Riff Tone

Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots

Black Sabbath

Guitarmetal1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1964 Gibson SG Special 'Monkey' (left-handed, P-90 pickups, heavily modified for Tony Iommi)

AmpLaney LA100BL head with Laney LA412 cabinet

PickupsGibson P-90 single-coil (stock on SG Special, used for recording)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6.5

mid7

treble6.5

reverb0

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

boostDallas Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster

Notes

Studio recording, 1970, Paranoid album sessions. Iommi used his 'Monkey' SG Special with P-90s and a Laney LA100BL amp, boosted with a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for the riff section. Settings estimated based on era, amp, and genre. No evidence of live or alternate gear for this section.

Tone Character(10)

thick and saturatedmid-heavy punchraw and aggressivetight palm-muted attackorganic tube breakupwarm but bitingpercussive low enddistinct P-90 clarityBritish crunchno ambient or modulation effects

Difficulty

The riff requires tight palm muting, fast alternate picking, and precise timing, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

NAMM 2017: Laney launches recreations of Tony Iommi's original Black Sabbath amp and treble booster pedal | MusicRadar Tony Iommi's classic Black Sabbath guitar tone: secrets behind the sound | Guitar World Black Sabbath on a Strat

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