Solo Tone

Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener

Black Sabbath

Guitarmetal1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1965 Gibson SG Special (aka 'Monkey' SG, heavily modified by Iommi)

AmpLaney Supergroup (LA100BL, 100-watt head, late 60s/early 70s model)

PickupsP-90 single coil (stock, later replaced with John Birch custom humbucker, but P-90 for Vol. 4 era)

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass6.5

mid7

treble6.5

reverb0

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

boostDallas Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster (modded to full-range boost)

Notes

Studio recording, 1972, Vol. 4 sessions. Guitar tuned to C# standard. Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster (modded to full-range boost) used in front of amp. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for this solo. Settings estimated based on era, amp, and genre. No effects loop; all effects (if any) are preamp-in.

Tone Character(10)

saturated British tube amp overdrivesinging sustaintight, focused attackrich harmonic contentaggressive upper midrangepunchy, compressed lead toneslight treble boost biteminimal ambient effectsclassic early metal solo soundheavy, down-tuned riffage

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced control of phrasing, fast legato runs, and expressive bending/vibrato, all at a brisk tempo with tight rhythmic precision.

Sources

Tony Iommi's Guitar Gear on Black Sabbath Vol 4 | Boost Guitar Pedals Tone Settings for Paranoid by Black Sabbath (guitar and amp)The Gear Used by Tony Iommi on Black Sabbath’s Debut Album | Guitar.com Wheels of confusion intro tone : r/guitarpedals - Reddit

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