Riff Tone

N.I.B.

Black Sabbath

Guitarmetal1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1965 Gibson SG Special

AmpLaney Supergroup MK I 100-watt head with Laney 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12-25M speakers likely)

PickupsP90 single-coil pickups

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass6.5

mid7

treble6.5

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

boostDallas Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster

Notes

Studio recording, 1969-1970. No fuzz pedal used; distortion from amp and Dallas Rangemaster treble booster. Settings and gear are for the original studio recording, not live. Pickup selector set to bridge for riff section.

Tone Character(10)

monstrously thick and saturatedmidrange-heavyfuzzy but tightaggressive and bitingwarm low endsinging sustaincrunchy powerchordsBritish amp characterslightly rolled-off trebleraw and organic

Difficulty

The riff is iconic but technically accessible, relying on tight powerchord playing, solid rhythm, and control of a saturated tone. No advanced techniques, but requires good muting and timing.

Sources

Tony Iommi: Tone tips | MusicRadar Tonal Recall: The Secrets Behind the Extraordinary Guitar Sounds—"Iron Man," "Pride and Joy" | Guitar World Tony Iommi guitar lesson: improve your riffs with his techniques | Guitar World

This tone has been researched 7 times by the community

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