“Kind of a one-trick pony”: Why Daron Malakian swears by his Friedman-modded Marshall but not the stock ones
Let it be known that Daron Malakian isn’t the biggest fan of Marshall amps, at least, not until they’ve been through the hands of amp guru Dave Friedman.
Known for crafting some of the most unmistakable tones in modern metal – from the jagged riffs of System of a Down to the layered grittiness of Scars on Broadway – the guitarist has never been content to stick with stock.
His go-to amp? A trusted Marshall, yes, but one with the custom touch of Friedman’s mods.
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As Malakian’s reveals in the latest episode of Ultimate Guitar’s On the Record podcast, his tone on Scar’s new album Addicted to the Violence continues that tradition: vintage guitars, carefully sculpted layers, and amps tailored to go well beyond their original designs.
“Since the Mesmerize and Hypnotize albums, and on every Scars record, I’ve used a 1962 SG Standard that I have, and I think it’s a 1968 Gibson ES-335 that I have, and I layer those to make my heavy tone,” he says. “So I’ve stuck with that.”
“I used the same Marshall that I had on the Mesmerized and Hypnotized records and all the Scars records, but I also used Friedman’s on this, and I layered the Marshall and Friedman together.”
“Friedman actually modded that Marshall, too, so in a way, you can say they’re all Friedmans,” the guitarist adds.
Asked about the mod itself, Malakian explains: “Yeah, it’s a gain mod just to make it more chuggy and heavy. But his amps kind of have that already. I’m trying to remember the model I have, I think it’s a B.E. It’s the black one with the brown lights. So his kind of has that Marshall tone that I like out of the modded Marshall.”
What makes the Friedman amps stand out, according to Malakian, is their versatility compared to the Marshalls.
“There are just a few more options on his amps than there are on the Marshalls. The Marshall is kind of a one-trick pony,” he says.
Watch the full interview below.
Elsewhere, Daron Malakian recently reflected on System Of A Down’s 2006 hiatus, revealing he wasn’t exactly behind the idea.
“When System took the hiatus, it was difficult for me at first because that’s not really what I wanted,” he said.
The post “Kind of a one-trick pony”: Why Daron Malakian swears by his Friedman-modded Marshall but not the stock ones appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
