Iron Man (Black Sabbath) guitar tone and amp settings
Iron Man guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Crunch amp type, medium gain (Gain 6.5), forward mids (Middle 7.5), balanced lows (Bass 4), bridge pickup.
Tuning: E standard
Settings for your amp
Iron Man settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every songAmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Variation
- Off
- Amp Type
- Crunch
- Gain
- 6.5
- Volume
- 7
- Bass
- 4
- Middle
- 7.5
- Treble
- 6
- Booster Color
- Green
- Booster
- 4
- Mod
- 0
- FX
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 0
- Master
- Set to your room
- Power Control
- Set to your room
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
Iron Man settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40
Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every songAmpPositive Grid Spark 40
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Type
- Crunch
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 3.5
- Mid
- 7.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Mod
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 0
- Output
- Set to your room
- App Drive
- Booster
- App Comp/Wah
- Off
- App Mod/EQ
- Off
- App Delay
- Off
- App Reverb
- Off
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
Iron Man settings on a Fender Mustang LT25
Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every songAmpFender Mustang LT25
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Model
- 70S ROCK
- Gain
- 7.5
- Volume
- 5
- Treble
- 6
- Bass
- 4.5
- Middle
- 7.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Stomp
- 5-BAND EQ
- Mod
- None
- Delay
- None
- Reverb
- None
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
Iron Man settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
Amp
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 3
- Mid
- 7.5
- Treble
- 6
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Add a Rangemaster-style treble booster for the signature focused drive.
Why it sounds like that
The Iron Man sound starts with a Gibson SG Special whose bridge pickup is a P90, which makes a thick, hollow midrange with the booster. A modified Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster treble booster cuts bass and pushes the amp's input into distortion. The Laney Supergroup head is played through its bass input, with presence, middle and treble set high and the gain pushed up for natural power-tube overdrive. The guitar is tuned to standard E.
- Use light-gauge strings and a medium pick.
- Attack the strings percussively with the pick.
What amp did Tony Iommi use on Iron Man?
- Guitar World says Iommi’s Iron Man rig used a 1965 Gibson SG Special, a modified Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster treble booster and a 100-watt Laney Supergroup MK 1 head. (on this song)[1]
- Guitar World says the SG’s P90 bridge pickup, working with the Rangemaster, produces a thick midrange with a hollow, boxy honk. (on this song)[1]
- Guitar World says Iommi plugged into one of the Supergroup’s bass inputs and cranked the Gain 1 control for natural power tube overdrive. (on this song)[1]
- Guitar World says the Rangemaster cut bass frequencies and pushed the amp’s input further into distortion. (on this song)[1]
- Guitar World says the guitar was tuned to standard pitch, EADGBE. (on this song)[1]
- Guitar World says Iommi used light-gauge strings and a medium pick. (on this song)[1]
- Iommi said he came up with the Iron Man riff on the spot. (on this song)[2]
- Guitar Player says Iommi is a very percussive player who hits the strings with his pick attack. (in a later era)[3]
Questions
What amp did Tony Iommi use on Iron Man?
The sources on this page document Tony Iommi's gear on Iron Man by Black Sabbath: guitar, 1965 Gibson SG Special [1]; pickup, P90 bridge pickup [1]; amp, Laney Supergroup MK 1 head [1]; effects, Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster treble booster [1]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Iron Man settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?
For the Iron Man guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 6.5, Volume 7, Bass 4, Middle 7.5, Treble 6, Booster Color Green, Booster 4, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master and Power Control to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Iron Man settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?
For the Iron Man guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 7.5, Bass 3.5, Mid 7.5, Treble 6.5, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0, App Drive Booster; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master and Output to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Iron Man settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?
For the Iron Man guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 70S ROCK, Gain 7.5, Volume 5, Treble 6, Bass 4.5, Middle 7.5, Stomp 5-BAND EQ, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb None; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What tuning is Iron Man in?
Iron Man by Black Sabbath is played in E standard, according to the cited source [1]. Tune to it before you set the amp, or the riff will not sit right against the record.
Can I get the Iron Man tone on my own amp?
Yes. The settings above cover 3 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for Iron Man, using only the controls your gear has.
Get it for your exact rig
KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for this song.
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