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Solo Tone
Voodoo
Black Sabbath
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson SG 'Monkey' (early 1970s, heavily modded, P-90 in bridge)
AmpLaney Supergroup 100-watt head (early 1970s, likely LA100BL or LA100SM)
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass6.5
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Notes
Studio recording, 1980, Heaven and Hell album sessions. Tony Iommi used his iconic 'Monkey' SG with a custom John Birch pickup in the bridge. No evidence of pedal use for the solo; distortion from amp. No evidence of effects loop or studio pedals. No evidence of live rig for this specific solo.
Tone Character(10)
singing sustainfat, saturated lead tonerich harmonic overtonessmooth, violin-like sustaintight low endarticulate single-note clarityslightly scooped mids but not thinclassic Sabbath lead soundno audible modulation or time-based effectsamp-driven distortion
Difficulty
The solo requires intermediate to advanced control of bends, vibrato, and sustain, with precise phrasing and dynamic control to achieve the signature Iommi lead sound.
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson SG 'Monkey' (early 1970s, heavily modded, P-90 in bridge)
AmpLaney Supergroup 100-watt head (early 1970s, likely LA100BL or LA100SM)
Amp Settings
gain7.5
bass6.5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording, 1980, Heaven and Hell album sessions. Tony Iommi used his iconic 'Monkey' SG with a custom John Birch pickup in the bridge. No evidence of pedal use for the solo; distortion from amp. No evidence of effects loop or studio pedals. No evidence of live rig for this specific solo.
Tone Character(10)
singing sustainfat, saturated lead tonerich harmonic overtonessmooth, violin-like sustaintight low endarticulate single-note clarityslightly scooped mids but not thinclassic Sabbath lead soundno audible modulation or time-based effectsamp-driven distortion
Difficulty
The solo requires intermediate to advanced control of bends, vibrato, and sustain, with precise phrasing and dynamic control to achieve the signature Iommi lead sound.