Riff Tone

Lonely Is the Word

Black Sabbath

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson SG Special (early 1970s, likely 1965-1967 model, with P-90s replaced by humbuckers)

AmpLaney Supergroup LA100BL (100W tube head, late 1960s/early 1970s, used in studio)

PickupsGibson PAF-style humbuckers (exact model unknown, likely vintage spec)

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass6.5

mid7.5

treble6.5

reverb1

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1980, 'Heaven and Hell' album sessions. Tony Iommi used his main Gibson SG into a Laney Supergroup amp. No evidence of effects pedals in the riff section; effects like delay and modulation are not audible in the main riff. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and known rig. No evidence of effects loop or pedalboard for this section.

Tone Character(10)

warm and smoothsinging sustainthick midrangeclassic British crunchopen and dynamicclear note separationslightly compressedtouch-sensitivenot overly brightslight amp reverb for space

Difficulty

The riff requires expressive vibrato, smooth bends, and dynamic control for sustain and phrasing, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.

Sources

Tony Iommi’s tone secrets, by longtime producer Mike Exeter | Guitar World

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