Tweet
Iommi Signature pickup review
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 "razor sharp". 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 "Heaven and Hell". 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.
Sonically, I would not use Gibson's description of this pickup in regards to the top end being "razor sharp". 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 "Heaven and Hell". 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.
gotta know
BUT, individual Iommi pickups purchased seperately DO HAVE four conductor wiring!
Comment