Riff Tone

Symptom of the Universe

Black Sabbath

Guitarmetal1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1970s Gibson SG Special

AmpLaney Supergroup LA100BL

PickupsP90 single-coil pickups

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass5.5

mid7

treble6.5

reverb1.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1975. Guitar is a Gibson SG Special with P90s, amp is a Laney Supergroup head. No evidence of pedals or effects used on the original studio riff section. Settings are based on Guitar World lesson referencing Iommi's classic rhythm tone, which matches the era and gear. Pickup selector set to bridge. No evidence of effects loop or additional pedals in the riff section.

Tone Character(10)

snarling and overdriventight and percussiveraw and aggressivesludgey and thickmidrange-heavyweighty and powerfulpunchy attackclassic heavy metal riff soundslightly loose low endminimal ambience

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, tight down-picking, precise palm muting, and aggressive attack to maintain the song's energy and clarity, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Tony Iommi guitar lesson: improve your riffs with his techniques | Guitar World Black Sabbath Guitar Tuning Compendium (Albums and ...Master Of Reality tuning : r/blacksabbath BLACK SABBATH - Symptom Of The Universe (1978)Tony Iommi's Guitar Gear

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account