Pedalboard Archive

Tony IommiPedalboard, 1970

Tony Iommi made the sound of Black Sabbath's 1970 debut with one unit: a modified germanium Rangemaster treble booster pushing the input of his Laney.

Board
Black Sabbath debut path
Context
Regent Sound Studios and early shows
Board date
Evidence
Documented equipment · 2 cited sources
Order
Source-described
Scope
Core signal path
Routing
Serial path
Audited
Signal
1 unit · Guitar to amplifier

Black Sabbath debut path

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InputGuitar
Modified Rangemaster
OutputAmplifier

A source states the sequence

Inside the rig · 1 units

Pedal roles & evidence

How each unit fits Tony Iommi's 1970 setup. Board-specific roles and the evidence behind each identification and position.

Cited sources

Source-described orderIdentity and position are evidenced separately. Reconstructed positions are not observed connections.

Gain

Modified Rangemaster

Role in this rig

Hits the Laney input hard enough to create the foundational early Black Sabbath overdrive.

Identity
Documented
Position
Documented

Documented equipment · Documented order · Serial path

The core guitar-to-booster-to-Laney route is documented by Iommi and contemporary gear research. Studio-only treatments on individual overdubs are outside this primary path.

Cited sources

Methodology
  1. Guitar WorldTony Iommi: The Eternal Idol
  2. Guitar.comThe gear used by Tony Iommi on Black Sabbath's debut

Questions about Tony Iommi's 1970 pedalboard

What pedals did Tony Iommi use in 1970?
This dated entry lists one unit: Modified Rangemaster. This is the recorded inventory, not a claim that every connection or model identification is confirmed; see the evidence and routing notes.
What order were Tony Iommi's pedals in?
A cited source states the order: Guitar → Modified Rangemaster → amplifier.
Is this Tony Iommi's full guitar rig?
No. This dated entry covers one unit in the effects path, not every piece of gear Tony Iommi owned or used. Floor pedals, rack units and routing devices are included only where recorded; omitted equipment and uncertain connections are explained in the notes. It is not a complete or current rig inventory.
When and where was this pedalboard used?
1970. Regent Sound Studios and early shows. This is the core signal path documented for that period, not a career-wide gear list.
How does the archive know what was on this pedalboard?
2 cited sources, listed above with the date each was read, including Guitar World, Guitar.com. Among them an interview and a written article. The units are recorded as documented equipment, and the page was last audited on 2026-08-03.