Tony Iommi’s legendary guitar work, powerful sound, and groundbreaking albums laid the foundation for heavy metal and inspired countless other genres. His music and his legacy are celebrated across the globe, and in the late 90s, Gibson teamed up with Tony to create their very first signature pickup. Today, that original Gibson signature humbucker makes its long-awaited return.
The Tony Iommi Humbucker features an exclusive configuration of powerful ceramic and Alnico 2 magnets, along with unique windings, that give it the incredible tone and sustain that have helped make Tony’s work with Black Sabbath instantly recognizable. Thunderous tone and incredible sustain, with crystal clarity, even in full distortion, the Tony Iommi Humbucker is fully wax-potted and epoxied for absolute protection against unwanted feedback. The 4-conductor wiring allows for series, parallel, and split coil operation.
“I’m really excited that Gibson’s bringing back my signature humbucker, they were getting pretty hard to find!” says Tony Iommi. “This pickup came about after a lot of time spent in Nashville, just experimenting with different setups to get that perfect tone and sustain from my favourite guitars. We had to make sure it worked with my light gauge strings and low tunings, but still pack a punch, and the result has got some serious output. They're on my signature guitars too, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how they turned out."
“I’d personally installed these on one of my Gibson guitars 15 years ago, and I was blown away with the distinct Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath sound I was able to get out of them,” explains Cesar Gueikian, President and CEO of Gibson. “They have such a great, clean look with the unique pickup cover, and we are excited to bring the Rifflord’s signature humbucker back as we continue to pay tribute to Tony.”
“It’s great to have the first signature pickup from Gibson back, and there really isn’t a more fitting artist than Tony Iommi,” says Lee Bartram, Head of Commercial and Marketing EMEA at Gibson. “Tony is synonymous with the Gibson SG™, but now the volume, presence, and overall power he produces through his playing can be experienced in other models too, whether at home, in the studio, or on stage. Thanks to Tony for his continued support and trust; these pickups are the result of our constant collaboration, and we look forward to what’s next for our partnership.”
