Song Rig
Children of the Grave
Tony Iommi · Master of Reality · 1971
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
C# standard tuning and a relentless driving riff — arguably the blueprint for all subsequent heavy metal. The Marshall Super Bass on Master of Reality is pushed into thick, compressive saturation. The guitar tone feels heavier than the power it produces because the down-tuning shifts the entire harmonic centre of gravity downward. Iommi's thimble-tip technique on a shorter-scale SG produces unusual pick attack.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson SG Special (C# standard, modified thimble tips on fingertips)
- 2Marshall Super Bass 100W
- 3Laney Klipp 100W (secondary)
Amp Settings
Bass extremely high to compensate for the thimble tips and down-tuning — the fundamental frequencies of the riffs need maximum support. Treble very restrained. The Super Bass was not originally designed for guitar; its different transformer configuration creates the unique Iommi compression.
Technique
How to Play It
The main riff requires absolutely even down-picking at a galloping tempo — Tony uses the thimble tips as picks rather than the fingertips, creating an attack more like a hard plastic pick than a fingertip.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Any humbucker guitar tuned to C# standard into a high-gain amp (Mesa Rectifier, Peavey 6505) with bass at 8 and treble at 4. Heavier strings (12–54 minimum) are essential for the C# tuning tension.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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