Geezer Butler's bass strings: the Black Sabbath rig, sourced
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Geezer Butler used with Black Sabbath (1968-2017) and across his solo + Heaven & Hell catalog. Signature TR Bass Strings (Geezer Butler Signature line), Vigier signature bass, defining doom + heavy-metal bass voice. With citations.
Black Sabbath · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
Terence Michael Joseph 'Geezer' Butler (born July 17, 1949, Birmingham, England) was Black Sabbath's bassist + co-founding member from 1968 until the band's final tour ended in 2017. Defined doom-metal + heavy-metal bass through downtuned + heavily-distorted Rotosound stainless tone on a fleet of Fender + Vigier basses across Black Sabbath's catalog (Black Sabbath, 1970, through 13, 2013). Heaven & Hell (2006-2010) reunited him with Tony Iommi + Ronnie James Dio for the project's final record + tour before Dio's 2010 death. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Black Sabbath (2006). Currently endorses TR Bass Strings (Geezer Butler Signature line) + Vigier Guitars (signature bass). The defining metal-bass voice.
Strings Geezer Butler plays
Documented use · last verified 2026-04-29 · Affiliate links
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At a glance
Role
Active
Affiliations
- Black Sabbath (bassist + co-founding member, 1968–2017)
- Heaven & Hell (bassist, 2006–2010, with Ronnie James Dio + Tony Iommi)
- GZR / Geezer Butler Band (solo, 1995–present)
- TR Bass Strings (Geezer Butler Signature line, current endorsement)
- Vigier Guitars (Geezer Butler Signature bass)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Black Sabbath (2006)
Notable credits
- Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath (1970)
- Black Sabbath, Paranoid (1970)
- Black Sabbath, Master of Reality (1971)
- Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 (1972)
- Black Sabbath, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
- Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell (1980, with Ronnie James Dio)
- Black Sabbath, 13 (2013, the band's final studio record)
- Heaven & Hell, The Devil You Know (2009)
Who Geezer Butler is
Terence Michael Joseph 'Geezer' Butler, born July 17, 1949, in Birmingham, England, was Black Sabbath's bassist + co-founding member from 1968 until the band's final 2017 tour. He co-founded the band with Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Ozzy Osbourne in Birmingham's Aston + Lozells districts; the band's self-titled debut Black Sabbath (1970) is widely cited as the first heavy-metal record.
Butler is also Sabbath's primary lyricist + a major songwriting voice across the band's catalog. Heaven & Hell (2006-2010) extended his collaboration with Tony Iommi + Ronnie James Dio after Dio's 2010 death.
Currently endorses TR Bass Strings (Geezer Butler Signature line) + Vigier Guitars (Vigier Geezer Butler Signature bass).
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Black Sabbath (2006).
Style signatures
Three things across the Black Sabbath catalog you can identify as Butler's:
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Downtuned + heavily-distorted bass tone. Doubles Tony Iommi's guitar at the bass-frequency range; the wall of low-end is what makes Sabbath sound like Sabbath.
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Counter-melodic + lead-bass passages. 'N.I.B.,' 'Bassically' (instrumental solo), 'Hand of Doom,' and many others; the lead-bass tradition in metal partly inherits from Butler.
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Composition-aware bass parts. Butler is a primary songwriter + lyricist; the bass parts function as compositional voices, not just rhythm-section foundation.
Related
Documented strings. Currently TR Bass Strings (Geezer Butler Signature line). Historically Rotosound Swing Bass 66 (.045-.105) across the Sabbath 1970s catalog.
Related locations. Birmingham, England (Sabbath's birthplace + Butler's origin).
Bassist hub. Bassists index. Heavy-metal bass canon parallel: Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead, contemporary peer), Cliff Burton (Metallica, Sabbath was Burton's stated primary influence), Steve Harris (Iron Maiden).