Song Rig
Symptom of the Universe
Tony Iommi · Sabotage · 1975
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Pre-thrash metal speed riffing — the fastest Iommi riff on record in 1975, anticipating the following decade of thrash by nearly a decade. C# standard but played at a much higher tempo than Children of the Grave. The tone is tighter and slightly brighter than the earlier Sabbath material, reflecting the Sabotage album's more aggressive production.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson SG (C# standard, thimble tip technique)
- 2Marshall Super Lead / Laney transition
Amp Settings
Slightly more mid and treble than the Master of Reality settings — the faster riff tempo requires more note definition to be intelligible at speed. Bass still high for weight but not at maximum. The faster playing also creates more pick noise that treble excess would amplify.
Technique
How to Play It
Strict alternate picking at tempo — the riff's speed exposes any picking irregularity. Iommi uses the thimble-tip contact as a hard, efficient striking surface. Practise with a metronome at 60% speed before attempting at tempo.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
SG with humbuckers into Marshall DSL or Peavey 6505 at 9 gain, tuned to C# standard. 12-gauge strings essential for the tension and tone at this tuning.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
More from Tony Iommi
Other Song Rigs
Iron Man
Paranoid · 1970
The heaviest, most ominous guitar tone of 1970 — SG tuned down a step and a half…
View rig →War Pigs
Paranoid · 1970
Slower, more rhythmically complex than Iron Man — the doomy main riff uses trito…
View rig →Wicked World
Black Sabbath · 1970
The debut album's extended track — Iommi at his most improvisational. The tone i…
View rig →Paranoid
Paranoid · 1970
The fastest and most structurally simple Black Sabbath song — the E-A-D power ch…
View rig →Children of the Grave
Master of Reality · 1971
C# standard tuning and a relentless driving riff — arguably the blueprint for al…
View rig →Heaven and Hell
Heaven and Hell · 1980
The Dio era Iommi tone — brighter and more articulate than the Ozzy years, partl…
View rig →Sweet Leaf
Master of Reality · 1971
The riff that arguably invented stoner rock and doom metal — a slow, crushing po…
View rig →