THE BLACK SABBATH SOUND | The Sound of Metal

[@RCAvhstape]

Rhett: "We could a whole 'nother video on Geezer Butler's bass tones." YES YES YES

[@LazyCat010]

A THOUSAND TIMES YES

[@chueco9940]

Please Rick!!

[@danteruivo]

This

[@Exspazament]

Please Rick??? :-)

[@mr.cheese7763]

+1 For the Geezer video!

[@Ranmann86]

Sabbath is so overshadowed by ozzy and tony nobody ever talks about how geezer and bill are one of the greatest rhythm sections in all of music

[@yangerjamir0906]

Bill Ward is very underrated. I rarely hear his name spoken when people talk of great drummers.

[@KCJAM1]

Someone had to say it and you are 100% spot on. They kicked ass from the 1st album!

[@davidpaul6656]

I agree! The way Geezer plays adds to the "Sabbath Sound". They way he slaps the strings to get that big sound and the way Bill attacks the drums adds to their sound

[@ctld5266]

@@davidpaul6656 not to mention, that pretty much all the lyrics are from him also

[@Eqpesan]

@@yangerjamir0906 sabbath bloody sabbath as well as children of the grave works so damn primarily because of them damn drums

[@radoslavkasparec9345]

Rick: "And in order to mimic Tony's signature sound even better, we're gonna cut off tips of Rhett's fingers." Rhett: "Yeah, yeah... WHAT?!"

[@CraigKeidel]

This should be top comment, I choked laughing.

[@robertkroberjr.157]

😂😂😂😎👍

[@unclejj13er75]

To get a TRUE comparison....

[@shawnbruce6934]

LOL.

[@raytrembath]

and play left handed

[@rockstarcoder]

Really wish you'd interview Tony Iommi -- get him to share the music creation process, talk about music, music theory, etc.... so many of these legends are getting up there.

[@alexsandrosantin3289]

He has a great book which I highly recommend

[@Johannore]

Anyone who says "Sabbath is my favorite metal band of all time" is for shure just a great guy.

[@davesaenz3732]

Metallica says that too

[@Morbidous]

A great, wise, and with a very good taste guy.

[@vale_recca]

They're the first and best of all time

[@demonslayer5613]

This guy really spelled it like SHURE and nobody is saying anything

[@cango5679]

as long as it includes the Dio years as well...

[@davebasch5995]

Ill never forget an early written description of Tony's guitar style: " graveyard rhythms"

[@craigmurphy1204]

That's a great band name - think Ghost doing full on disco

[@nathanaelcaballero217]

@@craigmurphy1204 at least we need an album with that name

[@corybarnes2341]

I thought the Bobby Picket was the graveyard king with the graveyard swing.

[@nickdecker2350]

Reminds me of RZA's "burial ground sound" his beats were often referred to as

[@davidhefner2010]

Lol Just plain knarly

[@guillermoalfredochamorroca791]

Not a lot of people talk about the Geezer's bass tone on N.I.B.

[@RCAvhstape]

Love his tone on Warning.

[@Gledii]

Ohhh N.I.B. one of the most underated/forgotten songs ... What a tone!

[@DDubyah17]

Yes! Please do more on Geezer’s sound

[@MrHeshersNeighborhood]

That’s a defining moment in music history.

[@CanadianRandom]

I remember reading something about a guitar head and amp with a blown speaker and a wah pedal accidently left half on that someone bumped into when the solo volume goes down but they couldn't afford another take. Also he cranks the mids, playes at bottom of the neck. All of the first album was recorded in one day, mixed the next. Really amazing stuff.

[@ShredBird]

A comment on ghosting from an electrical engineer (me): When you take AC wall voltage and convert it to DC, it's usually not perfectly stable, there is a ripple on it at the frequency (or twice the frequency depending on how it's rectified) of the wall voltage. This DC voltage is then used to bias and power the amplifier stages. The amplifier stages' gains are sensitive to the DC biasing, which has a ripple on it, causing the gain to have a ripple on it as well, which modulates in your tone. For amplifiers, the amount which power supply noise/harmonics bleed into your output is known as the "Power Supply Rejection Ratio". Very cool that something that would be considered a flaw in any other engineering application is aesthetically pleasing in this one, very cool that some of the modelers are starting to incorporate that as well. I'd be happy to talk about it more if you'd like, just shoot me a message. EDIT: It's worth noting that because the UK runs a 50 Hz grid, if you want authentic ghosting, you'd have to plug in overseas (or buy an inverter that produces 50 Hz) 😜

[@Fix_It_Again_Tony]

That's really interesting. I've never messed with tubes, everything I design is solid state. When I want to amplify a signal I use an op amp which typically have high PSRR and are completely different in operation from a tube. I would definitely try to filter that ripple out of the DC if I was making an amp, but like you said what is a "flaw" gives the equipment it's character and now they try to emulate those effects with solid state and digital electronics. Kind of an aside, but have you ever heard of NwAvGuy? He's got some great articles online about sound quality. He uses a lot of high tech and high dollar gear to objectively analyze audio equipment. Also an EE.

[@ShredBird]

@@Fix_It_Again_Tony Yeah, I've run into a couple times in my career. Once when designing a high sensitivity transimpedance amplifier for a satellite instrument. The issue was that the instrument was being powered by a switching regulator which is even more noisy than rectifier type power supply. I've also seen power supply noise bleed into low-noise amplifiers on RF front-ends. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll take a look at NwAvGuy!

[@markjames8664]

Interesting comment about switching power supplies, since they are so common in modern electronics. I’m a ham radio operator, and noise from cheap switching supplies is a big problem in the RF range. Often hams prefer linear power supplies with transformers for this reason.

[@atech9020]

Very true. And perhaps one thing that wasn't mentioned was how the capacitor's size and number of them in the power supply of the amp have an effect on ghosting. Smaller capacitors allow more ripple to get through but also recover faster when discharged, larger capacitors have less ripple, but take longer to charge back up when they are discharged. Ghosting is the audible artifact that the discharging and recovering ( recharging ) capacitors create. There is also the number of nodes within the power supply. Each node utilizes a capacitor and a series of resistors to further reduce ripple downstream and also drop the voltage to the proceeding stages. The more nodes, the less ripple that is usually noticed at the critical first stages of the amplifiers preamp section. Fewer nodes mean more ripple gets to the preamp stages and a much higher draw on the node which discharges the capacitor faster. Having large coupling caps can also cause this as the amount of bass that each stage amplifies will eventually end up modulating with the power supply rail. 60hz and 120hz are common frequencies in which a power supply will show ripple. Most guitars don't have much content below about 80hz. So if you allow a significant amount of low-frequency content from the guitar to get amplified, it can modulate with the most noticeable and problematic frequencies that the power supply will have noise at if it is not stout enough. A stout power supply is one where large capacitor values are employed and with sufficient nodes to further reduce ripple and draw on the main node. Bass amps need a LOT of filtering to be able to have ripple-free amplification and reproduce solid and firm low end. Not having the schematic in front of me I can't say what the Klipp's possible culprit is, but just throwing out possibilities.

[@ShredBird]

@@markjames8664 Or if you really want to be noise free, go battery operated. Of course, noise is no simple matter for ham, as the grounding is also a major headache. I've recently been helping my brother in-law get setup with ham and have been teaching him these concepts.

[@itkojecockot]

"Master Of Reality" is literally the best sounding record of its year...... probably the heaviest album of 1971

[@rafaelaguirre1594]

Orchid/Lord lf this world is pure metal gold

[@ronr7905]

I think it's the record that has that archetypal Sabbath sound. Sonically it is the best sounding of their early records, I think Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is a great sounding record too. Master of Reality is a great record.

[@joseph_432]

Zep 4 was 71. Maggot brain was 71. Electric warrior, who’s next. Allmans at fillmore, on and on. I’d say Blue was the heaviest.

[@itkojecockot]

@@joseph_432 Blue was heavy, but the guitar is nowhere near as aggressive

[@SeanSMST]

Sabbath were evil sounding and pitched low as it is. Before that record they touched the top of hell, with MoR they went right through hell and to the floor.

[@fluxerflixer1]

Geezer’s bass sound and style, IMO, was just as important as Toni’s guitar sound and style. These videos are epic, TY!

[@kl8041]

Such a dirty iconic tone man! Great video Rick and Rhett 🙌

[@RhettShull]

Bottom line is, it’s hard to beat an SG into that Laney.

[@gregorytoddsmith9744]

Nice tone chasing Rhett!! 🤘😎🤘

[@geoffraines5640]

You guys inspired me to learn this song today! This is one of the heaviest songs of all time.

[@dylandenney3980]

Most of my favorite tones are p90 SGs and Les Pauls. Tony, early Santana, Tommy/Leeds era Townsend...

[@clysher]

There was almost too much sustain, it really sang.

[@Mike-bx4ww]

Good day, can anyone tell me what the actual TUNING was? I think it was tuned to standard 440. I think it was tuned down, which would also give you a "Thicker" tone/sound. Any assistance in answering this question would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

[@patrickmccutcheon8860]

Sabbath sound isn’t just Tony’s guitar, it’s Bill’s drum sound and definitely Geezer too.

[@AimingWanderously]

That's like saying lasagna isn't just the noodles, it's all the ingredients. No kidding. This is meant to show the guitar tone.

[@EvAn-tm3yb]

Bill underrated drummer one of the best tones if all time

[@nodaysback1]

The sound of "Classic Sabbath" from the first 3 records was also the result of Roger Bain's production style, which was a minimalistic approach... capture whole the band on the same take and then only essential overdubs. From Vol. 4 to NSD, Tony began producing (for better or worse) and the records lost that classic Sabbath sound.

[@aneasyonesoicanremember6933]

Well that didn't need to be said

[@avid2112]

Bill Ward is criminally underrated

[@chris900f]

Imagine the level of anguish he must have felt as a young guy, chopping off his fingers on his last day of work before he was supposed to go on his first tour. It must have seemed like the end of the world. A lot of people have been through hell, but I like to think that while Tony was there he kicked the devil in the nuts and stole his leather jacket.

[@kenduffy5397]

Lol, lol lol

[@bimbobaggypants4820]

Same as rick Allen when he lost his arm, amazing when he came back to Def leopard with his adapted drum kit

[@jmac5892]

You won the internet with that comment, sir.

[@MinorInfluence92]

It’s like those cops one day before retirement

[@desiolle2874]

Working in a heavy machine factory with METAL....wtf?....he was going to blow off the afternoon shift but his Mum made him go back...Mums know best!

[@rockguitarmodes]

I think Tony Iommi is one of the most underrated guitar heroes the U.K. has produced. We all hear about Clapton, Page, Beck, Kossoff and Green but this guy created a whole style of music that didn’t exist before

[@Bubdiddly]

Happy to see Kossoff in there, his vibrato is unmatched

[@luisnunes2010]

You left out Dave Murray and Adrian Smith there. You're hanging around blues players too much. 😜😁

[@thomasz4981]

Sure it did.. Listen to Son Of Moonshine by Bakerloo, pre dates Sabbath & check out who was in the band.

[@marcusfarren7047]

Nice kossoff name drop

[@sleepymarauder4178]

Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore are insane too.

[@thomashumphrey7395]

When you first heard Sabbath as a kid or adolescent, you were like, holy shat I've never heard anything like that before. It's almost like you are instinctively drawn to its crushing riffs and elemental profundity.

[@TobyBurt]

Hell yes, I stumbled on the original LP in my Dad's collection when I was a kid, life altering.

[@z-9693]

Word!

[@z-9693]

Word!

[@jessejordache1869]

Even if you weren't born yet when it came out, everyone knows there's something different about Sabbath's sound.

[@Dave-nm3xc]

@Thomas I feel the same to this day.. nothing compares to Sabbath riffs and grooves.

[@RC32Smiths01]

Tony and Geezer have some of the most insane tones and sounds for their time, ones that defined metal! Great to see you and Rhett do more collaborations!

[@robertharland9269]

People have mentioned Iommi's missing fingertips, but one thing they caused him to do was tune down as far as he could and buy the lightest strings available, otherwise his thimbles / prosthetics would fly off. As far as I know he was the first major player of his era to tune that far down. He also listened a lot to one of Rick Beato's favourite guitarists -- acoustic jazzer Joe Pass! I remember going "what?!" when I read that Pass was up there with Van Halen and Brian May in Iommi's top 3. Iommi also loved Hank Marvin and the Shadows -- Marvin was very talented if basic, and loved bending notes with his tremelo arm. If you take Marvin's bends (done with what's left of Iommi's fingers, not a whammy bar), Pass's jazz (Iommi also likes Les Paul and Wes Montgomery), add onto it the "typical" blues rock influences of the era e.g. Clapton, plus everyone listening to each other ... and make it utterly evil, heavy and distorted, you get a lot of where Iommi's influences came from. Crank out jazz with that much volume and distortion, no-one notices that it's jazz!

[@bigballmcgraw94]

Blaze Infernus he started tuning to C# standard on the master of reality album in 1971.

[@albinullanger7862]

Ozzy wanted to sing higher up. If iommi was gonna keep writing heavy stuff in E, (most early stuff is elaborating with various Keys) Ozzys range was better suited for this c# as an E. This is pretty much common knowledge by now. Iommi never tuned down BECAUSE of his handicap, but surely he benefits from the lesser tension.

[@waytoomanyguitars]

I'm 55 years old. I still remember a friend of mine playing me "Into the Void" when I was in high school. One of those times where my mind was completely blown wide open. That opening riff... holy crap!!

[@omairsh8]

Agreed! The entire song is a riff masterclass

[@jessejordache1869]

One of my favorite songs to blast out of my car early in the morning. There's something sublime about your car blaring sabbath as you're pulling into the supermarket parking lot. :)

[@RCAvhstape]

@@jessejordache1869 Or into a church parking lot.

[@AAB-nw2bj]

I think we need an episode of "what makes this song great" about Planet caravan

[@Ori0987]

Oh goodness yes

[@artturnerjr]

My favorite Sabbath tune. 8)

[@gjv2008]

How have I not heard this before? Have just discovered another classic! Thanks!

[@The11eleven]

Hell Yeah!

[@mrbaris0]

There are so many sabbath songs to be on that series imo but they are one of these hard banners

[@KeithMerrow]

SIIICK! This is my favorite video you've ever done!

[@davesaenz3732]

Just awesome video.

[@clysher]

I was like, I agree, oh, it's Keith. Makes sense.

[@kyledadams]

I’m almost upset at how exact the tone is. I’ve been chasing it my whole life. And in 30 seconds with gear I’ll never get my hands on you just produced the greatest tone a guitar can produce. It’s almost sacrilege lol well done gentleman. I’m gonna go cry now.

[@cwaniak5]

Mr. Iommi is the master of riffs.

[@FinalBaton]

Absolutely

[@Karlgolden]

Such a dirty iconic tone man! Great video Rick and Rhett 🙌

[@marcgabor9690]

It's so friggin FILTHY!!

[@timothymallon]

You guys couldn’t have possibly picked a better song than Into The Void. It has been my favorite Black Sabbath since I was like 10 years old. That song never gets old

[@CraigKeidel]

Children of the Grave is probably mine, but Into The Void is definitely in my top 5

[@richardallen4552]

Supernaut or Electric Funeral

[@murdock8068]

Symptom of the universe!! Thrash before thrash..

[@wungoodguy]

I upvoted everybody's in this thread... because it's literally impossible to choose a favorite Sabbath song, or even a favorite Tony riff. Can't be done.

[@JamesMacTavish1688]

under the sun or even am i going insane (radio)

[@fatbottombiker3038]

I was blasting Fairies Wear Boots in my old Jeep today. The parking lot at Lowe’s needed to hear some Sabbath this morning.

[@davesaenz3732]

Gosh I do that sometimes. 🎸

[@jimgardner5129]

And I'm sure the patrons were all very grateful. 😁

[@jalel_z2867]

Black Sabbath is cool but so is respecting the peacefulness of the Lowe's parking lot

[@honjon666]

@@jalel_z2867 lmfao "...respecting the peacefulness of the Lowe's parking lot..." I can't even begin to explain how silly you sound; other than using the popular "karen" moniker

[@Ori0987]

@@honjon666 It’s funny how offended you got over one comment

[@jeddak]

to get that authentic Iommi sound, you need to string the guitar with 8's and chop the ends of your fingers off

[@unfetteredaxes1032]

And homemade prosthetic finger tips....thimbles I think

[@keithedwinsmith9416]

You need a Brummie accent, too😹

[@jburdsinfuse]

Tone is in the the fingers (or lack thereof)

[@Malum09]

@@RonSwansonIsMyGod he only lost the tips, no the whole fingers

[@unfetteredaxes1032]

@@CanYouDig WOW..thats gotta produce some original tone

[@agriff4795]

Master of Reality was my first album by Black Sabbath, I got all my heavy riffs and tones from Tony Iommi, my Dad bought this album when I was 12, in 1973, 3 years before I started playing guitar, I always loved Tony's tone and touch, back then, NO ONE played or sounded anything like him!!!

[@themightymcb7310]

Rick's sound was definitely closer imo, but honestly neither of the tones sounded like sabbath until that bass track came in. You guys weren't kidding, Geezer really was the backbone of Sabbath's sound.

[@harryh5620]

His sound was bloody spot on. Pretty amazing.

[@jayco800]

Very first time I heard Nirvana, I thought, who is that trying to sound like a modern Geezer Butler? Well that was just first impression obviously cannot compare, but that bass stood out. Not like Geddy Lee complicated, but for that complicated simplicity. Hard to put a finger on but he is something else.

[@SomeJustice19k]

Idk what you're talking about. The first tone sounded amazing.

[@ariesvictorygroup]

Where was NIB or Children of the grave or anything. To me Sabbath is SG with humbuckers playing Sabbath bloody Sabbath or Iron man. All those were recorded using single coilish P 90s?

[@themightymcb7310]

@@ariesvictorygroup Not sure exactly when Iommi switched to humbuckers, but I know for sure that the first two albums at least were p90s. Potentially Master of Reality as well.

[@canaan_perry]

Extract from a Guitar Player article from October 1974; On stage, Tony uses no pedals at the present time, not so much from a religious dislike as from a pragmatic one: He feels they do more harm than good. Because the band tours the United States so frequently, they must contend with the different systems of grounding. In England, their Laney amplifiers give maximum performance, but over here the different ground setup causes the stacks to hiss and growl and perform below average. Therefore, adding any sort of extra unit to the line causes extraneous buzzes. In England, Tony uses a wah-wah and a mini guitar Moog, but found that using them in America caused a significant drop in amplifier power and sound. The group is now searching for an American made system that won’t plague them with those problems. In the meantime, to accommodate for the ill performance of his Laney stacks in the U.S., Tony must set his amplifier on full volume. The “presence,” “middle,” and “treble” are also on 10 with no bass on the amp whatsoever. The guitar volume is usually set on full because of the constant thundering chords he hammers out, and the three-way toggle switch (“rhythm,” “middle,” and “lead”) is placed on the up position for chording and in the treble spot for soloing. In the studio, Iommi uses these same settings, but only one 100-watt Laney stack. For a particular solo, though, occasionally he’ll use a Fender amplifier. On record, Tony delves into effects a little more than on stage as on Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath when he used a wah-wah, a Rotosound box (which makes the guitar sound like an organ), and various other boosters and phasers. Originally appeared in the October, 1974 issue of Guitar Player Magazine.

[@robertcooney1938]

Awesome

[@tonycosores2983]

Hmmm, he's used pedals, maybe someone in the back is doing it for him? That's the way bimebag did it. Maybe some gain drive and Chanel switch.

[@teriakamoto]

@@tonycosores2983 This is from 1974 tony. So at the time it is most likely solid information. Since then, there have been solutions for all of these problems from Watt variation (Variac),etc. and we know he has tried most every top amplifier out there. The main problem as listed was the difference in wattage between the U.K.(220) and the U.S. (115-120) in reference to live performance.Dime used Solid State amps except for the Roland Jazz 120 for cleans and the Krank Amps later on and we are talking 1988-2005 so it's a whole other situation.

[@ariesvictorygroup]

Did it say Humbuckers or P 90s by any chance? I noticed all of his guitars now have the Tony usa signature pickups. Even the Epiphone model (that looks and sounds amazing) have them

[@ariesvictorygroup]

@@tonycosores2983 Dave M of Megadeth has a hidden pedal switcher. Alot of the Pro guys with huge rack mounts will use a "remote switcher" sad but true. Except SHOEGAZERS/Dreampop. they switch themselves. I wonder if Eddie VH used a remote switching guy .

[@manfredbazarov6417]

Let's not forget Tony used very light strings tuned down to Csharp on Master of Reality.

[@GoodSneakers]

A Sabbath cover band should be named “Can’t Believe It’s Not Butler”

[@noahb498]

This is brilliant

[@fourortwelvestrings]

NICE.

[@mikeljmcphee]

Yes!!

[@sebastianelytron8450]

Why would you leave out the I lmao

[@ianwilkinson4602]

Brilliant, that made me laugh.

[@Upsetkiller456]

Geezer's bass tone is one of my all-time favorites in metal. Such a distinct and warm sound.

[@orange70383]

What's always freaked me out about Sabbath is how in the fk did Toni come up with such unique perfect riffs one after another year after year. I mean it's a rare gift indeed, many guitarists come up with a few great iconic riffs but not the sheer number that he's made. Maybe Alex Lifeson and Blackmore are some of the few exceptions.

[@AndE667]

I'll add Glenn Tipton to your exceptions. That guy (along with the criminally underutilised KK Downing) came up with some awesome and classic metal riffs. The Ripper, Sinner, Stained Class, Running Wild, Breaking The Law, Living After Midnight, Electric Eye and Painkiller just to name a few...

[@jaytee2598]

Satan? 😂

[@johnsonjuice32]

Iommi, Young, Hetfield: the trinity of riff masters!

[@richardallen4552]

@@johnsonjuice32 frank zappa

[@RobBCactive]

It must have been his love of choral music that inspired him ;)

[@MrEveningfall]

Believe me, I'm 62 and Black Sabbath is still the band I'd rather listen to today since the age of 13 and told you well that the sound of Sabbath will be forever unique and that for guitarists like me of today and those who will come if you think you have found a good or your best riff Iommi will have it before you.

[@terrylovin7405]

Would definitely like to see how you got Geezer's bass tone.

[@drewserafini1237]

I was SO happy that you guys chose Into The Void for this demonstration. Most everybody when they think of Sabbath, they think of the "hits" Iron Man, Paranoid, War Pigs, etc., but I think I can speak for most fellow Sabbath fans when I say that this track is possibly their finest moment on record. Also, I find it strange that the C# standard tuning wasn't mentioned in this video. Iommi started using it on Master of Reality to reduce the tension in the strings to ease the discomfort he felt using his false fingertips. This had the side effect of darkening the overall sound and mood of the music considerably and to me, MoR and its subsequent follow ups sound more recognizably metal than the first two Sabbath albums.

[@JungleJuiceJoey]

I think Master of Reality is one of the best albums ever created

[@shadcovert1160]

I also found it quite interesting they didn't mention the finger tips/bottle caps/leather. Nor the solution of tuning down.

[@skalra63]

Into the void is the best Sabbath track

[@davesaenz3732]

Been studying Tony Iommi since I was 13. Early Black Sabbath was all the instruments combined. Not just Bass "Geezer" but Bill ward's drums have a lot more bass than what you played here. These drums here were too weak to carry that heavy metal sound. But you got very very close and definitely a winner. Good job. Thank you for giving Tony Iommi the credit he deserves as being the creater of Metal as we know it today. "Into the Void was the heaviest song ever made"-Van Halen. 🎸

[@scottschramm7910]

To my ears, Rick’s sound was closer. It would be cool if “The Geezer” video was pursued. Thanks for all the diligent work.

[@dylanadams1455]

I agree. The Rat added a fizz that wasn't in the original

[@user-rz2sq9fm2g]

Idk- on the bass tone I felt he was a bit off because playing by if not over the fretboard is necessary for geezers tone

[@mikescott8225]

Just don't bother with a drum video, especially Paranoid.. some of those drums sound like cardboard boxes.

[@epickett63]

I thought Rick's sound was closer as well. The whole thing sounds pretty cool, though...

[@vinceedwards3978]

I feel you are right. He just had that low end of Iommi's sound

[@sgtcreasegrease]

DUDE, THE BASS, it sounds EXACTLY like Butler's tone.

[@mopartony7953]

When they blow up a Laney recreating the Iommi tone, that’s a job well done!

[@scp234]

just wanted to throw some love out for Bill Ward too

[@peternorthe1912]

My observation on the Sabbath sound is that even without Ozzy's stunning vocals and wonderfully grim lyrics, the sound still tells the listener the story of where these guys come from; growing up in post-WW2 England and hard times. These amazing songs they have... right from the sound of the first chord, you damn well know they ain't writing a song about a nice picnic at the beach.

[@marcusfarren7047]

Geezer wrote the lyrics

[@guero_mocoso]

Gezer Butler wrote 95% of the Ozzy era Sabbath lyrics. Ozzy didn't write lyrics for most of his solo career either. Still love those haunting vocals though!!!

[@richardhincemon9423]

Ozzy and lyrics LOL😂

[@jennifers6055]

Well, maybe a picnic with the dead...

[@polarvortex3294]

​@@richardhincemon9423Ozzy was very... um... creative with lyrics live. Change 'em on the fly, he could.

[@papalaz4444244]

Tony's sound is what made me buy a guitar and get into heavy riffs.

[@nicholasaltunian7032]

And Geezer’s sound is how I got into bass

[@timothyholmes4588]

I was a little kid and heard my brothers paranoid album and it crushed my brain. I was already into zepplin and pink Floyd but Sabbath just really had a special sound the guitar bass drums and vocals melds together and makes the heaviest music ever.

[@sandipbiswas766]

@@nicholasaltunian7032 Same! Geezer is GOD!

[@davesaenz3732]

I was one if them at 13 in 1989

[@timothyholmes4588]

@Dave Whatever I love the toni iommi sg those signature gibson pickups sound incredible. and the cross inlays that guitar is a badass🤘

[@kevingordon669]

I grew up listening to Sabbath, now I'm 42 I still get chills listening to them! They gave us awesome music, that even my kids love

[@rredzone]

Rick's tone was damn near spot on as far as I could tell off my phone speaker. Let's get that bass tone video!

[@deanbaxter777]

Sounded good to me. I'd love to see a video on Geezer's bass tones.

[@br1rocks]

I saw them on their farewell tour, and I liked Sabbath’s albums, but you’ve never actually heard how massive and evil they sound until you hear them live. Iommi’s tone was unlike anything I’ve ever heard before live, and this was at a big outdoor venue. Still one of the top 5 shows I’ve ever been to. Can’t imagine what it would have been like back in the day.

[@barryshea1657]

Rick's setup sounded almost identical. The only difference being it sounded a little cleaner. A little more present. Like new strings vs old ones.

[@tonyiommi2380]

You guys got the equipment right. But the most important thing to get my sound is to have chopped off fingertips.

[@stevengood6434]

I'm sure your pickups was part of it too

[@DroneCorpse]

Thank u Tony, very cool.

[@jonrambin1572]

Sorry. Not gonna do it...

[@WindsOfNeptune]

Tony Iommi was actually a Stratocaster guy in the early days of Sabbath (watch him w Jethro Tull in Rolling Stones Flying Circus playing his white strat). Wicked World was the first song they recorded for their debut, and you can actually hear that it’s a strat. The strat had some problems after recording that song, so he used the SG to finish the album, and the rest is history.

[@Csetnikke]

Geezer's bass tone (especially on NIB and War Pigs) should be shown.If I remember correctly in War Pigs' intro Geezer made 2 bass tracks. And also worth mentioning Bill Ward's drumming style. And an interesting fact:Geezer's and Ward's main influence for their instruments were Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker from Cream.

[@Slipstreamaudio]

They leave space for each other.

[@vareast]

Bill Ward was a monster, particularly on Paranoid

[@Upsetkiller456]

There is 100% two separate bass tracks in War Pigs, you can hear a lot of great stuff in that song.

[@gl3605]

Sabbath rules. I saw in concert the original band ('78), Dio's first tour('80) then the Gillan tour of "Born Again" ('83), The Reunion tour of the mid 90's with Ozzy and Ward. Ozzy with Randy twice ('81). Those shows were the best times of my life.

[@aiden_macleod]

Everybody's searching for that elusive guitar tone, but are failing to realize that without the epic bass tone, you'll never sound like your favorite guitarist. Please do a video about Butler's distinguished bass tone?

[@steveglover6411]

Yes. And in the same vane, it's like noting the greatness of a drummer without mentioning the bass player. (I'm a very lucky drummer to have two great bassists in our band)

[@epitaph3988]

It’s pretty easy to get Geezer’s tone: P-bass into a slightly overdriven amp, hit the strings at the very bottom of the neck and hit them really hard.

[@andriealinsangao613]

@@steveglover6411 Hold up, two bassists?!

[@BlueGamingRage]

@@andriealinsangao613 lead bass and rhythm bass

[@robertturner8040]

I grew up 10 miles away in Birmingham where Sabbath started and was there at the start Thanks for this i will try and get my setup to sound something like this at least i have a good clean sound to try and copy .Very limited with equipment i have though .Sabbath influenced so many bands in the midlands it was a great time to be a teanager .

[@epicduckdoctor]

I grew up in Leicester in the 70's. All we had was Showaddywaddy. So embarrassing. Love Sabbath.

[@hijmestoffels5171]

I think Sabbath influenced some bands in other parts of the world as well. If there are bands somewhere else in the universe they will likely be influenced by Black Sabbath too. It is one of the most influential bands ever.

[@SmartDave60]

Plant and Bonham too. Great town

[@SumoRabbitOfDoom]

Geezer Butler has to be one of the most underrated/overlooked bassists of all time. It's easy to understand why so many people focus on Iommi's playing, but the energy and dynamics in much of Geezer's playing is incredible.

[@steveglover6411]

Plus he wrote a lot of their best songs.

[@RCAvhstape]

For a non-singing bassist he's done pretty well becoming a rock star, though. Most famous bass players in rock are also singers.

[@yukas1ngas]

I never understand those "underrateds". Geezer is underrated, Levine is underrated, McCartney is underrated. By whom?

[@z-9693]

Geezer is my fkn hero since I was like 13-14 and the veil was lifted & I became enlightened to Sabbath but what those four ornery lads created is greater than the sum of its parts. Perhaps there's a wee bit o Geezer's mascot Henry in there too! I say between his lyrics & badass bass-playing Geezer was the Spiral Architect of Sabbath!

[@dianefatigati8001]

I'm 57 years old and I have been a huge fan of Black Sabbath since I was 10years old. Love , love , love them

[@Paulnap]

No fingertips were cut off during the making of this video.

[@sottinger2638]

haha-underrated comment. well played

[@Emet.V]

@@sottinger2638 you could say a cut above the rest.

[@kouroshesfandiari1278]

Ikr dislike

[@phyfts]

Black Sabbath is the greatest band of all time

[@davesaenz3732]

And the most influential Rock/Metal band in history!!!

[@lyndoncmp5751]

@@davesaenz3732 Nope. Zeppelin on both counts. And even Sabbath wouldn't have been Sabbath without Zeppelin. Zeppelins influence goes beyond rock and metal. Sabbath really dont.

[@UnitedElectric]

Yes.

[@davesaenz3732]

@@lyndoncmp5751 Well ask Metallica, Van Halen, Pantera, Sound Garden, Nirvana, Megadeath, and countless of others who they played before they got famous. I too love led zep, amazing band. But Iommi was metal and for my taste he was better. Rock on 🎸.

[@sandipbiswas766]

@@davesaenz3732 Dude, such type of people will even claim that Led Zeppelin is responsible for the Corona virus cure.

[@Terribleguitarist89]

As a teen I loved tony's playing but after picking up bass for a bit realized butler is the key to their sound.

[@marcoskatz5881]

2 of my favorite youtubers talking about my favorite band, can't get any better!!!

[@davida.3639]

If anything, I'd say Tommi's tones were a bit warmer. Probably due to analogue tape, as you mentioned Rick. Great job ya'll! Cant' wait for the Geezer-tone vid!!!!!

[@sketch2620]

yea, they had slightly more reverb, longer decay. not much, but you can tell if ya listen for it.

[@yomommaiscalling]

We used to spend hours playing these songs in the garage. Why are these riffs so fun to play?

[@omithehomi8568]

Because the holy sabbath wrote them

[@joshuagarcia8547]

Correction. Because the unholy sabbath wrote them

[@omithehomi8568]

@@joshuagarcia8547 lol that was the joke. Wasn’t too apparent tho

[@Duffley]

Is nobody going to mention the squeaky floor board? No? Just me? As you were.

[@TheGreatKrystoff]

Thank god you said this I thought I was going insane.

[@sniffrat3646]

me too

[@Frank88Workz]

I was sure I wouldn't be alone :D

[@RickBeato]

When we built my control room, I used 3/8" plywood under the hardwoods instead of 3/4" or 5/8" It wasn't noticeable years ago but I need to fix it now.

[@RCAvhstape]

I thought it was coming from inside my house, had to pause the video to make sure.

[@comand0Metalero1]

Just heard 2 seconds of the tone and it put a smile on my face

[@AJvsEverything]

That album is essentially my entire teenage metal experience, it's what got me started in loving music...Geezer Butler is well respected, and still criminally underrated as not just an iconic bass player, but a songwriter as well...also, I had no idea that the Sabbath fuzz tone was literally just a treble boost and a cranked amp, I thought for sure he had some sort of fuzz pedal...that Laney is amazing...

[@changodesurfer]

Roses are red Violets are blue When I listen to Sabbath The neighbors do too!

[@mgbmw7461]

My house also. Blowing the roof off.

[@springfield03a36]

Oh, HELL YEAH!!!

[@imacmadman22]

Or any other band worth turning up really loud, for that matter.

[@eldesgraciado6690]

CRINGE!

[@MisterMikeTexas]

My neighbors threw a brick through my window so they could hear it better! 😆😆😆

[@GlenBerry]

Hi, Rhett and Rick! The UK power grid has a 50 Hz frequency, not a 120 Hz frequency. If these Black Sabbath records were recorded in the UK, the undertone would be a lower pitch, based on 50 Hz instead of 60 Hz AC power. The 120 Hz frequency is relevant, because depending on the rectification system used in an amplifier, you might have either 60 Hz or 120 Hz amplifier ripple in the USA. In the UK, you could have either 50 Hz or 100 Hz ripple, depending on amplifier design. So, if these Sabbath records were recorded in the UK, you'll need a source of 50 Hz AC power to fully replicate the original performance. Either fly to the UK, or find yourself a 50 Hz generator. Still, this was a nice video, with lots of cool information. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 😎

[@Fix_It_Again_Tony]

I watched a gear run down of Angus Young's rig and they use these AC/AC power supplies that allow the AC output voltage and frequency to be set so no matter where they are in the word it will sound the same when they are on tour or in the studio.

[@IAmKillEveryone]

Were any Sabbath songs ever recorded in U.S. so we could hear the difference in Hz tone? That'd be really neat to compare.

[@wbfaulk]

@@IAmKillEveryone Those amps require a specific voltage, and that's different in the US vs the UK. So if they did record in the US, they'd have had to have used different amps.

[@qwertyasdf66]

@@wbfaulk You can see a variac in some of the earlier shots, so I think Rick is running it at 240V (and variacs existed back then).

[@qwertyasdf66]

I think roughly half the world uses 50Hz so there are more options of places Rick could fly to than just the UK : )

[@saintluciaofficial2019]

The fact they down tuned to C# standard back then blows my mind.

[@mr.cheese7763]

I would love to see a video on Geezer's sound.

[@pauloalvesdesouza7911]

PLEASE DO A BASS TONES VIDEO. I'm a bass player and am in desperate need of insight into tone shapes.

[@rumplstilskin2000]

I havent seen a what makes this song great for War Pigs.. Only the greatest song ever written by the best metal band ever....

[@jaymzb.1713]

Black Sabbath are notorious blockers, this is probably the most that Rick and Co. could get away with, without Warner Bros +, +, + whomever coming down on them and pulling their video. Peace

[@robertemerson1087]

I love war pigs but greatest song ever written?

[@jaymzb.1713]

@@robertemerson1087 I know, right? To each their own though. No one can tell you which song you like the most, only you know that and it can't be disproven by anyone. Peace

[@seanc.5310]

So stupid that copyright owners block content that promotes their music to younger audiences and takes nothing away from them, should be a win win for everyone

[@mochimitsu7]

@@robertemerson1087 Quite probably, it is.

[@AlexAquarius963]

When people ask me, "Do you play Bass?" I play Geezer's "fairies wear boots" solo.

[@stefaniadangila3017]

Oh my man! I love this song and I really want to learn it in bass! But I’ve realised as an intermediate bass player it’s not that easy :D He already starts the song with an intro like solo 😅 I know the main riff, okay but the song is fucking difficult... To me more difficult than Tool. I fucking love that song! Respect that you can play 🤘🏻

[@RCAvhstape]

@@stefaniadangila3017 The thing about Fairies Wear Boots is that you don't have to play the intro bass line note for note exactly the way Geezer played it, you can improvise it to some extent. But it's good to learn every note he played just to see how he was thinking when he did it.

[@BlackPenquinn]

Love the video. Bill Ward is also a huge part of what made those earlier records so different. Watching him in the Paris Live video is fantastic. I think he’s underrated versus his contemporaries too.

[@louiseo7907]

Never get tired of you pulling apart Sabbath songs - cheers!

[@HeathenDance]

Tony Iommi's work after Ozzy is criminally underrated. Either under "Black Sabbath" or "Iommi" solo albums. I guess it makes him even more awesome. Both a metal mainstream and underground reference.

[@joelonsdale]

Read who did the guitars on the Iommi solo album....

[@KingsArt01]

YES Tony's sound is amazing

[@iamrichrocker]

back in my room so many years ago i can still recall hearing this sound..i was hooked..and still am..gawd..thank you for rock..

[@GymRat1217]

hell yeah! was just listening to wheels of confusion

[@jezuswizardspatula5804]

Lost in the wheels of Confusion👳‍♂️👍

[@george-geedeevee9054]

@@jezuswizardspatula5804 Running through valleys of tearss!! Black Sabbath man.. A total soundtrack of the otherside of life a true testament to just everything that is just wow... Man you seem like you know man rock on bro 🤟

[@sd3falco]

I'm 59 years old and when that song comes on I instantly feel like a teenager again. Vol4 was the first album I purchased on my own when I was a kid.

[@billyarsenault1970]

Eyes filled with angry dillusion- Hiding from everyday fears. Danana,Danana,Danana, Danananananana.

[@bowriverblues8445]

The thimbles on iommi’s fingers was also a part of his sound....the amp, the pedal, the guitar, the thimbles, and his playing was like the perfect concoction. Things just don’t come to together like that very often, it’s just a great sound, that’s why it still stands up today.

[@robertallen3031]

I have to say your channel and Rhetts are becoming my favorites. I love the way you break down a song to not just get the sound but the emotions. Fucking bravo!!!!!!

[@saedt]

Please do a "what makes this song so great" on a Black Sabbath song

[@djlane74]

Iommi's tone for those Ozzy era albums are magnificent.. my favourite was the Vol 4 tone.. absolute perfection , ' wheels of confusion ' !!!! Snowblind!! It's a whole ' thing ' trying to get those tones...

[@dylanadams1455]

Snowblind is probably my favourite of all time

[@danielbarauna7288]

Yeah! Thank you, Rick. Would love the other sabbath tones videos, bass, drums and vocal also! what a distinctive and seminal, influential tone group sabbath has. It has undeniable afective force

[@hofitpeer175]

please do a video about geezer butler's bass, he is one of my favorites and his tone is my favorite fingerstyle tone out of all rock and metal bass players i like.

[@1962Sparkie]

Rick's sound on "Into The Void" was spot on!!

[@Olegstuff21986]

Tony Iommi's tone wins on this one. He is the Riff Lord though, so it's not easy to match him. :)

[@tylerstewart104]

Please do a video on Geezer Butler Sound! I love what he can do with a P bass, want to know more of how.

[@tylerstewart104]

@Zachary Hale thanks! I have been considering buying them to upgrade my stock pickups. great to know!

[@karlmcintyre214]

Massive respect that you both recognise the important sabbath sound!

[@cheezyridr]

here i am a year later, and this video showed up in my feed again. i really hope you'll do the bass version for this someday.

[@deathcheatersguild4266]

Into The Void one of my favorite songs! Bill Ward 🥁 does NOT get enough credit for his contribution to the overall Black Sabbath sound and vibe!!! 😈

[@davesaenz3732]

You nailed it. Both Butler and Ward made this riff even heavier.

[@ralphmartin1058]

Only a three piece band, so each member had to push wherever they could to create a heavy metal wall of sound. Part of that was playing open string on lowest first string on chords on both guitar & bass to get that heavy ring thru the chords...

[@WardAlienVideo]

Sabbath isn't Sabbath without Ward and Ozzy.

[@robertcooney1938]

Sure he does! From real fans, anyway. Who cares what the "greatest hits fans" think?

[@gmanhirt8818]

Best band ever assembled hands down With the king on vocals of course The Best Band to ever be..

[@MarshallllWalker]

Black Sabbath and the Grateful Dead

[@johnjumper7066]

I really like how direct and systematic your presentations are so many others are very confusing. Great job.

[@chromebull884]

Would love to watch a video about Bill Ward's drum sound!

[@rodchallis8031]

I think it was Ward's drumming that really had me listening to Black Sabbath all those years ago. No one seems to talk about him the way they do other drummers, and yet I think he was on par with the greats.

[@JorgeGonzalez-yx1uk]

Geezer Butler actually uses flats on his 60’s p bass! I think also a great part of his tone is the fact that he plays with his fingers around the neck almost like Geedy Lee and John Entwistle

[@travisthompson9996]

Sabbath is also my favorite metal band and you guys really nailed it. Great job all the way around. Into the Void is also my favorite riff so I was very delighted to hear your recreation of this classic

[@rlbradish]

Iommi has two main guitars for D# and C# tunings, and he has a custom set on each: D# Standard: .008 - .008 - .011 - .018w - .024 - .032 C# Standard: .009 - .010 - .012 - .020w - .032 - .042

[@jips123]

This contributes to the sound. Was that used here? I don't think so. Tony's sound is not as tight as the sound Rick and Rhett are producing.

[@someordinarygangster8965]

Just bought that Sg and I’m playing it through Iommi’s signature amp. It sounds killer!

[@jetydosa1]

I never get enough of Ricks videos. Especially the tone chase ones

[@baberoot1998]

It is incredible, firstly...how Tony Iommi, with his musical genius, discovered and produced the 'Sabbath Sound'...and, secondly, it is equally incredible, how Rick's musical knowledge is capable of reproducing that iconic sound. That ain't easy to do. An incredible amount of understanding sound...and what technology is available...is mandatory to reproduce it. Bands from the late 60's and 70's, were a phenomenal time for music creativity. An explosion of creativity came from that available technology. And sad to say...because technology has increased...that sound from that era...is being lost. Ironic...isn't it? Love your channel Rick. Keep up the great discoveries. P.S. It would not hurt my feelings, should you pursue that Geezer Butler bass sound as well. Geezer's bass...has no match.

[@JoJoDo]

I think I hear some differnces in reverb in the guitars. I yesterday listend for the first timr to Into the void and I thiught it was absolutly amazing! I was blown away. I picked up my bass and started to try and play it, and I then noticed the amazing bass taht really finishes the song! I would love to see a video about that!