Heavy metal
Randy Rhoads
Ozzy Osbourne, 1980 to 1982
Classical phrasing over a cranked Marshall, and a board built for precision rather than texture. The Distortion+ tightens the amp instead of adding gain to it, which is what keeps the fast neoclassical runs articulate.
The chain
Shown in conventional signal order rather than the order the sources list them, so it reads the way it would be wired: guitar on the left, amp on the right.
- 1Drive / fuzzNo photo available
MXR Distortion+
Drive / fuzzSimple hard clipping into an already loud Marshall, tight enough for the fast passages to stay separate.
Not stocked by any store we track
Search the site - 2EQNo photo available
MXR 10-Band EQ
EQA midrange lift for solos, which is a volume boost that also cuts through the mix.
Not stocked by any store we track
Search the site - 3ModulationNo photo available
MXR Stereo Chorus
ModulationThe wide, glassy cleans on the quieter sections.
Not stocked by any store we track
Search the site - 4DelayNo photo available
Roland RE-201 Space Echo
Delayrack or amp-top unitTape echo for the long, atmospheric intros.
Not stocked by any store we track
Search the site
Documented on
Blizzard of Ozz
album · 1980
- Crazy Train
- Mr. Crowley
- Revelation (Mother Earth)
Diary of a Madman
album · 1981
- Over the Mountain
- Flying High Again
Editorial gear history, assembled from interviews, rig rundowns, live photography and liner notes. Randy Rhoads is not affiliated with Gear Avail and nothing here is an endorsement. Rigs change between tours and between takes, so this one is scoped to 1980 to 1982 rather than presented as a career-long setup. In most cases what is documented is that a pedal was on the board during those sessions or that tour, not that it is audible on a specific bar of a specific take.