Brian May’s vintage tone features the same trick: his home-made “Red Special” has a 24.00” scale, which reduces tension in and of itself. Dr. May used to use 8-38 strings on that shorter-scale neck, which would be as thin and floppy as Iommi’s. Both players have styles that feature glorious signature vibratos. Both are masters of iconic riffage, and they’re life-long friends to boot. Blackmore, Iommi & May: what a triumvirate of 70’s hard rock riff genius!
@@justinoreado1380 The hell are you saying? ....That Iommi didn't pull off an invention of Heavy Metal genre with a string gauge much smaller than the piano strings, morons think they need for heavy tone? All low end is f'n boring.
Yup. I'd rather have light gauge floppy strings and play lighter. Thicker strings tend to lose that high end brightness you get with light gauge strings.
Also: one thing Iommi, May, Blackmore, and Gilmour had in common: the use of treble boosters in their signal chains. Treble boosters weren’t so much used to add high frequencies as to roll off lows while boosting the overall signal into tube amplification. The net result is high gain with clarity. Bass strings create more signal than thin little treble strings. Treble boosters just even the string response over the entire range. Great for guitarists who live or die by the the big, single-note-at-a-time, melodic, hooky riff-which all of these guitarists are known for (Iommi being the undisputed king of this Round Table of Riffing Knights).
It's always astounded me how Iommi made songs in standard tuning sound like the heaviest thing you've ever heard. Those songs still have that effect today. When I hear Electric Funeral it sounds like the nastiest doom ever. STANDARD TUNING!!!
I do D standard & drop C at 432hz, works for me with 10-46s. I do thrash, doom, classic rock, industrial etc with this setup. I used to run 11-52s, but they aren't always available & I was working way harder for everything.
@@DoesItDoom As a bassist myself I can confidently say that to me that makes sense, Scotts tone is huge but that is mostly because of the VERY loud volume and with dead strings (or could be flatwounds), so his bottom end is MASSIVE despite being a regular bass set while Josh Homme isn't bass heavy but cuts really well in the mid and higher frecuencies I did the same for bass for a long while, just a regular set for D and C tuning and that "wobliness" gave a massive sound that you wouldn't get with tighter strings
I know a lot of more modern players complain about their tome being too muddy when they tune down with a normal gauge. For me, I like the mud. Adds a level of nastiness to the tone you don’t get with super tight strings.
God you perfectly nailed the paranoid tone it's just like listening to the album. In the future can you do a tone guide or something for a modern Iommi sound? His tone devil you know and 13 is incredible
I remember JD from The Sword saying he prefers to play lighter than average strings for their drop C stuff. He said it’s so you get that slight warble when you hit the open low E string, like it goes slightly out of tune and blooms like you said.
I've been playing 8s for the last couple years and they are phenomenal. More attack, more clarity, tighter low end & great playability. If you're ham fisted, you'll have to adjust your technique, but it's worth the reward. Also, since you don't need the same mass to pluck the string, go with a thinner pick if you try 8s. It'll give you a similar feel you're used to with heavier gauges. I used 1mm picks with 10 to 13 gauge string sets for many decades. Now, I'm using .60mm with 8 gauge sets and have the same feel.
Man! So glad you demoed these. Coming from someone that used to plays the relative tension of 11s. I tinker around with light string tensions a lot to yield different tone results. Also knowing how a supergroup behaves its almost by accident he figured out a way to push a dark and bassy non master volume amp into some heavy territory. The chain starts with the strings attenuation of the lows due to being very light. Everything after thet was slamming the mids and gain. Just a cool full spectrum of sound. Very gnarly stuff is you break it down. Also that supergroup sounds great with the 400 watt orange cab man. I'm running hot 100s in an Emperor with mine. Love it. Cheers.
Beato did a video comparing string gauges a few years back, and that sold me. I switched to 8s and its been great. I think BB King said it about lighter strings, there is no need to work harder for bending. Since switching to 8s, it is now my picking hand that gets tired first, I can play for much longer. And sounding 'heavier' is more in your playing style and gear then string gauge, and Iommi proves it. If anyone gets tired or fatigued playing guitar before they actually want to put their guitar down, just needs to move to lighter strings. I doubt anyone would complain their guitar sounds thin if they gave it a fair chance.
Cool! I was never into music and listened to BS last year for the first time and started playing guitar because of Tony. I’ve only practiced playing songs from first 3 albums and immediately put 8’s on my new SG w/P90’s so now I have to get these strings! I don’t know what it is but I only have interest in learning/playing sabbath songs.
I went through that exact same thing at one point. Learning and playing Sabbath songs along with chasing the classic Sabbath tone is one of life’s great joys for me.
Two years ago I slipped on some ice and both broke and dislocated my pointer finger on my fretting hand. Even after a year of physical therapy I'm still not back to full finger strength so I have been playing really light strings for a while now and I gotta say I really like the way they feel and sound.
@@DoesItDoom I've been using a standard set of 10's tuned down to C or C#. I haven't found a set I like yet for E standard tuning. On my bass I've been using .045-100 and tuning down to C or C#
Guitars going slightly out of pitch is what made things so spooky. You can do this with 10-48 Power Slinkys tuned to B and for G# TUNING 11-52 Skinny Top Heavy Bottom. It sounds old, groovy and dark. Having proper tension is a tone killer in a very bad way when it comes to doom.
I use 9s right now tuned down to D , I have a very light touch and use a rounded golden gate mandolin pick, with big frets you can actually get a lot of control in heavy music techniques once you get used to the lighter touch. I'm not dealing with an extreme injury like Tony but from years of factory work and being in my 50s my dexterity isn't like 20 year old me and sometimes my finger joints have have pain after work so Iommi's a huge influence on me for finding ways to work around pain , he was already one of my biggest guitar heroes all the way back to first learning but the inspiration to find a way to make it work when it's difficult kept me learning and working through painful playing experiences
La Bella strings are awesome! I discovered them from Bob Vigna of the band Immolation. He uses 13-56 for C Standard and I decided try them out and they sound great 🤘
Let the renaissance of light strings begin. It’s a rarely spoken of element of the classic 70s tone. I’ve heard recently those wrap around tailpieces lend a little more string stiffness. I’ve wondered if that could contribute to handling lighter strings. I’ve been thinking of trying one for some time. Do you perceive any difference compared to your standard SG? Anyone else on here have experience with that?
Just ordered mine , I use pyramid pure nickel on my purple strat , round core , 9, 12 , 15 , 26,32,38 . Down to E flat very Hendrix . Because everyone used the Fender 150 s and swapped out the high E and or B for lighter . I have a black epipjone SG , that I just had Joe Glaser refret with jumbos , and Tom Holmes himbuckers . My strings that I use on my strat feel like 10"s on my SG , which is typically the opposite , slinky er , so I am going for the iommi strings , I LOVE Brisn May , Tony, Ritchie Blackmore , Billy Gibbons , they all use light strings. Heavy strings can turn a guitar into a coffee table with strings, no spank or resonance or snap . Many times inexpensive guitars prove this , like my re issue Dan Electro from 98 , seal pick gaurd like Jimmy Page , lipstick pickups, that thru my 1967 real vintage 100 watt plexi Marshall , everyone says , wow , that rules ! Even over my strat and les paul into that amp . Cheap guitar , thin lipstick pickups and formica or whatever they use . Thanks, great playing .
Awesome video to see today as I just received 2 sets myself in the mail about an hour ago! Going to be interesting for me as I usually play 10's on almost everything. Awesome playing and tone as always! I will be stringing up my Epiphone Monkey shortly and seeing how these work out. Wish me luck : )
The super light B string is probably not necessary for those of us with digits that are whole, but light strings are definitely key. 10-46 for C# Standard do the job nicely. I didn't know Tony filed down his frets, tho! Cool information. It definitely helps when playing with super light strings to have smaller frets - much less likely to fret a note sharp. Something like Jescar 45085 is the way.
Just put these in my cart , but I might have some extra packs to make the exact setup.... Iommi rules 🤘 PS killer as always bro , you should do a Sabbath/Iommi segment once or twice a month in the same tuning's and songs he played them in. I think that would be awesome for us die hard Sabbath fans ✌️🤘
Ive been using 8-38 stainless for years. Just strings 12 sets 40 ish bucks. These are super custom gauge I might have to try them out. I have dystonia in my hands, chunky necks and super light strings keep me rocking.
It is most definitely worthwhile to practice on developing a lighter touch. Especially practicing with lighter gauge strings and lower tunings. If you have an extra guitar to practice like that. Do it. Even if down tuned styles are not what your into, it will help you realize how little effort is actually required for fretting even on higher gauges and tunings. What you practice on the down tuned guitar will carry over to your standard tuned guitars. It helped me immensely towards loosening up my fingers and eliminating hand tension.
@@DoesItDoom It is most definitely good. That's the whole point of Tony's set up, minimizing the effort of fretting to minimize the pain of playing with his damaged fingers. It's what created his style.
Cool video Steve! Just curious how the Walpurgis pedal sounds compared to a Rangemaster through those Laney's. Just dawned on me to try my Walpurgis with my new BL30. Duh!
String size is like shoes. Wearing big shoes won’t make you run faster. Big strings won’t make you sound bigger. I’ve got several guitars tuned to C# standard. One has bigger strings, still comfy but about like 10s in E. The other one has lighter strings for that tuning, very slinky but it stays in tune and intonates well. The lighter stringed guitar sounds better, bends are easy and sound killer, overtones ring and ring. Also, the lighter strings bloom out when struck and are quite a bit brighter. Great video bro!
side note: i see you have your Mighty Monkey of Honor i did sat infront the OG Monkey he had when it was in the display box in Hardrock NYC but is not there anymore under his poster, Iommi's Poster truly wander if they send the guitar back to England ?
I stood before it when it used to be at the Hard Rock as well. I’m sure it went to Gibson for them to use as reference when they did the custom aged Monkey SG’s a few years back. Perhaps it’s made its way back to Tony? Certainly a very valuable instrument at this point.
man i figure that you may have a better idea than me of what happened to lil IMP Monkey, for some reason it makes sense what you are saying maybe Our uncle Iommi said ''F**ckIT Give me back my Monckey you greedy useless 'Hardrock' place, it belongs to me'' i hope that is what happened never understood why it end up here in NY Don't think we deserve it, is just too pure and Angelic for this broken city of ours to have around now one of Dime bag's Guitars is chilling by the picture of Sir iommi which i am ok with that.. i have sit for Hours right infront of Iommi's picture when his guitar was on display my favor most safer stop in the whole city aside my Girl's house.. btw love your channel brother, know that you ll always have a DOOMMETAL ALLY in me and i have a very unhealthy obsession with Doom instrumental gothic music since i am also a composer and Guitar player with Black Gibson Guitars of honor on hand look for my little old low quality video called MYSTERY - DRAGOTH BELMONT DOOM MUSIC IF you are willing? o think you may grow to like it despite it's endless flaws working now on refining my sound and continue all my doom instrumental passion projects
I think it is because of the thick and heavy sound of Sabbath in general. Many people dont understand that Iommis sound lives in a symbiosis with Geezers fantastic Bass playing and sound. Thats what i guess. I struggled with that myself for many many years and was always disapointed with my guitar sound until i found an isolated guitar track of Iommi. That was the moment i realised how important a Bass guitar can be. 😅 Since then inplay Guitar AND Bass to creat loops i can play along with the guitar.
@@marquisdecarabas1312 There is about a one hour long interview on Gibson TV (on youtube) where Iommi mentioned that he told producers of their music to NOT separate/isolate the sounds of the guitar and bass. Tony knew that the guitar and bass sounds better as a greater mass of sound when combined.
There is so much truth to what you're saying here. Those isolated Iommi guitar tracks are truly eye opening. Brighter and less gain than most people would expect by a long shot. Geezer's bass had a huge impact on the overall tone and timber.
It seriously blows my mind those pickups aren’t hotter, I played one of those in Chicago and it sounded so much fuller and hotter than a regular sg special
I have nerve damage in my index finger from a very bad knife accident but thank god it’s my picking hand. I could not imagine trying to barre chords. I really feel for Iommi. Having pressure on an area with nerve damage is the most disgusting feeling I can only compare it to something like if you ever put a 9v battery on your tongue as a kid. It’s not pain as much as a disgusting feeling you have to pull away from
I nearly severed the tip of my right middle finger when I was kid. One small area of that cut has permanent nerve damage. It is on the side of that finger and mostly shielded by my index finger. When I do manage to bump it, it is a horrible feeling for such a small bit of finger. I shudder and cringe just thinking about it. It's not at all like any other pain I have experienced but not so much like pain as you say. The 9-volt battery on your tongue is a great analogy to describe it. The nerve damage is still worse though. I have never heard anyone else explain the feeling before. I concur with your description.
"Necessity is the mother of invention" as the proverb goes. I guess you need a light touch with these 8s or else you'll chord out of tune a bit? Sounds great through your set up. I do like thin strings like 9s for heavier or distorted tones, eg with a super Strat. There seems to be more definition & less flub in there compared to even 10s.
All of the tracks were recorded through the 100W. Likely just my imprecise playing causing any of the slight delays lol. It’s super a super fun rig to play through. Glad you’re digging the tone!
string gauge does matter though if you down tune a whole lot, and are also going for a more modern sound. if string gauge didn't matter at all, we wouldn't have bass strings. there also wouldn't be any point in using a 7 string. i agree though pretty much any genre outside of like djent or certain types of metal, thin strings sound good and have more playability.
It’s the second 8 that is crazy to me…I tried every gauge you could think of 8s to 70 low A and everything in between…I prefer lighter strings now but the wound 3rd is more crucial imo
Have you done any videos comparing and detailing the 100 and 60 watt Laney's? Which one nails his tone better? Looked through your videos and couldn't find anything. A video on those would be awesome. From what I've gathered, Tony started out using the 60 watt on the first album and later went to the 100 watt, but it's not clear to me if he continued using the 60 watt in the studio and only used the 100's on tour, or began using the 100 in the studio (mixed with the Klipp on a few very random tracks).
Not yet, but I do have plans to compare them in a livestream soon. Not that different overall, but I would say the 100W has just a touch more low end and "thump" (for lack of a better term). Not a dramatic difference.
I would not use them because i grap very hard with my fretting hand and would go out of tune in no time 😂 but i would buy both sets just because of the cool artwork. Yes, i confess i am a Sabbath and Iommi Fan-Boy since i was a toddler (my mom listend to black sabbath😅) and here we are 38 years later. But sadly they are not availible in Germany. La Bella does not ship to Germany, to order from Sweetwater from oversea is a big trouble thing and i dont support amazon. 🤷🏻
YOu can get .008 sets from Dean Markley and Ernie Ball probably others, Billy Gibbons and Dunlop have been doing ultra lights for a few years now - .006s and up. Rev Willie's Mexican Lottery brand to be specific. Seems La Bella is late in the game. 👀
What's the Laney head on the bottom? Looks like the shed model with a Klipp logo. I currently own the same 60w you're playing through. Also have a 100w Klipp.
That’s Matt Pike’s 100W Supergroup that he got from Jon Davis (Conan). Very strange as the tolex, logo, grill cloth, and piping is definitely Klipp style but the amp is a Supergroup. I’ve never seen any sort of transitional model so I’m not sure what to make of it.
The lighter the tension, the fatter the mids; heavier tension, scooped mids and tighter chunk. If you want to doom, going with 14s when tuning to C# is not the way to go, because you'll just sound all mallcore. 11s are probably the heaviest gauge you'd want for that tuning. For E or Eb, 9s are the heaviest.
I have no idea how he didn't go out of tune. i used like... normal gauge strings for our first ever gig and downtuning to D resulted in constantly slipping out of tune. i can't imagine how he tuned to C with fuckin banjo strings and shit
Is intonation ok on the light strings? Tuning down to B standard on a Fender with 11s I found intonation above the 12th fret to be somewhat messy on the unwound strings.
La Bella Strings are the best in my opinion i been using them since i first learned Tony used them i have a set of 46-10 on my main guitar and i have not changed them in 10 years and i play that guitar everyday ... i would buy those Iommi strings as a cool collectable only and not use them ..
La Bella strings are awesome! I never tried the Iommi set but I do use their 7 string set 11-70. Saw them on sweetwater and figured Id give them a chance. Besides DAddario strings La Bella strings are my pick. Ernie Ball strings are trash, GFS used to be good(havent used in years now) and Elixir strings are amazing for acoustic! Last and most important Stringjoy is over rated and feel like crap. Only good thing is being able to build your sets outside of that stringjoy just dont seem as quality ad DAddario or La Bella. DAddario Chromes(flat wound) are amazing! And half rounds are good too.
I've always had the opinion, that if black sabbath had a weakness , it was Ozzy! Which is a crazy thing to consider. That's how talented this band was folks!
@@DoesItDoom gotcha, i was wondering how they would sound tuned to C#. Or are These strings pretty much only for drop D#? I would love the lighter strings but would still like to change from drop D# to C# and am just wondering if that’s an option with these strings
I’ve never felt the need to use anything heavier or lighter than .010 - .046 gauge strings. Not too heavy, not light; just right. I can understand why Tony Iommi used lighter strings, but it also goes to show that people who think you need heavy strings for heavy music, are more “bro-science” than actual science. Use what you feel is comfortable for you to play.
I know you metal guys would die before mentioning Jerry Garcia, but speaking of players with f'd up fingers, among others. But you could say it makes you play diff and kinda be an anomaly, distinct style. Obviously Jerry is no Tony, but he's no slouch on the axe. You nailed that tone my brother!
La Bella used to do cheap classical strings... Then they tripled the price for the same string. I dont get how they went from being a good value budget option to so pricey... Ill stick to rotosounds.
Checout the La Bella Tony Iommi Signature Electric Guitar Strings here: www.labella.com/strings/category/tony-iommi-signature-strings/
Too bad they don't seem to be shipping to europe (belgium) or be available in another shop
Is there any way you could show how to get the guitar tone Kirk has for buzzovens behaved??
La Bella makes *the best*flat wound bass and Bass VI strings, definitely worth a couple extra bucks per pack.
That solo sounded IDENTICAL to the recorded version, greatly played dude!
Much appreciated. 🙏🏻🤘🏻
yeaaa, dude my hairs stood; that was MAD exact… ♠️
Brian May’s vintage tone features the same trick: his home-made “Red Special” has a 24.00” scale, which reduces tension in and of itself. Dr. May used to use 8-38 strings on that shorter-scale neck, which would be as thin and floppy as Iommi’s.
Both players have styles that feature glorious signature vibratos. Both are masters of iconic riffage, and they’re life-long friends to boot.
Blackmore, Iommi & May: what a triumvirate of 70’s hard rock riff genius!
This literally goes to show how string gauge is all personal preference. Tony is a GOAT
No doubt!
And chopped off finger tips.
The laws pf physics disagree with your logic
@@justinoreado1380 The hell are you saying? ....That Iommi didn't pull off an invention of Heavy Metal genre with a string gauge much smaller than the piano strings, morons think they need for heavy tone? All low end is f'n boring.
Yup. I'd rather have light gauge floppy strings and play lighter. Thicker strings tend to lose that high end brightness you get with light gauge strings.
With the entire Tony rig it sounds so amazing!
Endless amounts of fun playing through this rig!
Also: one thing Iommi, May, Blackmore, and Gilmour had in common: the use of treble boosters in their signal chains. Treble boosters weren’t so much used to add high frequencies as to roll off lows while boosting the overall signal into tube amplification. The net result is high gain with clarity.
Bass strings create more signal than thin little treble strings. Treble boosters just even the string response over the entire range. Great for guitarists who live or die by the the big, single-note-at-a-time, melodic, hooky riff-which all of these guitarists are known for (Iommi being the undisputed king of this Round Table of Riffing Knights).
It's always astounded me how Iommi made songs in standard tuning sound like the heaviest thing you've ever heard. Those songs still have that effect today. When I hear Electric Funeral it sounds like the nastiest doom ever. STANDARD TUNING!!!
Geezer Butler was also contributing but absolutely yes
i love finding the equilibrium of tension so your shit stays in tune but banging an open bottom string does that blooming holy mountain thing
Yes! It’s definitely a thing. Funny that I often think of the tone on that particular album as well.
Exactly why I love using 11-48s for drop c (well, CGDGBE). That "Bloom" on the low c is something special.
You should definitely do another video on the c# set plus it’d be fun to do some more history on Tony and most of all allow to riff some more for us!
Will do it!
I'm going to buy a set for my daughter's 3/4 scale Squire. The light gauge configuration is good for tiny beginner fingers.
If I remember correctly, Josh Homme used 10s for C tuning in Kyuss - no need to go super heavy to play super heavy
Likely so. I remember Reeder saying he just tuned down regular light gauge bass strings for Kyuss.
I do D standard & drop C at 432hz, works for me with 10-46s.
I do thrash, doom, classic rock, industrial etc with this setup.
I used to run 11-52s, but they aren't always available & I was working way harder for everything.
@@DoesItDoom As a bassist myself I can confidently say that to me that makes sense, Scotts tone is huge but that is mostly because of the VERY loud volume and with dead strings (or could be flatwounds), so his bottom end is MASSIVE despite being a regular bass set while Josh Homme isn't bass heavy but cuts really well in the mid and higher frecuencies
I did the same for bass for a long while, just a regular set for D and C tuning and that "wobliness" gave a massive sound that you wouldn't get with tighter strings
I know a lot of more modern players complain about their tome being too muddy when they tune down with a normal gauge. For me, I like the mud. Adds a level of nastiness to the tone you don’t get with super tight strings.
@@rocketpigrecords3719question for clarification. When you mention that you had to “work harder for everything”, what exactly do you mean by that?
God you perfectly nailed the paranoid tone it's just like listening to the album. In the future can you do a tone guide or something for a modern Iommi sound? His tone devil you know and 13 is incredible
Thanks, man. Yes, that has been on my mind.
I play 11-60 for whole step down and Drop C.
11-70 for whole step drop A
12-60 for C# Standard
Just buy a bass
All hail to our Uncle IOMMI And his Black SG of Gothic Doomed Honor
🐐🐐🐐
I remember JD from The Sword saying he prefers to play lighter than average strings for their drop C stuff. He said it’s so you get that slight warble when you hit the open low E string, like it goes slightly out of tune and blooms like you said.
That tone is absolutely perfect
Thanks, Richie. Super fun to play through that rig.
@@DoesItDoomAre you playing through the the Tony Iommi boost pedal or using straight distortion from the Supergroup?
I've been playing 8s for the last couple years and they are phenomenal. More attack, more clarity, tighter low end & great playability. If you're ham fisted, you'll have to adjust your technique, but it's worth the reward. Also, since you don't need the same mass to pluck the string, go with a thinner pick if you try 8s. It'll give you a similar feel you're used to with heavier gauges.
I used 1mm picks with 10 to 13 gauge string sets for many decades. Now, I'm using .60mm with 8 gauge sets and have the same feel.
I use 8s with dunlop 3mm stubbies. It gets that nice tony immigrated pick squeak
@@Louzahsol whatever works for you, right?
Definitely a winning combo, those jazz picks sound great with light gauge strings too. Great for pinch harmonics
Man! So glad you demoed these. Coming from someone that used to plays the relative tension of 11s. I tinker around with light string tensions a lot to yield different tone results. Also knowing how a supergroup behaves its almost by accident he figured out a way to push a dark and bassy non master volume amp into some heavy territory. The chain starts with the strings attenuation of the lows due to being very light. Everything after thet was slamming the mids and gain. Just a cool full spectrum of sound. Very gnarly stuff is you break it down.
Also that supergroup sounds great with the 400 watt orange cab man. I'm running hot 100s in an Emperor with mine. Love it. Cheers.
Beato did a video comparing string gauges a few years back, and that sold me. I switched to 8s and its been great. I think BB King said it about lighter strings, there is no need to work harder for bending. Since switching to 8s, it is now my picking hand that gets tired first, I can play for much longer. And sounding 'heavier' is more in your playing style and gear then string gauge, and Iommi proves it.
If anyone gets tired or fatigued playing guitar before they actually want to put their guitar down, just needs to move to lighter strings. I doubt anyone would complain their guitar sounds thin if they gave it a fair chance.
Have heard a couple mention that video Rick did. Going to have to check it out!
Wow you really nailed that tone
This could be the closest sound to classic 70's Sabbath's tone ever replicated
Good work!
I’ve been using Ernie ball 8’s on my sg forever. Since I heard the first sabbath album
🦇✝️🤘🏻
Cool! I was never into music and listened to BS last year for the first time and started playing guitar because of Tony. I’ve only practiced playing songs from first 3 albums and immediately put 8’s on my new SG w/P90’s so now I have to get these strings! I don’t know what it is but I only have interest in learning/playing sabbath songs.
I went through that exact same thing at one point. Learning and playing Sabbath songs along with chasing the classic Sabbath tone is one of life’s great joys for me.
9-42 rocks! Gonna have to try those La Bella’s.
You’ll dig ‘em!
Two years ago I slipped on some ice and both broke and dislocated my pointer finger on my fretting hand. Even after a year of physical therapy I'm still not back to full finger strength so I have been playing really light strings for a while now and I gotta say I really like the way they feel and sound.
Great that you were able to work around the injury man! What strings and tuning have you been using?
@@DoesItDoom I've been using a standard set of 10's tuned down to C or C#. I haven't found a set I like yet for E standard tuning. On my bass I've been using .045-100 and tuning down to C or C#
Guitars going slightly out of pitch is what made things so spooky. You can do this with 10-48 Power Slinkys tuned to B and for G# TUNING 11-52 Skinny Top Heavy Bottom. It sounds old, groovy and dark. Having proper tension is a tone killer in a very bad way when it comes to doom.
I think its all about how your nut is filed for the string gauge
Just bought 2 packs of the C# sets. Looking forward to trying them out!
Nice! Come back and let us know how it went!
I use 9s right now tuned down to D , I have a very light touch and use a rounded golden gate mandolin pick, with big frets you can actually get a lot of control in heavy music techniques once you get used to the lighter touch. I'm not dealing with an extreme injury like Tony but from years of factory work and being in my 50s my dexterity isn't like 20 year old me and sometimes my finger joints have have pain after work so Iommi's a huge influence on me for finding ways to work around pain , he was already one of my biggest guitar heroes all the way back to first learning but the inspiration to find a way to make it work when it's difficult kept me learning and working through painful playing experiences
La Bella strings are awesome! I discovered them from Bob Vigna of the band Immolation. He uses 13-56 for C Standard and I decided try them out and they sound great 🤘
I’m getting a couple packs of their 13-56 sets to try for sure.
This was a great video man,I loved the sound of those strings; that distortion!😄🤘
Thanks so much! Playing through that rig is the most fun thing ever. Those strings are the final touch.
@@DoesItDoom Totally agree with you,damn man; that was heavy AF! 😳
Let the renaissance of light strings begin. It’s a rarely spoken of element of the classic 70s tone. I’ve heard recently those wrap around tailpieces lend a little more string stiffness. I’ve wondered if that could contribute to handling lighter strings. I’ve been thinking of trying one for some time. Do you perceive any difference compared to your standard SG? Anyone else on here have experience with that?
Wrapping the tailpiece reduces the break angle which reduces string tension. It’s slight, but you can notice it.
@@DoesItDoom i assume you mean wrapping around a stop bar tailpiece? How about on the wrap around style like that Iommi SG or the SG Special?
Just ordered mine , I use pyramid pure nickel on my purple strat , round core , 9, 12 , 15 , 26,32,38 . Down to E flat very Hendrix . Because everyone used the Fender 150 s and swapped out the high E and or B for lighter . I have a black epipjone SG , that I just had Joe Glaser refret with jumbos , and Tom Holmes himbuckers . My strings that I use on my strat feel like 10"s on my SG , which is typically the opposite , slinky er , so I am going for the iommi strings , I LOVE Brisn May , Tony, Ritchie Blackmore , Billy Gibbons , they all use light strings. Heavy strings can turn a guitar into a coffee table with strings, no spank or resonance or snap . Many times inexpensive guitars prove this , like my re issue Dan Electro from 98 , seal pick gaurd like Jimmy Page , lipstick pickups, that thru my 1967 real vintage 100 watt plexi Marshall , everyone says , wow , that rules ! Even over my strat and les paul into that amp . Cheap guitar , thin lipstick pickups and formica or whatever they use . Thanks, great playing .
I've always used .008's with C#, it's absolutely amazing for bends and vibrato.
Awesome video to see today as I just received 2 sets myself in the mail about an hour ago! Going to be interesting for me as I usually play 10's on almost everything. Awesome playing and tone as always! I will be stringing up my Epiphone Monkey shortly and seeing how these work out. Wish me luck : )
Come back and let us know how it went!
You got his exact tone. Impressive
Thanks man! Pretty close to the exact rig, so it wasn’t too tough.
The super light B string is probably not necessary for those of us with digits that are whole, but light strings are definitely key. 10-46 for C# Standard do the job nicely. I didn't know Tony filed down his frets, tho! Cool information. It definitely helps when playing with super light strings to have smaller frets - much less likely to fret a note sharp. Something like Jescar 45085 is the way.
The light B is likely not necessary for sure! Haha.
Just put these in my cart , but I might have some extra packs to make the exact setup.... Iommi rules 🤘 PS killer as always bro , you should do a Sabbath/Iommi segment once or twice a month in the same tuning's and songs he played them in. I think that would be awesome for us die hard Sabbath fans ✌️🤘
Thanks, Mike. I have been gearing up to do some more focused Iommi content here. It’s always been my favorite thing to do.
@@DoesItDoom Excellent , looking forward to it. Can never get enough Sabbath 👍🤘
nailed the classic Sabbath tone
Thanks, Joel!
I used a .086-19 set for F# standard on a Ibanez Mikro 22" 6 string - it's a MONSTER
Ive been using 8-38 stainless for years. Just strings 12 sets 40 ish bucks. These are super custom gauge I might have to try them out. I have dystonia in my hands, chunky necks and super light strings keep me rocking.
Worth a shot!
5:00 mark. That sounds like me with light strings HA. It would probably be great practice for me to use those on one guitar. Work on feel and touch.
Definitely requires a lighter touch. Whether that is good or bad I don’t know lol.
It is most definitely worthwhile to practice on developing a lighter touch. Especially practicing with lighter gauge strings and lower tunings. If you have an extra guitar to practice like that. Do it.
Even if down tuned styles are not what your into, it will help you realize how little effort is actually required for fretting even on higher gauges and tunings. What you practice on the down tuned guitar will carry over to your standard tuned guitars. It helped me immensely towards loosening up my fingers and eliminating hand tension.
@@DoesItDoom It is most definitely good. That's the whole point of Tony's set up, minimizing the effort of fretting to minimize the pain of playing with his damaged fingers. It's what created his style.
Thanks! Been playing since the 60s, this is the last piece of the puzzle to that tone😊😊😊
I use 9s on some guitars (Tuned dropped D) but these Tony strings are crazy thin, especially of you are tuning even lower.
They are for sure.
Just ordered two packs of each, I just have to give them a try. I normally use Slinky 9s or 10s.
Come back and let us know what you think!
@@DoesItDoom will do!
Cool video Steve! Just curious how the Walpurgis pedal sounds compared to a Rangemaster through those Laney's. Just dawned on me to try my Walpurgis with my new BL30. Duh!
Sounds extremely close to the actual rig! We used my Supergroup and Rangemaster as the tone reference target for all of that development.
love your videos dude, keep it up! also awesome beard.
Thanks man!
@@DoesItDoom no problem dude! keep making awesome videos!
That tone is fuckin awesome!!!
Thanks dude. Playing through this rig is endless hours of fun. It just has the tone.
I use an ernie ball 8-38 set in standard on my strat, it just Works Perfectly, tbh
I’m highly tempted to go low tension on all my guitars
Same here I've been using EB Cobalt's 8-38's and 9-42's for the past couple of years and really like them!
String size is like shoes.
Wearing big shoes won’t make you run faster.
Big strings won’t make you sound bigger.
I’ve got several guitars tuned to C# standard.
One has bigger strings, still comfy but about like 10s in E.
The other one has lighter strings for that tuning, very slinky but it stays in tune and intonates well.
The lighter stringed guitar sounds better, bends are easy and sound killer, overtones ring and ring.
Also, the lighter strings bloom out when struck and are quite a bit brighter.
Great video bro!
side note:
i see you have your Mighty Monkey of Honor
i did sat infront the OG Monkey he had when it was in the display box in Hardrock NYC
but is not there anymore under his poster, Iommi's Poster
truly wander if they send the guitar back to England ?
I stood before it when it used to be at the Hard Rock as well. I’m sure it went to Gibson for them to use as reference when they did the custom aged Monkey SG’s a few years back. Perhaps it’s made its way back to Tony? Certainly a very valuable instrument at this point.
man i figure that you may have a better idea than me of what happened to lil IMP Monkey, for some reason it makes sense what you are saying
maybe Our uncle Iommi said ''F**ckIT Give me back my Monckey you greedy useless 'Hardrock' place, it belongs to me''
i hope that is what happened
never understood why it end up here in NY
Don't think we deserve it, is just too pure and Angelic for this broken city of ours to have around
now one of Dime bag's Guitars is chilling by the picture of Sir iommi which i am ok with that..
i have sit for Hours right infront of Iommi's picture when his guitar was on display
my favor most safer stop in the whole city aside my Girl's house..
btw love your channel brother, know that you ll always have a DOOMMETAL ALLY in me and i have a very unhealthy obsession with Doom instrumental gothic music
since i am also a composer and Guitar player with Black Gibson Guitars of honor on hand
look for my little old low quality video called MYSTERY - DRAGOTH BELMONT DOOM MUSIC
IF you are willing? o think you may grow to like it despite it's endless flaws
working now on refining my sound and continue all my doom instrumental passion projects
Great video. Thank you very much. Tony Iommi FOREVER! 💜
Thanks for watching!
I’ve used 9’s for over ten years now. It’s amazing how many people assume he’s using thick strings.
I think it is because of the thick and heavy sound of Sabbath in general. Many people dont understand that Iommis sound lives in a symbiosis with Geezers fantastic Bass playing and sound. Thats what i guess. I struggled with that myself for many many years and was always disapointed with my guitar sound until i found an isolated guitar track of Iommi. That was the moment i realised how important a Bass guitar can be. 😅
Since then inplay Guitar AND Bass to creat loops i can play along with the guitar.
@@marquisdecarabas1312 There is about a one hour long interview on Gibson TV (on youtube) where Iommi mentioned that he told producers of their music to NOT separate/isolate the sounds of the guitar and bass. Tony knew that the guitar and bass sounds better as a greater mass of sound when combined.
There is so much truth to what you're saying here. Those isolated Iommi guitar tracks are truly eye opening. Brighter and less gain than most people would expect by a long shot. Geezer's bass had a huge impact on the overall tone and timber.
It seriously blows my mind those pickups aren’t hotter, I played one of those in Chicago and it sounded so much fuller and hotter than a regular sg special
Right around 7.9kOhm. They sound super similar to the pickups in the mid 60’s SG specials I’ve had.
@@DoesItDoom interesting, I’ve messed with modern SG specials and could’ve been fooled, I figured Gibson tried to match the jaydee pickup mods
This video is excellent. Thank you!
Thanks for wstching!
Great vid and tone!
Thanks! Lots of fun playing though that rig. 🙏🏻🤘🏻
I have nerve damage in my index finger from a very bad knife accident but thank god it’s my picking hand. I could not imagine trying to barre chords. I really feel for Iommi. Having pressure on an area with nerve damage is the most disgusting feeling I can only compare it to something like if you ever put a 9v battery on your tongue as a kid. It’s not pain as much as a disgusting feeling you have to pull away from
Insightful. That really does paint the picture.
I nearly severed the tip of my right middle finger when I was kid. One small area of that cut has permanent nerve damage. It is on the side of that finger and mostly shielded by my index finger. When I do manage to bump it, it is a horrible feeling for such a small bit of finger. I shudder and cringe just thinking about it.
It's not at all like any other pain I have experienced but not so much like pain as you say. The 9-volt battery on your tongue is a great analogy to describe it. The nerve damage is still worse though. I have never heard anyone else explain the feeling before. I concur with your description.
Just ordered both sets!
I'd love to know Tony's model and setup of his strat he used on wicked world. I'm assuming same guage strings and playing through the bridge pickup?
Bridge pickup for sure based on the tone of the song and that Tony never really used the neck pickup in his SG. Probably super light gauges as well.
@@DoesItDoom thanks Steve
"Necessity is the mother of invention" as the proverb goes.
I guess you need a light touch with these 8s or else you'll chord out of tune a bit? Sounds great through your set up.
I do like thin strings like 9s for heavier or distorted tones, eg with a super Strat. There seems to be more definition & less flub in there compared to even 10s.
Is there a slight delay applied to one of the amps? Whatever double-tracking you're doing is absolutely nailing the sound.
All of the tracks were recorded through the 100W. Likely just my imprecise playing causing any of the slight delays lol. It’s super a super fun rig to play through. Glad you’re digging the tone!
@@DoesItDoom Maybe it's a case where imperfection leads to perfection. 😆
string gauge does matter though if you down tune a whole lot, and are also going for a more modern sound. if string gauge didn't matter at all, we wouldn't have bass strings. there also wouldn't be any point in using a 7 string. i agree though pretty much any genre outside of like djent or certain types of metal, thin strings sound good and have more playability.
Great history lesson and video.
Thanks for watching!
It’s the second 8 that is crazy to me…I tried every gauge you could think of 8s to 70 low A and everything in between…I prefer lighter strings now but the wound 3rd is more crucial imo
What would I tune the B, 8 too?? I just think that would be too light. But I'm s fan of up-tuning
I've come to realize that string Guage is just one component of tone. It needs to be balanced with pick-ups, amp settings, and preferred tuning.
I was explaining Tony's story last night and watched most of those videos lol
Had to watch a couple to review the details!
@DoesItDoom it's an amazing story
Have you done any videos comparing and detailing the 100 and 60 watt Laney's? Which one nails his tone better? Looked through your videos and couldn't find anything. A video on those would be awesome. From what I've gathered, Tony started out using the 60 watt on the first album and later went to the 100 watt, but it's not clear to me if he continued using the 60 watt in the studio and only used the 100's on tour, or began using the 100 in the studio (mixed with the Klipp on a few very random tracks).
Not yet, but I do have plans to compare them in a livestream soon. Not that different overall, but I would say the 100W has just a touch more low end and "thump" (for lack of a better term). Not a dramatic difference.
@@DoesItDoom Will be looking forward to it! Please open them up, show the transformers and give us some gut shots too!
I would not use them because i grap very hard with my fretting hand and would go out of tune in no time 😂 but i would buy both sets just because of the cool artwork. Yes, i confess i am a Sabbath and Iommi Fan-Boy since i was a toddler (my mom listend to black sabbath😅) and here we are 38 years later.
But sadly they are not availible in Germany. La Bella does not ship to Germany, to order from Sweetwater from oversea is a big trouble thing and i dont support amazon. 🤷🏻
YOu can get .008 sets from Dean Markley and Ernie Ball probably others, Billy Gibbons and Dunlop have been doing ultra lights for a few years now - .006s and up. Rev Willie's Mexican Lottery brand to be specific. Seems La Bella is late in the game. 👀
I think Thomann do LaBella strings, they certainly sell their classical and flamenco ones, check 'em out.👍
Speaking of pieces of the Iommic tone puzzle. Is the cab loaded with Goodman's Audiom 12P speakers?
I need those, just for the sake of it. Did you have to do another setup on the sg when you changed strings?
This guitar was setup in E-standard, so I didn't have to do much. Minor truss rod adjustment.
@@DoesItDoom Thanks Steve ☠️ In Iommi we trust !
What's the Laney head on the bottom? Looks like the shed model with a Klipp logo. I currently own the same 60w you're playing through. Also have a 100w Klipp.
That’s Matt Pike’s 100W Supergroup that he got from Jon Davis (Conan). Very strange as the tolex, logo, grill cloth, and piping is definitely Klipp style but the amp is a Supergroup. I’ve never seen any sort of transitional model so I’m not sure what to make of it.
I use 11 to 56 for both D std and C#. I might try this to throw me off and escape stagnation.
Worth a shot!
If your guitar is setup with 10’s and you go to those 9’s , how much do you need to re-setup your guitar ? Can they just switch without a new setup ?
Could use some slight adjustment for sure, but it won’t be horrible in most cases.
The lighter the tension, the fatter the mids; heavier tension, scooped mids and tighter chunk. If you want to doom, going with 14s when tuning to C# is not the way to go, because you'll just sound all mallcore. 11s are probably the heaviest gauge you'd want for that tuning. For E or Eb, 9s are the heaviest.
About the best I’ve ever heard it said. 🤘🏻
Can you demo the 9s set with D flat as well? I typed this while watching, no need to reply as I have seen the end if the video now!
Likely.
I have no idea how he didn't go out of tune. i used like... normal gauge strings for our first ever gig and downtuning to D resulted in constantly slipping out of tune.
i can't imagine how he tuned to C with fuckin banjo strings and shit
He's talked about tuning being a struggle back in the day.
That Sound🤘🏽
Is intonation ok on the light strings? Tuning down to B standard on a Fender with 11s I found intonation above the 12th fret to be somewhat messy on the unwound strings.
No issues with these in E.
@@DoesItDoom Thanks!
La Bella Strings are the best in my opinion i been using them since i first learned Tony used them i have a set of 46-10 on my main guitar and i have not changed them in 10 years and i play that guitar everyday ... i would buy those Iommi strings as a cool collectable only and not use them ..
Love you Steve ❤🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
🙏🏻🖤🖤🖤
Ill tryem. Got a .60 on low E rn lol
THE LORD OF THE RIFF.🤘🏻🤘🏻
Praise.
Yep
🙏🏻🤘🏻
Tony Iommi is the coolest! kinda wanna try these xD yeaaaaaaa
It's not drop D# or drop C#, it's C# tuning... or E and C and D recently
Yeah. Bit of a misnomer. 🤷
La Bella strings are awesome! I never tried the Iommi set but I do use their 7 string set 11-70. Saw them on sweetwater and figured Id give them a chance. Besides DAddario strings La Bella strings are my pick. Ernie Ball strings are trash, GFS used to be good(havent used in years now) and Elixir strings are amazing for acoustic! Last and most important Stringjoy is over rated and feel like crap. Only good thing is being able to build your sets outside of that stringjoy just dont seem as quality ad DAddario or La Bella. DAddario Chromes(flat wound) are amazing! And half rounds are good too.
"Iommic" I like that.
Al Cisneros / Sleep gets all the credit for inventing that term. lol.
I've always had the opinion, that if black sabbath had a weakness , it was Ozzy! Which is a crazy thing to consider. That's how talented this band was folks!
Can these be tuned to Csharp !?!?
Tony plays the 9’s in C#.
@@DoesItDoom gotcha, i was wondering how they would sound tuned to C#. Or are These strings pretty much only for drop D#? I would love the lighter strings but would still like to change from drop D# to C# and am just wondering if that’s an option with these strings
Nigel in Canada🇨🇦
we have ,007 now ?
Wish people would play more stuff from the Dio years.
I should do that. Never been quite as interested in playing the songs from the Dio eras, although I do enjoy many of the tunes.
The Tony Martin stuff is ok too, Headless Cross is a killer!
I've got 7s on my SG Special
Although all of this is absolutely true, the huge part of this tone is sitting on top of that orange cabinet.
I’ve never felt the need to use anything heavier or lighter than .010 - .046 gauge strings. Not too heavy, not light; just right. I can understand why Tony Iommi used lighter strings, but it also goes to show that people who think you need heavy strings for heavy music, are more “bro-science” than actual science. Use what you feel is comfortable for you to play.
Almost can't even see 'em on there.
I know you metal guys would die before mentioning Jerry Garcia, but speaking of players with f'd up fingers, among others. But you could say it makes you play diff and kinda be an anomaly, distinct style. Obviously Jerry is no Tony, but he's no slouch on the axe. You nailed that tone my brother!
Great now we need geezer strings for c#
🧠)))
La Bella used to do cheap classical strings... Then they tripled the price for the same string. I dont get how they went from being a good value budget option to so pricey... Ill stick to rotosounds.
Superfreak sounds like iommi it does doom my sonv
🤘👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹🤘
Iommic style. It's a "thing".
Hail.