Paranoid amp settings — Vox VT40X

The Black Sabbath guitar tone for “Paranoid”, dialed in for a Vox VT40X with a Epiphone SG Standard. Studio version, Paranoid album (1970), Regent Sound Studios London

Original rig

Gibson SG Standard → Dallas Rangemaster treble booster → Laney LA100BL (presence/mid/treble all on 10, bass 0) → Laney 4x12

Aggressive, grinding midrange crunch with searing treble cut and minimal low-end — raw British valve saturation pushed hard

Amp settings — Vox VT40X

CHANNELUK ROCK (Vox amp model selector)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	2
Mid	10
Treble	8
Presence	7
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Distortion (owned)

Use as a treble booster substitute for the Rangemaster — keep distortion LOW, tone HIGH, level pushing the amp. This adds upper-mid bite, not fuzz.

Level 7 · Tone 8 · Distortion 4

Why these settings

Iommi ran bass at zero and mids/treble/presence maxed on the Laney. The VT40X's UK Rock model approximates that British grind but is inherently darker and more compressed than a cranked Laney, so I kept mids at 10 to match but pulled treble to 8 (Vox voicing gets ice-picky above that). Bass stays at 2 — not zero — because the VT40X modeling already lacks the Laney's low-end thump. Your distortion pedal replaces the Rangemaster: keep its gain low and tone high to add sizzle without mud.

PRO TIPIommi's attack comes from downpicking hard with the pick angled slightly so the edge scrapes the string — this adds that signature raspy snarl on the chord hits. Dig in on the downstrokes; don't float.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Vox VT40X. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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