Paranoid (Black Sabbath) guitar tone and amp settings
Paranoid guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Crunch amp type, medium gain (Gain 6), forward mids (Middle 7), smooth top (Treble 6), bridge pickup.
Settings for your amp
The song has distinct sounds: Distorted solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.
Paranoid 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
- Volume
- 6
- Bass
- 5
- Middle
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Booster Color
- Green
- Booster
- 2.5
- 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
Paranoid 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
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Mod
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 1
- Output
- Set to your room
- App Amp Model
- Plexiglas
- App Drive
- Booster
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
Paranoid 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
- 7.2
- Volume
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Middle
- 6.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Stomp
- None
- Mod
- None
- Delay
- None
- Reverb
- None
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7.5
Paranoid settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
These settings play the distorted solo.
Amp
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Add a Rangemaster-style treble booster; solo modulation needs studio processing.
Song parts
Positive Grid Spark 40
Distorted solo:
App Mod/EQ Off
.Apply subtle vibrato to approximate the documented sound modulation
Why it sounds like that
Tony Iommi recorded Paranoid on a white SG with three pickups. He got the heavy sound by overloading the amp and messing with its electronics, and the volume, a treble boost and a booster together made his guitar scream with an unbearable screech. His leads were double-tracked, if not triple-tracked, and the guitar was kept raw, because compressors and EQ on top make it lose its power. The distorted solo was recorded straight and then run through a sound modulator during mixing.
- Double-track the lead parts to build the guitar's size.
- Keep the guitar tone raw, with no compression or EQ on top of it.
What guitar did Tony Iommi use on Paranoid?
Tony Iommi
- Guitar
- white, three‑pickup SG[2]
- Producer Rodger Bain said Iommi's guitar leads were double-tracked, if not triple-tracked, for the album. (on the album Paranoid)[1]
- Producer Rodger Bain said compressors and EQ on the guitar would make it lose its power. (on the album Paranoid)[1]
- Distorted solo: The distorted guitar solo was recorded straight and then processed through a sound modulator during mixing. (on this song)[1]
- Iommi said he recorded Paranoid with a white SG that had three pickups. (on the album Paranoid)[2]
- Iommi said the pickups on his SG in those days were P-90s that whistled and fed back. (on the album)[2]
- Iommi said the volume, the treble boost and the booster together made an unbearable screech. (on the album)[2]
- Iommi said he overloaded the amp and messed with its electronics to get the heavy sound. (on the album Paranoid)[2]
- Iommi said he had a Rangemaster treble booster and wanted it modified. (on the album)[3]
Questions
What guitar did Tony Iommi use on Paranoid?
The sources on this page document Tony Iommi's gear on Paranoid by Black Sabbath: guitar, white, three‑pickup SG [2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Paranoid settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?
For the Paranoid guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 6, Volume 6, Bass 5, Middle 7, Treble 6, Booster Color Green, Booster 2.5, 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 Paranoid settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?
For the Paranoid guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6.5, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 1, App Amp Model Plexiglas, 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 Paranoid settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?
For the Paranoid guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 70S ROCK, Gain 7.2, Volume 7, Treble 7, Bass 5, Middle 6.5, Stomp None, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb None; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7.5. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the Paranoid 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 Paranoid, 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.
Download KnobMaster on the App Store