{"id":1724,"date":"2024-05-20T14:32:55","date_gmt":"2024-05-20T14:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.laney.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1724"},"modified":"2026-01-21T09:21:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T09:21:40","slug":"who-is-the-guitarist-in-the-black-sabbath-ballet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.laney.co.uk\/blog\/who-is-the-guitarist-in-the-black-sabbath-ballet\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is the guitarist at the Black Sabbath ballet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tom Ellis, is using the Laney LA-Studio amplifier to get those powerful Black Sabbath tones JUST right.<\/p>\n

In case you missed it – and we doubt any Black Sabbath fans haven\u2019t heard about it, but Black Sabbath: The Ballet<\/strong><\/a>, has had such a successful world premiere and UK tour in 2023, that it is set to return for an international tour in 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n

Any Sabbath fan knows that the iconic Black Sabbath forged their unique sound in Birmingham Royal Ballet\u2019s home city. In Black Sabbath \u2013 The Ballet viewers can expect a spectacular theatrical evening featuring thrilling dance alongside full orchestrations of legendary Black Sabbath tracks such as Paranoid and Iron Man, and of course the track Black Sabbath, as well as new orchestral works inspired by their music – all performed live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and house band, which includes guitarist Tom Ellis. The original new orchestral compositions were inspired by the sound of metal and the Sabbath sound and Black Sabbath themselves have been closely involved in developing this unique collaboration. To get the sound JUST right, Tom Ellis, guitarist for the Black Sabbath ballet as it\u2019s affectionately known turned to us here at Laney to make sure he nailed the sound of Toy Iommi\u2019s iconic riffs. We were of course all too happy to help him out!<\/p>\n

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Left to right: Tom Ellis – Guitarist for Black Sabbath – The Ballet, Tony Iommi – Black Sabbath guitarist, Ian Whitehead – drums for Black Sabbath – The Ballet, Don Richardson – bass for Black Sabbath – The Ballet.<\/p>\n

Who is the guitarist at the Black Sabbath ballet?<\/h3>\n

The guitarist at the Black Sabbath ballet is Tom Ellis, and he uses a Laney LA-Studio amplifier to get the iconic Tony Iommi sound just right for the Black Sabbath songs. Tom is a world-renowned guitarist and musician who regularly performs at the BBC Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and has performed in rock rhythm sections with Led Zeppelin\u2019s Jimmy Page (Royal Albert Hall), Black Sabbath\u2019s Tony Iommi (Birmingham Hippodrome) and classical guitar trio concerts with the legendary guitarist John Williams.<\/p>\n

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Black Sabbath Guitarist Tony Iommi pictured with Tom Ellis, guitarist for Black Sabbath -The Ballet<\/p>\n

Of course, Tony Iommi is the guitarist for Black Sabbath, but Tom has stepped into these riffs with absolute respect for the sound of Iommi\u2019s guitar rig. Calling up our team here at Laney to ensure his amplifier sound is perfect, he turned to our resident Tone Wizard Simon Fraser-Clark to discuss the best course of action in getting the exact sound (or close to) that would get him the Iommi sound, but give him the reliability and connectivity that a modern touring band would need.<\/p>\n

Enter the Laney Supergroup LA-Studio amplifier<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Picture: Tom’s guitars and pedals on the Black Sabbath – The Ballet Tour.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what Tom had to say about the amp and getting the Iommio sound JUST right.<\/p>\n

What Amp is The Guitarist Using In the Black Sabbath Ballet?<\/h3>\n

Tom Ellis, guitarist for the Balck Sabbath ballet, uses the Laney LA-Studio amplifier to ensure he captures the correct Tony Iommi guitar amp tonality.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen classical and jazz arrangers who like to pepper their sheet music with reference points. Solo \u2018\u00e0 la John Mayer\u2019 or \u2018bend it like (Jeff) Beckham\u2019 but I didn\u2019t have \u2018tempo di Iron Man\u2019 on my 2023 guitar part bingo card until I saw the electric guitar music for Black Sabbath – The Ballet.<\/em><\/p>\n

Bringing these Sabbath riffs and solos to life deserved a proper look at Tony Iommi\u2019s sound and the key element that I couldn\u2019t replicate elsewhere was the sound of a Laney amp (originally the LA 100BL) dimed to where it experiences the gnarly undertones of power supply filtering (sag).<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s THE sound of the early Sabbath albums. I tried every combination of amp modellers, EQs, pedals and guitars but it was the Laney LA-Studio<\/strong><\/a> that nailed it in a truly natural-sounding way. The Laney LA-Studio amplifier gave me the Tony Iommi tone in a theatre-friendly configuration with Two Notes amp modelling and a DI output. Ideal for situations like this where you need an authentic, raucous tone in a theatre (or studio) friendly package.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Laney LA-Studio amplifier is one of the best hybrid amplifiers out there, fusing tube amp technology alongside built in DynIR amp modelling that ensures you get that tube amp growl and saturation, with the ability to just gig with an amplifier head, and go direct to a PA. The LA-Studio is also packed with 6 incredible presets<\/strong><\/a> and is one of the best small tube amps for touring musicians as it\u2019s got a tonne more benefits<\/a><\/strong> like DI out, built-in presets and mic placement.<\/p>\n

The Birmingham Royal Ballet and Laney Amplifiers<\/h4>\n

Watch the team from Birmingham Royal Ballet take to the streets with Laney Amps!<\/p>\n