Riff Tone

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

Guitarmetal1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1964 Gibson SG Special (aka 'Monkey')

AmpLaney Supergroup MK1 LA100BL (100-watt head) with Laney 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12-25M speakers likely)

PickupsGibson P-90 single coils

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass3

mid8.5

treble8

reverb0

presence7.5

Effects & Signal Chain

boostDallas-Arbiter Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster Treble Booster (modified)

Notes

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.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveaggressive British crunchhigh-gain saturationbright and bitingmidrange-forwardrazor-sharp attackminimal low end (bass at 0)no ambience or reverbimmediate, in-your-face presenceclassic heavy metal riff tone

Difficulty

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.

Sources

Black Sabbath – Paranoid - Gear & Equipment Used on the Single | Equipboard Tonal Recall: The Secrets Behind the Extraordinary Guitar Sounds—"Iron Man," "Pride and Joy" | Guitar World Tony Iommi's classic Black Sabbath guitar tone: secrets behind the sound | Guitar World

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