Gibson Tony Iommi Signature Model

Passive, humbucking, epoxied, incorporates Alnico II and ceramic magnets.
DC resistance (this particular pickup) 17.2k.

I have installed this pickup in the neck position of my Gibson SG. I have customized this particular SG into a 'generic metal guitar', I have other guitars for other purposes.
I needed a new neck pickup since the output of my new bridge pickup was too much for the stock neck 490R (see below). The Tony Iommi was a better match both sonically and thematically.

While the Gibson Tony Iommi pickups are by no means as hot as active pickups or fully ceramic pickups, there are few Alnico-based passive pickups which yield more output - even though my current Alnico V bridge pickup does. This is my fourth Iommi pickup; they have all been installed in various SGs. Their measured DC resistances have always been at least 16k, often more. The current one is 17.2k, which is pretty much. Definitely a heckuva lot more than an Alnico II based 490T. In fact, at one stage I had two identical Gibson SG Specials - one stock (490T/490R), and one with Iommis - and the Iommi one was MUCH hotter when A/B'd, it was louder and richer and produced tons and tons more gain. It was like night and day, really. If you cannot hear any difference to a 490T, you either a) got a broken Iommi pickup, b) installed the pickup incorrectly, or c) need to see an otologist.

The pickup can be a bit brighter than you might expect. When I used it in the bridge position (previous SGs), I typically had to slightly roll off treble with the Tone knob when playing live. Then I discovered Bare Knuckle Pickups and their Warpig pickup, which works just perfectly in the SG bridge position. All Tone & Volume knob combinations suddenly became usable with the Warpig. The Warpig is hotter than the Iommi, and sounds fuller, richer and generally better than the Iommi in the bridge position. Its tone much heavier, darker, and thicker, without sacrificing any clarity. In fact, its distortion sound (and even output!) resembles that of an active EMG 85 but is more organic and brutal. Plus, it sounds miles better clean than the Iommi (or EMG actives). All this in a passive Alnico V package! There was simply no going back once I had heard the BKP Warpig.

But the Warpig bridge required a somewhat hotter neck pickup to match it. The stock 490R just wasn't enough. So, having read the reviews here, I decided to try my most recent Iommi pickup in the neck position instead. The results were surprisingly good! A lot of neck pickups tend to sound muddy on SGs, not so with the Iommi. The extra brightness is good, it adds clarity both clean and with distortion. When playing clean, it sounds significantly better in the neck position than in the bridge position. It is also exceptionally good for distorted leads in the neck position; its high output (for a neck pickup) translates into beautiful, singing sustain. For distorted rhythm playing, the neck Iommi shines if you go for a vintage distorted sound - think 1970s Sabbath. The middle position (Warpig + Iommi) is good for a modern, crushing rhythm sound (even though I rarely use that kind of sound in my own songs). It is a definitely good match for the bridge Warpig, although different.

Good, solid metal / hard rock pickup. I personally wouldn't install it in the bridge position, though, as there are better options available. The Bare Knuckle Pickups Warpig outperforms in pretty much every single respect (richer & heavier tone, better cleans, and more output, to boot), and, while capable of a very realistic Iommi tone, the Warpig is also way more versatile. Knock off one point for being upstaged by the BKP product. I would have expected more from the official signature pickup.
Knock off another point for the excessive price. Tony's signature endorsement is too costly here.
Been playing since 1986.

See other reviews.

I use it in a custom handbuilt SG, position bridge, and it's the stock pu. Others are a Cool Rails and a Vintage Rails by Seymour Duncan. Any artist? I think a man with mustache. Or two men. Or one with mustache, and one without. Or something else.

This is a not too hot pickup, have a good balance with the others. The tone is like a neck pu, dark and sooooo clear. Best to play Sabbath - slow, heavy metal, rating for this is 10. Minus 2 points for lack of shredding capacity.

If it will destroy, I would buy a Duncan Custom. I've been playing for a long personal time, 17 years. I play a pair of SG, one LP an two teles, all of these are handbuilt by me. This is a very good pickup, very good quality, looking and tone, but i can't play scorching, searing solos with it.

Passive humbucking pickup. Closed cover, PAF.
Dunno about impedance, high output, but not extremely high.

The first axe this pickup was installed was a rare Japanese CG Winner guitar, it was in the bridge position. Since I'm a Black Sabbath fan, I wanted to change my tone to resemble a bit to Iommi's but I wanted to avoid signature gutiars and amps. I simply don't like them, I don't feel them mine, moreover they were specifically made according to one person's needs.
It changed tone very much. I don't say I sounded much like Iommi, but I got a great hard rock/heavy metal tone.
When I sold that axe I replaced the pickup with the original, so when I bought the latter guitar, I installed the Iommi again into the bridge position. The CG Winner wasn't mahogany, and I love mahogany tone, so I bought an Epi G-400. Now I use the pickup in that guitar.

The output is hot, loud, cool, but there are many pickups which overdo this one in output level, but still it's a really good pickup in output.
I use it in the SG with a solidstate Dynacord combo, but it was played a few times through a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL. I use only reverb, and overdrive, sometimes a slight chorus.
The tone is fantastic. Even in the CG Winner which was I guess made of oak sounded great but the mahogany SG gave the full sound of the pickup. It's realy well balanced. The lows are really cool (especially downtuned), there's a slight mid boost which gives balls and gain to the sound, and the highs are screaming. Actually when I replaced the pickup the overdrive sounded much harder and to my ears it sounded that the pickup gave some gain to it too. Not only the tones are well-balanced, but it has a great shiny overall tone. If you use quite a high gain OD or distortion, it still sounds really clean and dynamic. When you hit a chord you can distinctly hear all notes, and doing arpeggios with OD doesn't mess up the sound.
If you roll down the volume it cleans up very well. Most people slag this pickup because of its clean tone. Well, it's true that the clean sound is flat and muddy. So anyone who's expecting a shiny clean tone too must be disappointed, but in fact I like it's clean tone, it's great for dark and sinister clean tunes.
As for Sabbath...Sabbath and Iommi stuff sound great with it, no wonder, especially now in the SG (I really wonder how would it sound in a Gibson or Jaydee SG, if it sounds so well in the Epi). However this is not the kinda signature stuff that is made for only one kind of music. You can play every kind of Hard Rock and lots of Metal stuff, and if you roll down the tone pot halfway and add a slight overdrive it's a great blues tone, so it's really a versatile pickup. For the sparkling and acoustic-like clean sounds I have a DiMarzio Humbucker from Hell at the neck position.

If this little chromebox was destroyed I'd hunt down the guy who broke it and from his meat I'd buy another. It literary made a miracle to my guitar (both which were housing it). I had it for 1,5 years in the CG Winner and has it for half a year in the SG. It kicks the amp's gain, even the gain of the solidstate, but that's not it's main strenght, as I said there are more hotter pickups. The tone is great, unique and versatile, not only for Sabbath, actually having this pickup will not make you sound like Sabbath, maybe Sabbathish. I had DiMarzios in the CG Winner and never regreted replacing them.
The clean is flat indeed, but if you accept that it's not the thing it was made for and you can live with it, it'll be a great upgrade for any guitarist who's looking for a powerful, dynamic and well balanced tone.

Passive humbucker
Specs on Gibson website

Have these pickups in two Gibson SG's, one w/ bridge only, one w/ Neck and bridge.

Replacing Duncan Custom Custom/ Gibson 490's

Gibson 490 in neck on one SG

Artist-The inventor/master of the heavy riff..

Wanted to get as close as possible to TI's tone for playing Sabbath.

This is NOT an ultra high output pickup! If you're looking to add gain, or make up for an amp lacking gain, there are much higher output pickups to consider. The 500T and Duncan Distortion, in my two Gibson V's, respectivly, are mugh higer output, for example. NuMetal players may be disappointed.

I play thru a Marshall TSL 100 half stack, and a modded 5150 half stack run in stereo, with THD Hotplates to drive the output sections. Also have a Triple XXX that can be added to the mix. I didn't need more gain, and actually have a feeling this pickup may not sound so good thru lesser amps.

The pickup has a very focused midrange. Not muddy. It was designed to satisfy what Tony Iommi wanted to hear; Sabbth's growling low end is due to Geezer's bass, and the fact that much of their music is tuned down to C#. If you listen, Tony has a very middy tone, which is an inherant trait of the SG as well. The midrange in this pickup is not honkey, but cuts very well. Highs and lows are balanced, and it cleans up well when you roll back the volume. Tony wanted a pickup that cut feedback/squeal, and this does very well. At the same amp settings, my Flying V w/the Duncan Distortion feeds back. The TI does not have the massive low end that some pickups do, but chunks just fine via the 5150.

This pickup sounds good for the classic hard rock/metal I play most often.

Seems fine in both positions, but playing metal usually finds me on the bridge pickup.

I have to qualify my rating of ten by saying that this pickup was exactly what I was looking for in emulating Tony Iommi's sound, for playing his music. Prefer other pickups for some of the other styles I play.

This picku has a unique tone, and so far, I love it for it's intended use. Would replace it.

53 yr old Classic Hard rock/metal/prog player with a penchant for Sabbath and Priest on the metal side. At my age I have the luxury of having collected a variety of axes/equipment for differnt tones and styles. The 3 SG's are dedicated to Sabbath tunings, A couple of Michael Schenker-inspired Gibson Flying V's, an ES 335 and ES 137 Classic for RUSH/prog, blues; the end is listless.... I obviously try to nail the tones of the original artists whose music I play, so these pickups were a great addition for my Sabbath tones. I like the option of the two, chrome, black-chrome finishes.

I have a drawer full of pickups, so have had the opportunity to compare many. One thing must be pointed out; pickups can sound very differnt depending on the guitar in which they're installed, and the amp being driven. Volume/tone pots and caps will effect the sound of a pickup as well. I have no idea how this pickup would sound in a Les Paul, Strat, or even the same design guitar with another wood, such as the Epiphone copies. My advice would be to go try a guitar equipped with them thru a familiar amp, to at least get an idea of their level of output before you buy.

Once again, I'm very satisfied with these pickups for their intended use. My rating of 9 reflects the only negative in my mind, rather pricey, as all things Gibson.

Pickup features: passive covered humbucker
Impedence or other specs: @14.75K ohm....

Model of guitar or bass: HONDO deluxe series 775 Star (circa '80-'84)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: duncan invader
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: a great many smart ones
You musical style(s): death-metal/black-metal/hardcore/psycho-billy
Reason for pickup change: I prefer the sound of the "Tony Iommi" to any other I've tried....

Perceived output level: As it should be. Just Right.
Tone: Just Right. Gibson pickups have this feature: Good Tone.
Sonic evaluation: I use a 100watt Carvin solid-state combo, with a Digitech MM distortion stomp-box, and sometimes a bit of reverb. Sound-wise, it's perfect for what I play. No unwanted noise or feedback. No muddiness at all. I use .013-.056 strings, and tune to open C. It's perfect for this.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For in-your-face-offensive-metal, this is still the one. Bridge Position or Neck Position or 69 Position....

Comments: This is the 3rd year I've used this p'up. This is the second guitar to house this p'up. I think it get's better with age. The black-chrome cover is still black-chrome, and it still shines like new. It has a tone that the ever popular EMG-81 still lacks. It needs no batteries. I got what I paid for.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez 540 PII
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Ibanez F2 and F3
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: Tony Iommi
You musical style(s): Rock/Fusion
Reason for pickup change: First Ibanez switch went bad, then when trying to replace switch, Ibanez pickups weirded out.

Perceived output level: Not overly hot, a slight mid boost is present.
Tone: Slight mid boost, these pickups are tight and sometimes add a magic touch.
Sonic evaluation: I am using a Radial Tonebone "Hot British" into a THD Univalve. Very cranked and awesome tubey sound. These are the pickups and guitar that sound best through my stuff. My Les Paul Classic with the 496R and 500T's cant compete, neither can my Brian Moore's "Seymour Duncan, Jeff Beck's".

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock/Fusion= excellant match

Comments:

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson SG Special
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: 490T
Other pickups on guitar: 490R
Artists using this pickup: Oooh, this one's too hard. :-)
You musical style(s): Various, but with *this guitar* I play 60's-70's rock & 80's metal
Reason for pickup change: The stock 490T was unsatisfactory.

Perceived output level: medium/medium plus
Tone: A bit thicker and bassier than 490T
Sonic evaluation: I needed a replacement for the stock 490T, a replacement that would not sound totally different (it needed to match the neck 490R reasonably well) but would not be as weak as the 490T (which sounded rather unbalanced compared to the 490R). I considered the 496 and 498, but the gold-cover Iommi humbucker was cheaper than either of these.
My main beefs with the 490T were:
1) It was too trebly and thin
2) Its output was too weak compared to the 490R (even after adjustments)
3) It sounded like ass when played clean
The bargain-priced Iommi package remedied #1, at least partially remedied #2, and was slightly better in #3

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play several styles, but I bough this particular guitar for playing classic rock & old-school metal. This pickup is very good for these.

Comments: Apparently, a lot of people dislike this pickup because they find that it
1) sounds too much like 490T
or
2) sounds like ass when played clean
#1 is definitely NOT an issue for me, it's rather an advantage. To me, this pickup sounds like 490T with a less harsh EQ curve and better balance overall. As for #2, I don't care; my SG is not for playing clean. I actually think this sounds a bit better clean than the 490T did, but even then, I will use a different guitar anyway for playing clean stuff. But as it happens, one of my bands does classic rock and metal covers from the 60s to 80s, and I specifically picked the SG for that band, and I must say that this pickup was pretty designed for that kind of music.
At the bargain price, it is definitely good value for money. I would probably not buy it at the full price, though.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Who Cares

Model of guitar or bass: Guild S....
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Semour Duncan JB-bridge
Other pickups on guitar: Semour Duncan '59-neck
Artists using this pickup: Tony Iommi, duh!
You musical style(s): everything, except rap and country
Reason for pickup change: JB was too bright and did'nt have any clarity.

Perceived output level: normal
Tone: middy
Sonic evaluation: My secret setup is Guild S-....(SG Killers), Ernie Ball volume, Ty...., V..... S.... J... & H..., B....N.. R..... S.., HBE P.... S...... in B..... loop, Laney GH....., Laney 4x12.(figure that out and you will have a killler tone, with the right settings. Ha, Ha Ha.)
This pickup plus Laney GH..... have excellent clarity. If you make a mistake it will be heard. Treble is not needed for clarity. On my V..... S.... and HBE, the treble is turned all the way down and the treble on my amp is set at 10 o'clock. You can hear all the notes on any chord. Try that with any other amp/pickup combo and your tone turns to mud. You can keep your Mesa BooBoo's and Marshalls, with a Les Paul or SG.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup works, if you want every note to be heard.

Comments: This pickup is going into the bridge position of all my dual humbucker guitars. It is my sound.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul Studio
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock 490r
Other pickups on guitar: burstbucker3
Artists using this pickup: Shredd
You musical style(s): drop heavy
Reason for pickup change: I had this pickup in another guitar,and it made me want to buy a Les paul, because I just had to hear it. best decision I ever made.

Perceived output level: It is definately not for the weak!
Tone: Bass is the word, muddy if you want it to be.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using this pickup in a Les Paul Studio guitar, through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier amp.But I just happen to have a vintage Gibson SG amp wich I don't imagine most people have the luxury of having so I'll mainly focus on the Mesa.I'm even going to skip the first guitar I had it in (since no one has one of these either).First of all," screw the "SG", the body of an SG doesn't have enough wood or weight to do what this pickup needs to shine.Put it in a thin-bodied guitar and you will be missing the whole point of this pickup.You need to put it in the thickest, Heaviest guitar you can find,(for your pocket-book).Les Pauls are built to have a serious amount of sustain,that combination is what makes this pickup kill all others in one area...BASS TONE WITH SUSTAIN."KORN" lovers go get your "Iommi and Paul". This combo is heavier, just drop tune it.It can be extremely Bassy and even very muddy when you want it to be, but there are a lot of guitar players who love "Bass and Mud" there is a beauty in it, and no other pickup comes close to this one.If it's too "bassy", pair it up with a "Burstbucker" in the bridge, and set the selecter switch in the middle.This is my personal favorite "all around" sound,but if you are going to play a burstbucker live or with effects like a tremolo or delay pedal go with a "Burstbucker-Pro" or for experienced customizers,dip a "Burstbucker 3 in wax"."Burstbuckers" do feedback because the are not waxed, however they do make one of the best recording pickups you will ever use.The Tony Iommi won't cut through a recording track like a Burstbucker at all, But it adds a necessary texture to "HARD_CORE" sound."Live", just try to get heavier.My experience has it's own intangibles,"Iommi+Paul+Mesa+Drop-Tune", but that's not to say that it's the only one.But I do know this..."Iommi" will always be there."Long Live Hard-Core!"When using this pickup in "clean channel", my "Low-e" is so rich you can hardly distinguish the difference between the guitar and the bass guitar, that's how sonically "rich" this pickup "CAN" be if you use you rig right. In my opinion this pickup should only be used for it's bass tones, if you are searching for that "deep, dark , kill-everything sound..you need to start with this pickup.I will actually go one step further and say you should really hear how this pickup sounds when the "tone" knob is turned down "All the way".. "Beauty is in the ear of the beholder."

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Drop tune heavy, with clean channel here and there.

Comments: I will never,EVER,be without one of these pickups. In fact I am stocking up on these right now, just to have some of the early ones made before any "changes" or "improvements" are made.

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 17 ohms

Model of guitar or bass: gibson sg
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock gibson
Other pickups on guitar: stock gibson
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): rock,neo classical
Reason for pickup change: wanted to convert my sg to iommi spec.

Perceived output level: pretty much the same as the stock pickup
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: i use an ENGL screamer 50,it's a fantastic amp and usually sounds good with anything put through it,ie.strats and gibsons.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: rock,shredding.good clarity but very lifeless,lacks tone.might be good in the neck though

Comments: i wouldnt replace this pup,actually i'm going to sell it.i put the stock gibson pup back in the sg after about two days,it just made the guitar sound flat and lifeless.i couldnt beleive it.its well made and looks good but that sound is really lacking.i might try it in my strat to see if it sounds different in that style of guitar?????
be carefull buying this pup,its expensive and dosent live up to the hype.iommi uses very thin guage strings and down tunes a lot so maybe that has something to do with it.