🎸 Metal · 1970s

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

by Black Sabbath · riff

The Paranoid by Black Sabbath guitar tone is built on a Laney Supergroup MK1 LA100BL, dialed in at gain 7.5/10, bass 3, mid 8.5, treble 8, 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

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; treble 8 is above the 6.8 norm (brighter attack).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: 1964 Gibson SG Special (aka 'Monkey') · Amp: Laney Supergroup MK1 LA100BL (100-watt head) with Laney 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12-25M speakers likely)

Studio recording, 1970. Guitar volume set to full, Laney amp dimed. Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster treble booster (modified) used as main pedal. No evidence of other pedals or effects for the riff section. Pickup selector in 'up' (neck) position for chording/riff. All settings and gear confirmed for studio recording of 'Paranoid' riff, 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 (three-way toggle in up position for riff/chording)

Signal chain

1964 Gibson SG Special (aka 'Monkey') → Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster Treble Booster (modified) → Laney Supergroup MK1 LA100BL (100-watt head) with Laney 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12-25M speakers likely)

Effects

boost

Tone character

tight and percussive, aggressive British crunch, high-gain saturation, bright and biting, midrange-forward, razor-sharp attack, minimal low end (bass at 0), no ambience or reverb, immediate, in-your-face presence, classic heavy metal riff tone

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

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

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff is fast and requires tight, aggressive picking and precise chord changes, but uses straightforward power chords and rhythm, making it accessible to intermediate players.

Worth knowing

All amp settings (presence, mid, treble) at 10, bass at 0, are directly quoted from Tony Iommi in Equipboard interview (Source 1).
No evidence of reverb, delay, or modulation effects in the riff section; only the Rangemaster treble booster is confirmed.
Pickup selector position for riff/chording is 'up' (neck), confirmed by direct quote.
Settings are for studio recording, not live.
No evidence of fuzz, wah, or phaser on the riff section—these are mentioned for solos or other tracks.
If any sources suggest different amp settings, they are not tied to this specific song/section and are not included.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Tony Iommi used a Laney Supergroup amp set for classic British crunch with strong mids and moderate gain; 'Paranoid' has a dry, punchy, mid-forward tone with little to no reverb, typical of early 70s hard rock production and Sabbath's signature sound.

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

Chords

🎼 Paranoid chords — key, capo & the main progression →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

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

🎸 Which guitar legend is your tone twin? Take the quiz & share your result →

Paranoid guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Paranoid guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7.5, bass 3, mid 8.5, treble 8, 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 Paranoid tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: 1964 Gibson SG Special (aka 'Monkey') · Amp: Laney Supergroup MK1 LA100BL (100-watt head) with Laney 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12-25M speakers likely); boost.

Can I get the Paranoid 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 Paranoid — what gear and pedals?

Start with Neck pickup (three-way toggle in up position for riff/chording), the amp EQ above (gain 7.5, bass 3, mid 8.5, treble 8, 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.

Share this tone

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 high gain tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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