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The recording
Toxicity was recorded in 2001 at Cello Studios in Los Angeles with engineer Dave Schiffman. Daron Malakian tracked his rhythm parts on a drop‑C tuned Ibanez Iceman, routing the bridge pickup through a Boss MT‑2 Metal Zone into a Marshall JCM800 2203 head and a 4×12 Celestion V30 cabinet. The amp was miked with a Shure SM57 and an AKG D112, summed through a Neve 8068 console before tape compression, giving the riff its tight, percussive attack.
Tuning Drop C (C G C F A D)
Signal chain
Reported gear
Ibanez Iceman IC520
Guitar
Daron Malakian used his Ibanez Iceman IC520, equipped with a high‑output bridge humbucker, for the main riff of “Toxicity”. The guitar’s aggressive single‑coil character helped cut through the heavy rhythm section.
Boss MT-2 Metal Zone
Pedal
A Boss MT‑2 Metal Zone was placed in front of the amp as a boost and tone‑shaping unit, tightening the low‑end chug on the song’s distorted sections.
Marshall JCM800 2203
Amp
The signal was fed into a Marshall JCM800 2203 head, cranked to high gain to produce the razor‑sharp, aggressive tone heard on “Toxicity”.
Marshall 1960 4x12 Cabinet (Celestion V30)
Cabinet
The JCM800 was paired with a Marshall 1960 4×12 cabinet loaded with Celestion V30 speakers, delivering the tight low‑end punch and pronounced mids that define the track’s rhythm tone.
Alternatives
Ibanez RG550
Modern equivalent · for the Ibanez Iceman IC520
Marshall JCM800 2203 reissue
Reissue · for the Marshall JCM800 2203
Boss MT-2 Metal Zone (reissue)
Reissue · for the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone
Marshall 1960A 4×12 Cabinet
Modern equivalent · for the Marshall 1960 4x12 Cabinet (Celestion V30)
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Drop the guitar to Drop C (C G C F A D) before playing.
- 2.Select the bridge pickup and roll the tone knob back for a tighter attack.
- 3.Use a slight boost with a Metal Zone pedal to tighten the low‑end chug.
- 4.Palm‑mute the low strings and attack the strings aggressively to capture the percussive rhythm.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Toxicity guitar tone?
The available research points to Ibanez Iceman IC520 into Marshall JCM800 2203. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Toxicity amp settings documented?
Exact historical knob positions are not reliably documented for most recordings. ToneTwin does not publish generated values as studio fact; it creates playable settings only for the amp and pedals a player selects.
What tuning is Toxicity in?
The current research record lists Drop C (C G C F A D). ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Toxicity tone on my own gear?
Use the reported pickup, gain character, effects and signal-chain order as the target, then translate that target to your equipment. The matcher models controls for your selected rig rather than copying undocumented studio numbers.
Researched and reviewed by the ToneTwin Research Team.
