It’s hard to overstate the impact of Tony Iommi on modern guitar. His playing with Black Sabbath in the early ’70s essentially laid the foundation for heavy metal as we know it: massive riffs, eerie melodies, and tones that felt darker and heavier than anything that had come before.
And the rig behind it all? Surprisingly simple.
At the center of Iommi’s sound was a Laney Supergroup LA100BL, the same model he used across many of Sabbath’s classic recordings. Paired with a 1964 Gibson SG Special loaded with P-90 pickups, the amp delivered a thick, mid-forward tone that stayed clear even under massive volume.
To push things further, Iommi added a Dallas Arbiter Rangemaster—a simple one-knob boost that added bite and clarity to his nearly dimed amp. As these are super rare today, we used a boutique recreation: the R2R DeJur.
Beyond the gear, a few key techniques helped shape the sound of early metal. Iommi frequently double-tracked riffs, recording the same part twice and panning each take left and right. The subtle differences between performances created a huge, slightly unstable sound that made Sabbath’s riffs feel even heavier.
His tuning choices were just as influential. After an early industrial accident cost him the tips of two fingers on his fretting hand, Iommi began experimenting with lighter strings and eventually downtuning as far as C standard. The looser tension made the guitar easier to play—but also produced the darker, sludgier sound that would later define doom metal.
Put it all together—downtuned riffs, double tracking, a roaring Laney amp—and you get one of the most influential guitar tones in rock history. Decades later, the blueprint Iommi created still shapes the sound of metal.