Song Rig
Sweet Leaf
Tony Iommi · Master of Reality · 1971
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
The riff that arguably invented stoner rock and doom metal — a slow, crushing power chord sequence where the space between notes is as heavy as the notes themselves. Down-tuned to C# standard. The Wah pedal is used statically (cocked in the midrange position) to add throat to the guitar tone, not for sweep effects.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson SG Special (C# standard)
- 2Vox Clyde McCoy Wah (cocked mid-position)
- 3Marshall Super Bass 100W (cranked)
Amp Settings
Maximum gain and bass — the crushing heaviness requires both. Wah cocked at the throat position adds midrange character without sweeping. Treble very low; the low-tuned power chords do not need brightness, only weight. This is the most bass-forward Iommi amp setting.
Technique
How to Play It
Let each power chord ring completely before the next — the heaviness is in the resonance and the silence, not in playing quickly. The tempo is deliberately slow; rushing destroys the atmospheric weight.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Any humbucker guitar tuned to C# into any high-gain amp (Peavey 6505, Mesa Rectifier) with bass at 9 and treble at 3. A Dunlop Cry Baby cocked at the toe-down position adds the wah-filter colour.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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