Tony Iommi - Guitar Setup & Tunings
Black Sabbath
Quick Facts
- Primary Tuning
- Standard
- String Gauge
- .008, .008, .011, .018w, .024, .032 (D# tuning), .009, .010, .012, .020w, .032, .042 (C# tuning)
- String Brand
- La Bella (Signature Series)
- Genre
- Metal
About Tony Iommi's Sound
Anthony Frank Iommi (born 1948) is the godfather of heavy metal guitar. After losing the tips of two fingers in an industrial accident at age 17, he nearly quit guitar. Instead, he created thimble-like prosthetics and adjusted his technique, inadvertently developing the heavy, detuned sound that became metal. Black Sabbath's first albums invented the heavy metal genre. Iommi's tritone-laden riffs on songs like 'Black Sabbath' and 'Symptom of the Universe' influenced every metal guitarist who followed. Despite numerous lineup changes, Iommi remained Sabbath's constant. He was knighted in 2025.
Tunings Used
E Standard (early), later C# - 1 song
- Iron ManTry this tuning →
E Standard - 3 songs
- ParanoidTry this tuning →
- War PigsTry this tuning →
- N.I.B.Try this tuning →
E Standard (tritone riff) - 1 song
- Black SabbathTry this tuning →
C# Standard - 4 songs
- Sweet LeafTry this tuning →
- Children of the GraveTry this tuning →
- Into the VoidTry this tuning →
- Symptom of the UniverseTry this tuning →
String Setup
Primary Strings
La Bella (Signature Series)
.008, .008, .011, .018w, .024, .032 (D# tuning), .009, .010, .012, .020w, .032, .042 (C# tuning)
Why Tony Iommi uses these
Iommi's fingertip injury forced two innovations: light gauge strings (to reduce fingertip pressure) and down-tuning (to lower tension further). His banjo-light string gauges (.008-.032 for D# tuning) would be impossibly floppy for most players, but combined with his detuning, they feel playable. The lighter touch required by his injury contributed to Sabbath's dark, sustained tone. His Gibson SG became synonymous with doom metal. Iommi's La Bella signature strings replicate his exact unusual gauges. His technique compensates for the light strings through precise picking and amp saturation.