“I don’t use them”: The guitars Tony Iommi could never play properly
Guitarists might foster reputations as the wild men of rock and roll rebellion, but in many cases, they are pretty particular about their instruments. After all, the guitar is the tool that brought rock to the masses, and finding the right tool for the right job is always essential for success in any field. Every prominent rock guitarist has their own signature guitar, from the white Stratocaster of Jimi Hendrix to Kurt Cobain’s Fender Mustang. For Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, however, nothing comes close to a Gibson SG.
With a solid mahogany body, a black pickguard, and a striking look, the Gibson SG was first introduced back in 1961 as a slender, lighter, and generally cheaper alternative to the Gibson Les Paul. Although it didn’t boast the same historical significance as the Les Paul or the Fender Stratocaster, the strong look and rich sound of the SG made it perfectly suited to the blossoming world of hard rock and metal during the late 1960s.
Tony Iommi was probably the most notable adoptee of the model, but the SG also became a favourite for the likes of Pete Townshend, Angus Young, and Frank Zappa over the years, making it an undisputed staple for rock and roll masters.
Iommi employed the SG on the vast majority of early Black Sabbath records, forever cementing the guitar in hard rock history. Over the years, the guitarist has owned and built multiple custom SGs, but the customised cherry red model used on those early Sabbath albums remains perhaps his most iconic. Seemingly, though, the SG was not the first guitar to earn the adoration of the Brummy guitarist.
During an interview back in 1984, the hard rock pioneer expanded on his view of other guitars, namely the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul–the flagship models of the two major manufacturers, which have dominated the world of rock guitar since its very inception. “I did have a Strat,” Iommi admitted, “My first guitar that I really liked. It wasn’t the first guitar I had, but the first guitar that I always wanted, really, was a Strat.”
Finding a Stratocaster in 1960s England was difficult enough, let alone a left-handed model for Iommi. “Being left-handed, it was hard for me to get one, you see, in them days,” he shared. “And I had a Strat, and in fact, I used a Strat on one of the tracks on the first [Black Sabbath] album. But I used to love the Strat, and then I went to the Gibson, and I’ve used Gibsons really ever since.”
Nevertheless, he opted for the SG rather than the much more popular Les Paul.
“I’ve tried Les Pauls and I’ve had Les Pauls; I’ve still got some Les Pauls somewhere,” Iommi shared. However, the model didn’t seem to suit the hard rock sound of his playing style quite like an SG, thanks largely to the restricted higher frets on a Les Paul. “I don’t really use them because I like the sound of them, but you can’t get high enough, for me anyway. I mean, if you’ve got long fingers, which I haven’t now, but if you have, perhaps they’re good.”
Famously, Iommi lost the tips of his middle and ring finger as a teenager, resulting from an accident at the sheet metal factory he worked at. This accident severely impacted the guitarist’s playing style, and likely serves as some explanation for his preference of SG over Les Paul. It has also led countless other guitarists to torture themselves with the fact that, even with the full use of their fingers, they will never come close to replicating the otherworldly talents of the Black Sabbath axeman.
