GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Hand of Doom Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath · 1970s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1965 Gibson SG Special
Pickups
Gibson P-90 single coils
Amp
Laney LA100BL Supergroup MK I (100-watt head) with Laney 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12-25M speakers likely)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1970, Paranoid album. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section. Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster treble booster (modified) used as primary gain pedal. No evidence of additional effects or pedals for the riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass7
Gain7.5
Reverb0
Treble6.5
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster Treble Booster (modified) · boost
Guitar → Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster Treble Booster (modified) → Laney LA100BL Supergroup MK I → Laney 4x12 cabinet
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Tone Character
- cranked, raw, vintage distortion
- thick and warm
- clear and articulate
- British crunch
- menacing sonic presence
- aggressive, percussive attack
- tight low end
- mid-forward punch
- slightly fuzzy edge
- classic early metal riffing
Notes & Caveats
- No direct amp knob settings for 'Hand of Doom' found; settings estimated based on Laney LA100BL typical use and era, supported by multiple sources describing 'everything up to 10'.
- No evidence of additional pedals or effects (delay, chorus, flanger, etc.) used in the riff section; only the Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster treble booster is confirmed.
- No evidence of amp reverb or built-in effects used; Laney LA100BL is a simple amp with no built-in reverb.
- Pickup position inferred from typical Iommi usage for heavy riffing; bridge pickup is standard for this tone.
- Pedal settings for Rangemaster not specified; only its use is confirmed.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Tony Iommi's tone on 'Hand of Doom' is classic early Sabbath: mid-heavy, thick, and dark with moderate gain from a cranked Laney Supergroup, boosted bass, and little to no reverb due to the dry 1970 production. The settings reflect his preference for a forward, doomy sound with strong mids and bass, moderate treble, and no added ambience.