Black Sabbath
Paranoid · 1970
Amp settings (as recorded)
The recording
Iron Man was recorded during the sessions for the album Paranoid at Regent Sound Studios in June 1970. The track is notable for its 'brutally simple' signal path, relying on Tony Iommi’s direct, unadorned interaction between his modified Gibson SG, a treble booster, and Laney amplification. The tuning is technically Standard E, though the recording often sounds slightly sharp or inconsistent in pitch due to the use of very light-gauge strings (to accommodate Iommi's prosthetic fingertips) and the playback speed of the studio tape machines at the time.
Tuning
Standard ERecording Signal Chain · 4 items
1965 Gibson SG Special
Gibson
Primary instrument
Nicknamed 'The Monkey'; featured a custom-fitted bridge P-90.
Dallas Rangemaster
Dallas-Arbiter
Treble Booster
Modified version used to drive the amp.
LA100 BL Supergroup
Laney
Amplification
Used with all knobs dimed except Bass at 0.
4x12 Cabinet
Laney
Speaker projection
Loaded with Celestion G12H or Goodman Audiom 61 speakers.
Tone Characteristics
ToneTwin