s)
Cab: Marshall 4×12 (Celestion Greenbacks)

Rhoads used Marshall exclusively for the recording sessions and live work. His setup used multiple Marshall heads running simultaneously.

Settings:

Both channels jumped — patch cable between Bright Normal and Bright Bright inputs, combining the two channel responses. This was a standard technique for Rhoads to get more complexity from the Marshall's frequency response.

Key Pedal: MXR Distortion+

Model: MXR Distortion+ (script logo version, early production)

The MXR Distortion+ is Rhoads's primary drive pedal — used before the Marshall to push the preamp into saturation and add compression.

Settings:

Why the Distortion+? The MXR Distortion+ uses a germanium diode clipping stage — softer-sounding than silicon clipping, with a compressed, smooth quality that complements the Marshall's natural character. Rhoads wasn't trying to add extreme high-gain distortion — he was smoothing and compressing the Marshall's response.

Modern alternative: MXR Classic 108 Fuzz (different circuit but similar vintage character), Boss SD-1, or the Boss DS-1 at moderate distortion.

Mr. Crowley: The Clean Intro Tone

The clean guitar intro on "Mr. Crowley" uses a separate small amp — a Fender or similar small combo running clean, not the Marshall stack. The clarity and chimey quality of that intro is the small Fender's character, not a cleaned-up Marshall.

Approximate settings for clean intro tone:

• Fender-style amp, volume 4–5
• Treble 6, Bass 5, Middle 5
• No distortion pedal

Crazy Train Settings

The "Crazy Train" riff and solo is the distorted Marshall sound with MXR Distortion+:

• Marshall Super Lead → channels jumped
• MXR Distortion+ before the amp (Distortion at 2 o'clock)
• Bridge pickup on the Les Paul Custom

The track was recorded by Max Norman — the production adds some compression and EQ at the console, but the source tone is entirely the Marshall + MXR.

Additional Equipment

Oberheim Voltage Controlled Amplifier: Used for studio volume swells and fade effects. Not central to the live tone.

Boss CE-2 Chorus: Present in the studio rig for specific songs — "Goodbye to Romance" and ballad sections.

Replicating Rhoads's Tone

Why the MXR Distortion+ Specifically, Not a Generic Overdrive

The MXR Distortion+'s germanium diode clipping stage is doing something genuinely different from the silicon-diode circuits found in most modern overdrive pedals — germanium clipping is softer and more compressed, rounding off the attack rather than adding sharp, aggressive edge. Combined with a Marshall already pushed into its own preamp saturation, this produces a smoothed, thickened result rather than a harsher, more layered distortion. This is why Rhoads's tone, despite being genuinely high-gain for its era, retains a certain smoothness that distinguishes it from later, more aggressive 1980s metal tones built around harder-clipping pedals.

Understanding this helps explain why substituting a modern silicon-based overdrive pedal — even at similar gain settings — tends to produce a noticeably harsher, less vintage-appropriate result than the original germanium-based Distortion+.

Common Mistakes

Substituting a modern silicon overdrive pedal without adjusting expectations. As explained above, the MXR Distortion+'s germanium clipping produces a softer, more compressed character than most contemporary overdrive circuits — a silicon-based substitute at similar settings will sound noticeably more aggressive and less smooth than the original.

Using the Les Paul Custom's neck pickup for the main distorted riffs. As the guitar section states, Rhoads used the bridge pickup exclusively for distorted parts — the neck pickup was reserved specifically for the "Mr. Crowley" clean intro, not general rhythm or lead work.

Turning the Marshall's own volume down for clean sections instead of switching amps. As the Mr. Crowley section explains, the clean intro tone comes from an entirely separate small Fender-style combo, not a backed-off Marshall — a cleaned-up high-gain amp has a different character from a genuinely clean-voiced one, even at matched volume.

Overlooking the channel-jumping technique. As the settings table shows, both Bright and Normal channel inputs were connected with a patch cable to combine their frequency responses — running only one channel, even at correct individual volume, misses part of the tonal complexity in the original recordings.

ToneStakr's Take

For players building this tone, prioritize sourcing a genuine germanium-diode overdrive (an original or reissue MXR Distortion+) over a generic modern overdrive pedal — the softer clipping character is a real, audible part of what separates this tone from harsher, more aggressive 1980s metal sounds that came slightly later. Pair it with a Marshall-style amp at the channel-jumped settings listed here, and reserve the small clean combo specifically for passages like the "Mr. Crowley" intro rather than trying to get both tones from one amp.

Frequently Asked Questions

What amp did Randy Rhoads use on Blizzard of Ozz?

A Marshall Super Lead 100W (JMP series), with both channels jumped via a patch cable and a Marshall 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion Greenback speakers. Multiple heads were used live, and sometimes stacked in the studio for added depth.

What overdrive pedal did Randy Rhoads use?

An MXR Distortion+ (early script logo version), set to moderate distortion (around 2 o'clock) as a preamp boost placed before the Marshall — its germanium diode clipping stage produces a smoother, more compressed saturation than most modern silicon-based overdrive pedals.

What guitar did Randy Rhoads play on "Crazy Train"?

The 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom ("Black Beauty") — used on most of the Blizzard of Ozz recording sessions, with the Polka Dot Flying V reserved primarily for later tracks and live performances rather than the "Crazy Train" studio recording itself.

Why does channel-jumping matter for this specific tone?

Connecting the Marshall's Bright and Normal channel inputs with a patch cable combines both channels' slightly different frequency responses into a single, more complex signal — a technique that adds tonal richness beyond what either channel alone provides, and one that several other classic rock and metal guitarists on this site used for similar reasons.

Is the Boss CE-2 Chorus a core part of this tone, or a minor detail?

A minor, song-specific detail — it appears on tracks like "Goodbye to Romance" and other ballad sections rather than as part of the main distorted rhythm or lead tone. Players focused on the core Blizzard of Ozz sound can skip it without losing the essential character.

Can I replicate this tone reasonably well on a budget modelling amp?

Yes, to a meaningful degree — a Marshall-style amp model at moderate-to-high gain with a germanium-voiced overdrive model (or the closest available approximation) in front captures much of the character, though the specific smoothness of genuine germanium clipping is one of the harder qualities for budget modelling to reproduce exactly.

Related Reading

• What Amp Does Randy Rhoads Use
• What Guitar Does Randy Rhoads Use
• Best High-Gain Amp Under 500