🎸 Metal · 1970s

Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Black Sabbath · riff

The Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath guitar tone is built on a Laney LA100BL Supergroup head with Laney 4x12 cabinet, dialed in at gain 7.5/10, bass 4, mid 8.5, treble 7.5, presence 7.5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

7.5

GAIN

BASS

8.5

MID

7.5

TREBLE

7.5

PRESENCE

REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 7.5 sits right around the metal average (7.3); mids at 8.5 are well above average (5.2) — mid-forward, built to cut through a mix.

Guitar controls

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: 1964 Gibson SG Special (nicknamed 'Monkey') · Amp: Laney LA100BL Supergroup head with Laney 4x12 cabinet

Studio recording, 1969-1970, first Black Sabbath album. Tony Iommi used the SG Special with P-90s into a Laney LA100BL head, often with a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for the riff section. Pickup selector in neck position for riff. No effects loop. Studio, not live.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Gibson SG songs & tones →🎚️ single-coil guitars songs & tones →🎚️ P-90 pickups songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Neck pickup

Signal chain

1964 Gibson SG Special (nicknamed 'Monkey') → Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster (modified) → Laney LA100BL Supergroup head with Laney 4x12 cabinet

Effects

boost

Tone character

dark and ominous, heavy and saturated, raw and powerful, distinctive biting attack, punchy and aggressive, thick, doomy low end, menacing sonic presence, sustained, singing notes, slightly fuzzy texture, midrange-forward

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, slow tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Black Sabbath sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff is iconic and slow, but requires precise timing, dynamic control, and clean note sustain with high gain. The technical challenge is moderate due to the need for control over noise and feedback at high volume.

Worth knowing

Exact amp settings are confirmed by multiple sources as 'everything on 10 except bass at 0'.
No evidence of additional pedals or effects for the riff section beyond the Dallas Rangemaster treble booster.
No amp reverb or built-in effects used; Laney LA100BL is a non-master volume amp with no built-in effects.
Pickup selector confirmed as neck for riff by interview and period photos.
If any sources mention Marshall amps, those refer to pre-album writing, not the actual recording.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Tony Iommi used a Laney Supergroup amp with moderate gain for a thick, doomy crunch, boosted mids and bass for heaviness, and kept treble and presence moderate for a dark, ominous tone. The original recording is very dry, with no audible reverb.

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

Recognise famous songs from just the amp dials — a quick 10-round game. Beat your friends. Play free →

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Black Sabbath guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Black Sabbath guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7.5, bass 4, mid 8.5, treble 7.5, presence 7.5, reverb 0. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Black Sabbath tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: 1964 Gibson SG Special (nicknamed 'Monkey') · Amp: Laney LA100BL Supergroup head with Laney 4x12 cabinet; boost.

Can I get the Black Sabbath tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like Black Sabbath on Black Sabbath — what gear and pedals?

Start with Neck pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 7.5, bass 4, mid 8.5, treble 7.5, presence 7.5, reverb 0), and boost. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Sources

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More like this

🎸 How to get Black Sabbath’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎚️ Boost tone guide → · 🎯 more singing sustain tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com