Crate GX-15R settings
Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener settings for Crate GX-15R
Black Sabbath · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Black Sabbath "Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener" riff tone on a Crate GX-15R, set Gain 1.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Reverb 0, Reverb Control 0. Use the neck pickup with your guitar's tone on 6-7 and volume on 7-8.
Riff settings
Adapted for a ESP MX-220 · updated 2026-06-25
- Pickup
- Neck pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 6-7 · Volume 7-8
Crate GX-15R knobs
- Gain
- 1.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
- Reverb Control
- 0
- Level (Clean Channel)
- 6
- Gain (Overdrive Channel)
- 0
- Level (Overdrive Channel)
- 0
Playing tips
- Use a soft picking technique to achieve a mellow attack.
- Focus on clear note separation while playing the riff.
- Maintain a steady hand position for consistent dynamics.
Solo settings
Adapted for a ESP MX-220 · updated 2026-06-25
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Crate GX-15R knobs
- Gain
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
- Reverb Control
- 0
- Level (Clean Channel)
- 0
- Gain (Overdrive Channel)
- 7
- Level (Overdrive Channel)
- 6
Playing tips
- Focus on smooth bends and slides to achieve a singing sustain.
- Use palm muting for the lower notes to maintain clarity and punch.
- Experiment with dynamics; play softer for more subtle notes and harder for aggressive passages.
The original rig
What Black Sabbath used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Crate GX-15R actually has.
- Guitar
- Gibson SG Special 'Monkey' (early 1960s, P-90 pickups)
- Amp
- Laney Supergroup LA100BL (early 1970s, 100W head)
- Gain
- 0
- Bass
- 6.5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6.5
- Presence
- 5.5
- Reverb
- 0
Different guitar or pedals? Get Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Black Sabbath's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Crate GX-15R settings for Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener?
Set Gain 1.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Reverb 0, Reverb Control 0.
Which pickup should I use for Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener?
Neck pickup, with the guitar's tone at 6-7 and volume at 7-8.
What gear did Black Sabbath use on Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener?
Guitar: Gibson SG Special 'Monkey' (early 1960s, P-90 pickups). Amp: Laney Supergroup LA100BL (early 1970s, 100W head).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a ESP MX-220. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener on other amps
More Black Sabbath on the Crate GX-15R
All Black Sabbath tones →Popular songs on the Crate GX-15R
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Floods · Pantera
- One · Metallica
- Fade to Black · Metallica
- The Call of Ktulu · Metallica
- To Live Is to Die · Metallica
- Welcome Home (Sanitarium) · Metallica
- ...And Justice for All · Metallica
- Orion · Metallica
- This Love · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- The Thing That Should Not Be · Metallica
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.