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lead guitar from “iron man” by black sabbath | ToneDB

iron man

black sabbath

lead guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

A dark, aggressive, and slightly fuzzy guitar tone that cuts through the mix with a raw and powerful presence. It's characterized by a distinct mid-range emphasis and a touch of vintage grit.

Gear

Gibson SGinstrument
Reverb$1421Sweetwater
Laney Supergroupamp
Reverb$102Sweetwater
Dallas Arbiter Rangemasterprocessing
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

Tony Iommi's lead guitar tone on "Iron Man" was created using his Gibson SG through a Laney Supergroup amp, with a Dallas Arbiter Rangemaster treble booster to push the amp into overdrive and add sustain. The song was recorded at Regent Sound Studios in London with producer Rodger Bain and engineer Tony Allom. Iommi's SG featured custom-wound pickups, and the Rangemaster was crucial for shaping the mid-range focused, aggressive tone that cuts through the heavy mix.

Production Credits

Producer: Rodger Bain

Engineer: Tony Allom

Recorded at: Regent Sound Studios, London

Signal Chain

Instrument: Gibson SG

Amp: Laney Supergroup

Processing: Dallas Arbiter Rangemaster

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Gibson SG style guitar and use the bridge pickup.
  • Use a Laney Supergroup amp or an amp model that emulates its characteristics.
  • Add a treble booster pedal (like the Dallas Arbiter Rangemaster) to increase sustain and add mid-range focus.
  • Experiment with the gain settings on both the amp and the pedal to find the sweet spot.
  • Consider using a cabinet simulator or impulse response that matches the speaker configuration of a Laney cabinet.

Original Gear

  • Gibson SG(guitar)
  • Laney Supergroup(amp)
  • Dallas Arbiter Rangemaster(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Catalinbread Naga Viper$150-$180

Alternative to: Dallas Arbiter Rangemaster

Accurate Rangemaster clone that provides the same treble boost and midrange focus essential to Iommi's Iron Man tone

ReverbSweetwater
Laney GH50L$800-$1000

Alternative to: Laney Supergroup

Modern Laney that maintains the core Supergroup voicing and overdrive characteristics for authentic Sabbath crunch

ReverbSweetwater
Epiphone Tony Iommi SG$600-$800

Alternative to: Gibson SG with custom pickups

Official Iommi signature model with similar pickup configuration and SG mahogany tone for budget-conscious players

ReverbSweetwater
Analogman Beano Boost$200-$250

Alternative to: Dallas Arbiter Rangemaster

Premium Rangemaster clone with exact vintage specs for the treble boost and saturation heard on the original recording

ReverbSweetwater
Neural DSP Archetype Gojira$120-$150

Alternative to: Laney Supergroup

High-quality amp modeling plugin with vintage British amp models that can recreate the Supergroup's overdriven character

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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