Black Sabbath Back to the Beginning: The Guitar Gear Guide

It’s almost time for the greatest metal lineup ever. It’s almost time for Black Sabbath’s last ever live performance, and Ozzy & Co are bringing a few friends to help make the event just a little bit more special.

Who, you ask? Why, these fine folks:

• Metallica
• Slayer
• Pantera
• Tool
• Mastodon
• Anthrax
• Lamb of God
• Gojira
• Halestorm

And that’s not all! A roster of famous musos and band members will be accompanying throughout the day, including Slash, Tom Morello, Jake E Lee, Billy Corgan, Papa V Perpetua, Fred Durst and Wolfgang Van Halen! It’s a veritable who’s who of hard rock talent from the last 4 decades, and it’s sure to be one hell of a day!

The Guitars and Gear of Back to the Beginning

Now, I’m no clairvoyant with a crystal ball, but I reckon I know what most of these musicians will be using at the gig, gear-wise. This is because we guitarists are creatures of habit, and tend to stick to the instruments that get us the results we desire. And loads of these folk have signature guitars!

Therefore, today’s article will highlight different guitar and amp brands, and the gear used by the players in these bands. From Tony Iommi to Adam Jones, James Hetfield to Jerry Cantrell, I’ll take you through all of the amazing guitar gear used by these heavy metal titans.

I’ll be slightly selective with my choices today otherwise the blog will take a year to read! Hopefully, though, I’ll inspire you to check out some of this amazing, heavier-than-thou guitar gear! And remember: it’s okay to sometimes give in to temptation…

Gibson

• A huge force in heavy music
• A timeless choice that spans traditional and modern acts
• Great for metal, great for everything else too

Gibson are obviously heavy hitters when it comes to rock tone. They’ve been the first choice for thick, heavy guitar sounds since heavy metal was a thing, and they continue to lead the pack today. Here are some of the bands using Gibson at the Back to the Beginning event, starting with Black Sabbath themselves!

Tony Iommi

Gibson are the enduring main choice of guitar for Black Sabbath rifflord Tony Iommi. Tony has been an SG man since Sabbath’s self-titled debut album, and a lefty SG (in black of course) has been in his arms since, often with crucifix inlays, naturally.

For a deep dive into Tony’s gear, check out my How to Sound Like Black Sabbath blog.

Suffice to say, there have been signature SG models from both Gibson and Epiphone in the past, and an SG Standard (in Ebony, obviously) will be the choice here. It’s true that Tony’s classic-era SG had a set of P90 pickups, but I think for his later tones - and just general hard rock tone - you may want to stick to the humbuckers.

Alice in Chains

Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains is another committed Gibson player. Fans will no doubt recognise his G&L Rampage of course, but the fact is that the majority of his recorded work has been carried out on a succession of Les Paul Custom guitars and Gibson acoustics. 

Jerry has been honoured with a number of signature Gibson and Epiphone guitars over the years, and you can currently buy his awesome Epiphone Wino Les Paul (based on his own favourite Gibson) and Epiphone Cantrell Prophecy Les Paul, which is designed for his harder-edged tones. 

Guns ‘n’ Roses

GnR guitar hero Slash could be reasonably described as being somewhat partial to the odd Les Paul on occasion. Okay, he’s probably the most loyal and visible Les Paul player there is, and is actually a brand Ambassador for Gibson these days, which really says it all!

If there is a more definitive example of the classic Gibson Les Paul into Marshall stack sound then you’ll have to let me hear it, because I think Slash owns that sound! Check out my guide to Slash guitar gear for the lowdown, but all of the signature Slash Les Pauls are excellent for tone, looks and feel. They’ll do classic rock and blues as well as molten metal.

Halestorm

Lzzy Hale loves her ‘shape’ Gibsons, from Explorers to Firebirds (her sig ‘Explorebird’ model was a blend of both, in fact). She’s a powerful woman who requires a powerful axe, and if it’s red, so much the better!

Her own signature guitars are no longer available but any ‘Futura’ shapes from Gibson or Epiphone will give you the requisite looks and tones!

Tool

Adam Jones has a most enviable tone, and one of the best collections of late 70s Silverburst Les Paul Customs. In order to nail his sound, you’ll need a bevy of boutique tube amps from Diezel and Marshall, plus an old bass cab in addition to a standard 4x12. Not the easiest of tasks, but at least Gibson and Epiphone have your back in terms of the guitars. 

Naturally, you can go for a Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Custom Silverburst, but Adam has a series of (you guessed it) signature Les Pauls available too. In fact, I’d actually be somewhat bold here: I reckon the Epiphone Adam Jones Les Paul Custom is a little closer to the ‘real thing’ than the Gibson Adam Jones models, since they have his favourite Seymour Duncan Distortion picked fitted (the Gibson model sports one of their own pickups) and has the ‘Custom’ look.

Hit up my How to Sound Like Tool's Adam Jones guide for more detailed coverage of Jones’ sound.

Lamb of God

Virginian legends Lamb of God are a titanic force in modern metal. Hugely influential, their sound has virtually defined the sound of alternative metal, and their fanbase is rapidly loyal.

Guitarist Mark Morton is a Gibson endorsee nowadays (we are patiently awaiting his signature Les Paul, Gibson…) but he used to be a huge Jackson guy, with a whole range of Dominion guitars released over the years.

Fellow guitarist Willie Adler is a longtime ESP player, so let’s look at them now…

ESP

• One of the biggest metal guitar brands
• Metallica’s main choice
• Enormous range available

ESP have been a huge force in metal ever since Messrs Hetfield and Hammett brandished their guitars in the mid-80s. Several other high-profile bands have also gone to the brand, who seem to be the preeminent choice for those who want almost-classic looks but with superior firepower, as it were. Let’s check out a few…

Metallica

Since you are reading this blog, I expect you’ll already be aware of Metallica. The biggest metal band in the world, Metallica have a sound that most metalheads would die to have. I’d argue that the band are more associated with ESP than any other brand. Both Metallica guitarists were early champions of ESP, arguably putting them on the map during a time when most metal bands were going for Jackson, BC Rich and Kramer.

Both players have a wealth of signature ESP/LTD guitars available (LTD is the most affordable wing of ESP), such as the Snakebyte, Vulture, KH-202 and KH-602 models. There are frequent special editions with cool graphics, too, which adds a fun collector angle to things. Hetfield also favours singlecut Eclipse models. For more, check out my blog on How to Sound like Metallica.

It’s worth mentioning that both Metallica artists are also Gibson users (Kirk is an endorsee), with a range of signature Flying V guitars, not to mention the KH Greeny, the famous ex-Peter Green ‘59 Les Paul Standard that Kirk now owns and takes out on tour.

Mastodon

Mastodon’s complex multi-guitar attack has seen them rise to the top of the mountain of alternative metal bands. From concept albums based on Moby Dick to narratives about Rasputin, they are certainly a band who take a less well-trodden path.

Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher loves his vintage Gibsons for sure, but when it comes to guitars that he puts his name to, it’s been ESP for a while. Bill has signature Eclipse models and also the Sparrowhawk, which is inspired by a Gibson Non-reverse Firebird and named after the protagonist of Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea fantasy novels.

As all metal maniacs know, Mastodon co-guitarist Brent Hinds recently left the band, and has since been replaced by a number of players for touring. We’ll come back to Mastodon in a second, but here’s another top ESP artist who is appearing at Back to the Beginning…

Gojira

French heavy-hitters Gojira are moving from strength to strength. Since their performance last year at the Paris Olympics, their stock has risen rapidly, but the truth is, they’ve been great for years. Frontman Joe Duplantier was a Charvel endorsee for many years but has recently switched across to ESP just in time for that hair-raising Parisian performance. Gojira lead guitarist Christian Andreu is a committed Jackson player (he has a signature RR model), which brings us to…

Jackson/Charvel

• Iconic Brands, related to each other 
• Lots of unusual body shapes to choose from
• Authentic 80s thrash vibes, also a top contemporary choice 

I’ve put Jackson and Charvel together here because, in many ways, they belong together. They were both owned by Grover Jackson for one thing: he worked for Charvel, then bought the company, then released the first Randy Rhoads models guitar until his own Jackson name. This association with Jackson/Charvel and Ozzy deepens with this next player…

Jake E Lee

Along with Randy Rhoads and Ozzy Osbourne, Jake E Lee is one of Ozzy’s most revered and beloved guitarists. He’s appearing at the event, and will no doubt be sporting one of his signature Charvel guitars, which features very cool slanted pickups!

Anthrax

Thrash masters Anthrax are very visible Jackson users. Scott Ian knocks out some of the most harsh and bruising riffs ever, and he does them on a succession of King V models complete with block inlays. Whether he’s playing in Anthrax or contributing to metal mentalists Mr Bungle, his commitment to Jackson guitars is complete.

Schecter

• Top brand for eccentric shapes
• Game-changers for quality hardware and wild finishes
• Schecter make Wylde Audio guitar for Zakk

Schecter have been huge on the metal scene for years. Their commitment to unusual body shapes and top quality hardware have made them huge in a scene where regular looking guitars just don’t cut it. In the absence of BC Rich, players look to Schecter (and Jackson) for their ‘shape’ guitars.

That said, current Mastodon lead guitarist Nick Johnston is a Schecter man whose signature guitar is a very normal looking Strat-type! He is something of an exception to the rule though, since most moshers go for more expressive looks.

Pantera

A great example of this would be Pantera’s Zakk Wylde. Wylde is of course one of Ozzy’s most famous sidemen, and something of a superstar in hard rock scenes. Zakk uses his own Wylde Audio brand guitars which are made by Schecter and come in a bewildering assortment of crazy shapes.

Amplifiers

A guitar on its own isn’t going to raise much sonic hell, regardless of how pointy it is. A high quality, high gain amplifier is what’s needed in order to unleash the full ferocity of the music these bands make. 

You’ll no doubt see a number of Marshall and EVH amplifiers occupying the stage this weekend, but here are three specific amps that relate to our artists today…

Laney GH100TI Tony Iommi Signature Head

This is about as on-point as it gets, and it's currently a guitarguitar EXCLUSIVE!

If you want Tony’s Black Sabbath tone, then this Laney GH100TI head is the amp you need. One hundred watts of full-on valve power, with two channels that each have a footswitchable PRE-Boost for all of your early Sabbath tones, and tons of high gain filth for latter-era tones.

Tony started Black Sabbath with Laney, and he’s ending Black Sabbath with Laney. This is the amp he’ll be using, and we actually have a few HAND-SIGNED heads available to Pre-Order, so fulfill your darkest dreams whilst you can!

MESA-Boogie MkII C+

Yes, it’s the 80s Metallica amp! MESA Boogie are world renowned amp builders who are credited with inventing ‘cascading gain’, which to you and I basically means the sound of metal. 90s bands used the likes of the Dual Rectifier (it’s THE Nu Metal amp), but for classic 80s thrash tone (and beyond, really), the main choice is the Boogie MkII C+. 

It’s great to see that MESA have reissued this amp for another generation of hard-moshing maniacs to enjoy, and just anyone who loves exceptional tone.

Friedman JEL-50

David Friedman was one of the top amp-modders back in the day, and today’s amps from his Friedman brand carry that same exceptional sound: clipped and roaring in the perfect way.

Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E Lee obviously agrees, because this Friedman JEL-50 is his signature amp! The idea is to be able to get a versatile - but still cranked - sound from the amp alone, and two channels, with additional Thump knob, presence control and push/pull gain switch achieves it all with ease. This is the sound of the Sunset Strip, basically.

Going Out in Style

Black Sabbath may be enjoying their final curtain call this weekend as live performers, but their music is going nowhere. As a band, they have already invented heavy metal and continued to influence each subsequent generation that has picked up guitars.

As for the other bands on the bill, it’s almost a who’s who of the greatest hard rock talent in the world, with a bevvy of beautiful gear associated with them. What gear caught your eye today? Are you inspired to try a brand or model that’s new to you? Or do you want to reconnect with the inner metalhead you thought you’d lost? Indulge your inner metal warrior by selecting the gear that speaks to you, and have a wonderfully unholy time following your dark bliss.

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