Tone library / Black Sabbath / Iron Man

Iron Man amp settings — Zoom G1X Four

The Black Sabbath guitar tone for “Iron Man”, dialed in for a Zoom G1X Four with a Squier Affinity Stratocaster. Studio version, Paranoid album (1970)

Original rig

1965 Gibson SG Special with P90 pickups (bridge) → Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster treble booster → Laney Supergroup MK 1 100-watt head with Laney 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12-25M speakers). Guitar tuned down 1.5 steps to C# standard.

Chunky and saturated, fat fuzz-like distortion, tight palm-muted chugs, midrange punch, slightly nasal upper mids, raw and powerful, classic British amp crunch, totally dry
Amp settings — Zoom G1X Four
CHANNELMS1959 (Plexi model) or UK 30A (AC30 model) — MS1959 closer to Laney grindBRIGHToffBOOSToff
GAIN 7 BASS 7 MID 8 TREBLE 5 PRESENCE 4 REVERB 0
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain7
Bass7
Mid8
Treble5
Presence4
Reverb0
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE6 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Zoom G1X Four — Treble Booster block (T BOOST or TS BOOST)

Enable T BOOST or RangeMstr model if available; this recreates the Rangemaster pushing the amp into saturation. Place before the amp model in the chain.

Gain/Drive 6 · Tone 7 · Level 7

02Zoom G1X Four — Cabinet/IR block

Select a 4x12 British cab (G12M/Greenback style) after the amp model for authenticity. Disable any room reverb.

Cab Type 0
Why these settings

Your Strat's single coils are brighter and lower output than Iommi's P90s, so mid is boosted +2 and treble cut -1 vs the original's cranked-treble Laney settings. The G1X Four's MS1959 (Plexi) model approximates the Laney's mid-forward British grind. The Rangemaster-style boost is critical — it adds the thick, compressed saturation and cuts bass frequencies that define the tone. Reverb stays at 0; the original was bone dry.

PRO TIPRoll your Strat's tone knob to 6 to fatten the bridge pickup and reduce ice-pick highs — P90s have a thicker, woodier midrange than Strat single coils, and this gets you closer. Dig in hard with your pick near the bridge for that percussive chug Iommi uses on the main riff.

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