War Pigs by Black Sabbath — Amp Settings & Guitar Tone

Reference tone dialed on a Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster into a Fender Mustang LT25. Settings below are cited from real sources; open the page in a browser for the interactive version, or get this tone dialed for your exact gear.

To recreate the tone of 'War Pigs' by Black Sabbath, we'll use the Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster '60s and the Fender Mustang LT25. The Strat's single-coil pickups will substitute for the P-90s, while the Mustang LT25's modeling capabilities will approximate the Laney amp's crunch. We'll use the amp's gain stage to mimic the treble booster effect.

Signal chain settings

Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster '60s — main guitar

Control	Setting	Why
Pickup Selector	Bridge Pickup	Select the bridge pickup for a brighter, more cutting tone that matches the SG's P-90s.
Master Volume	8	Set to 8 to maintain clarity and dynamics, similar to the SG's output.
Tone 1	Leave at default	Not used for bridge pickup, which is controlled by Tone 2.
Tone 2	7	Roll back to 7 to reduce brightness and match the slightly dark tone of the recording.

Fender Mustang LT25 — amplification

Control	Setting	Why
Preset	04 CLASSIC ROCK	Closest starting point for a classic rock crunch similar to the Laney amp.
Gain	7	Push the gain to 7 to achieve the warm, saturated tube crunch of the Laney amp.
Volume	6	Set to 6 to balance output with the gain stage, maintaining clarity and headroom.
Treble	5	Keep at 5 to balance the Strat's natural brightness with the mid-forward tone of the recording.
Bass	6	Set to 6 to provide a solid low end without overpowering the midrange.
Master	7	Set to 7 to simulate the power tube saturation of the Laney amp at high volume.
Cabinet build	Not used	Not needed for this tone — leave it off.
Amp Models	Not used	Not needed for this tone — leave it off.
Effects	Not used	Not needed for this tone — leave it off.

What Black Sabbath actually used

Tony Iommi's unique playing style, influenced by his finger injury and the use of custom thimbles, contributed significantly to the heavy and dark tone of 'War Pigs'. The combination of his modified Gibson SG, treble booster, and Laney amplification defined the early Black Sabbath sound.

1965 Gibson SG Special 'Monkey' — main. P-90 pickups; tuned down to C# Standard (C#-F#-B-E-G#-C#); light gauge strings with banjo strings for high E and B; custom thimbles on middle and ring fingers of fretting hand
Modified Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster — signal boost. Converted to full-range boost
Laney Supergroup 100-watt head — amplification. Paired with Laney 4x12 cabinet, likely loaded with Celestion G12H speakers; amplifier pushed to high volume for power tube saturation
Likely Neumann U67 or U87 microphone — guitar recording. Used to capture amplifier output

Tuning: C# Standard

Sources