software

A Tony Iommi Signature model is what I have in the bridge of my Epi LP. It is without a doubt one of the finest pickups I have ever played through. The amount of gain without feedback is enormous. The top insides are wax potted, and the lower half of the pickup cover is filled to the rim with black epoxy.

Sonically, I would not use Gibson's description of this pickup in regards to the top end being quot;razor sharpquot;. The highs/mids/lows are balanced. No ice picks, no self-smothering boomy lows...and super-taught broad mid-range that sounds to my ears like the later post-OZZY Black Sabbath tune quot;Heaven and Hellquot;. The Low string dynamics/volume do not suffer by being the edge of the pickups magnetic reach (I am using 10-52, on a D-tuning). Good or bad, this pickup will not be mistaken for the first four Sabbath albums.

I would not characterize this pickup as a pinch harmonic monster. The pinches are there if you reach a little for them, but this is an English Gentleman's answer in the quest for ultimate driven tone. An instant classic!

This is not a pickup for Zakk/80's hair band over-the-top bombast (not to be judgemental, but this is accurate if you strip the connotations, and remember the tones). Driving and focused, without a hint of spandex (now that was judgemental)!

This pickup is listed by Gisbon as being usable in both the bridge and neck positions. I may forgo this buying pickup for the neck, and get a SD Alnico II Pro. I have yet to decide. By the way, according to Gibson's web articles, this pickup was in the works before the Iommi Signature SG project, so it is not necessarily a pickup just for SG's.

Thanks for your time/comments/opinions.

Good review...FWIW, get the other Iommi for the neck...the pair is out of this world!

Would you agree that it is one of the clearest, quietest humbuckers you've ever heard? I'm lovin' mine!

How tight is it, or the low end?

I would characterize the lows as being tight, not over bearing or muddy quot;like ten pounds of (poop) in a five pound bagquot;!I

If you can, listen to Sab's quot;Heaven and Hellquot;...or the Ozzy era track quot;Never Say Diequot;.


Originally Posted by the guy who invented fireGood review...FWIW, get the other Iommi for the neck...the pair is out of this world!

My man, I gotta know...how are these pickups together and neck only!

gotta know gotta know gotta know!

The neck is just as impressive as the bridge and together they are fantastic...is just that simple.

I have one in the bridge of my les paul.
I honestly think that this is one of the most underated pickups... so many people give bad reviews about it - and I can kinda understand why they think that way when I play by myself. But when you play with a band, it makes your guitar sit in that quot;sweet spotquot; so that it stands out without having to compete with the other instruments.

I've tried many pickups in my guitar but I've always come back to this.

Its just so clear and articulate! Extremely crisp.

However, I don't know why Gibson says its a really high output pickup. I find its quite a low output one. Would you agree?

Is it 4 conductor, by any chance? Also, do you know the magnet used and the DC resistance?

Tony owns, and I am actually having bad GAS for some Iommi pu's, to put in one of my guitars.

What woods do you think it would work best with?

Spuds, I agree. the output does not seem near as high as the Dirty Fingers pickup, which are stock in my old 335-S. Here is an interesting Gibson quot;relative outputquot; chart. I find it rather odd that the Iommi is in the top 3:

from : localhost/does not surprise me that in the live situation, a guitar with the Iommi rules its domain. The total focus of this pickup seems to know its place, and does not flub into the bassist. The clarity that you note, should not be assumed by others to be Fender-ish in any form!


Originally Posted by Benjy_26Is it 4 conductor, by any chance? Also, do you know the magnet used and the DC resistance?

Benjy_26: Guitars supplied with Iommi pickups are ONLY 2 conductor models. BUT, individual Iommi pickups purchased seperately DO HAVE four conductor wiring! You will not know which pairs of wire are on the neck coil side or bridge side coil (unless you test out the sonic differences) because there are no pole pieces (or label) showing how to orient this pickup. I you wire it up two conductor style, none of this matters.

I do not want to pollute this gracious site by trumpeting random opinions that are not my own observation...but if you look up the MF website, and look for the longest review of this pickup, you may pick up more info on the internal specifics of this design.


Originally Posted by SludgenutzSpuds, I agree. the output does not seem near as high as the Dirty Fingers pickup, which are stock in my old 335-S. Here is an interesting Gibson quot;relative outputquot; chart. I find it rather odd that the Iommi is in the top 3:

from : localhost/does not surprise me that in the live situation, a guitar with the Iommi rules its domain. The total focus of this pickup seems to know its place, and does not flub into the bassist. The clarity that you note, should not be assumed by others to be Fender-ish in any form!

Yeah, I saw that chart too and it really confused me!
Haha...


Originally Posted by SuneTony owns, and I am actually having bad GAS for some Iommi pu's, to put in one of my guitars.

What woods do you think it would work best with?

The woods in your guitar! Seriously, I am not a huge fan of having to match the wood/pickup tone to some exact standard. Seymour's product list says the APH-1n Alnico Pro II suggest these types of guitars:

quot;For brighter toned instruments. Works especially well with maple and ebony fingerboards. Also works great with hollow and semi-hollow body guitarsquot;.

Yet, Slash has inspired more purchases of this pickup than all other people on this planet combined, by using it in the Les Paul neck postion!

Just ordered a second Iommi pickup for the neck. I will update the board on how the mix of the two sound, and the tone of the neck-only in couple of weeks. Until then, I'll have my solder station ready for action.

Band we played witht eh other might the guitarist had an SG with the Iommi set in it and it sounded awesome!


Originally Posted by SludgenutzJust ordered a second Iommi pickup for the neck. I will update the board on how the mix of the two sound, and the tone of the neck-only in couple of weeks. Until then, I'll have my solder station ready for action.

I can tell you right now that you'll like them. They're a great match together...

Neck pickup now installed.......

Before I installed the neck pickup, I measured the new pickup @ 15.5k Ohms, and unsoldered/measured the present bridge pickup @ 17.0k Ohms. With that knowledge, I installed the 15.5k in the neck.

As far as tone goes, the neck pickup is nice on its own. The amazing thing about these Iommi pickups is the articulate clarity without harshness. In the neck position, high tones within a chord are not trashed by the low tones. Playing chords near the nut are very well defined, so much so I find myself forgetting that the guitar is switched to neck only! As you progress up the fretboard toward the bridge, the pickup outputs roundy tones that everyone is familiar with, and loves.

With both pickups together, I am not very fond of the tone. The output seems reduced, and it sounds quot;boing-yquot;. I have rechecked the wiring, and even flipped the neck pickup 180 degrees (if that makes any difference).

Each pickup sounds so nice by themselves, and I am very satisfied by the clearness, quietness, feedback free tones with the mid/very-high gain overdriven style that I play 95% of the time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I did experience a quot;quality controlquot; issue the pickup springs. One pickup was packed with springs that were too short, and looked like one long spring cut in half (causing low frequency feedback through lack of tension). The other pickup was packed with springs that were too long to be useful. I just ended up using the heavier gauge, conical springs that came stock wth my Epi LP.


Originally Posted by Sludgenutzquot;like ten pounds of (poop) in a five pound bagquot;!A la Josh Homme?

Awesome.

Gibson recommended to me that the wires be mounted facing the control cavity. I kinda like how it sound in the quot;bothquot; position for solos as it kinda gives the sound a neat effect...like you left your wah pedal stuck in the middle of it's travel. Like someone said earlier up top.....I don't find the highs to be quot;razor sharpquot; either....in fact, since using these, I've dialed in MORE highs and less mids. Try detuning or just doing a drop tune for a while and chug away. You'll be amazed how tight it gets with more gain and more low end. I like 'em