Paranoid amp settings — Cort CM15R
The Black Sabbath guitar tone for “Paranoid”, dialed in for a Cort CM15R with a Cort G110. Studio version, Paranoid album (1970), Regent Sound London
Gibson SG Standard (bridge humbucker) → Dallas Rangemaster treble booster → Laney LA100BL (normal channel, all controls dimed except bass at 0)
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 2 |
| Mid | 9 |
| Treble | 8 |
| Presence | 0 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 6 |
01Treble Booster or TS-style Overdrive (e.g., Joyo Vintage Overdrive, Boss SD-1)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The Rangemaster was essential to Iommi's tone, boosting treble frequencies into the amp's front end. A cheap TS-clone or treble booster pedal ($30-50) with tone cranked and drive low will approximate this. Without it, you lose the cutting attack that defines the track.
The Cort CM15R is a solid-state practice amp with limited gain saturation compared to Iommi's overdriven Laney tubes. I pushed gain to 8 and mids to 9 to compensate for the amp's scooped, transistor-clean voicing. Bass dropped to 2 because Iommi ran zero bass and your amp's small speaker will mud up fast. Without a treble booster pedal, this tone will lack the ice-pick attack—that pedal is the single most important upgrade for this sound.
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These settings are for a Cort CM15R. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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