Iommi Signature pickup review

[Wattage]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

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

[lex666]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

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.

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

[Sludgenutz]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review...NECK and BRIDGE.

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 "boing-y". 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.

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I did experience a "quality control" 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.

[RiffGuy]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

"like ten pounds of (poop) in a five pound bag"!

A la Josh Homme?

Awesome.

[Soulcrusher_X]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

Gibson recommended to me that the wires be mounted facing the control cavity. I kinda like how it sound in the "both" 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 "razor sharp" 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

[Sludgenutz]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

Soulcrusher_X, you are right about the higher gain balancing the pair. I already tune down to a D, but I found out later the same night I wrote the neck-only/pair review, that the boing-y-ness disappears a lot, as soon you start pushing the amp's volume up (and this is on my solid-state Randall!)!

As far as the pickup/wiring orientation, I found these pickups rather confusing in that the two I got (from two different retailers) had the shielded wires exiting the epoxy from different locations/angles. Not really a complaint, just my experience.

These pickups are definitely different from any humbucker out there. I might still put a different pickup in the neck position, because times are good for me right now, and I am hyped by anything to do with guitars. But, if I do go more traditional in the neck of my Epi, I will still have an extra Iommi around as an excuse to buy another guitar!!!!

I have let go other gear over the years, but will never sell my Iommi pickups!

[downtoearth]

Re: 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.

Hi,

I am planning to install the Gibson's Iommi humbucker signature pickup in the neck and bridge in order to replace the Epiphone alnico v 57 humbucker that is originally installed in my Epiphone ES-345.

Is this pickup suitable for playing rock n roll / Brit-pop genre? Besides, I realize that the pickup has DC resistance around 16 - 17 ohm and wax potted. Based on this DC resistance, would it still be a problem for semi-hollow body? because normally this pickup is often installed in SG or Les Paul type of guitar.

Any comments / inputs will be appreciate it. Thanks a lot

[Myaccount876]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

The last post was from 2005. Do you honestly think that person is going to reply?

That user you replied to hasn't even posted in two years.

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

The last post was from 2005. Do you honestly think that person is going to reply?

That user you replied to hasn't even posted in two years.

He might not but I sure can...

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

Hi,

I am planning to install the Gibson's Iommi humbucker signature pickup in the neck and bridge in order to replace the Epiphone alnico v 57 humbucker that is originally installed in my Epiphone ES-345.

Is this pickup suitable for playing rock n roll / Brit-pop genre? Besides, I realize that the pickup has DC resistance around 16 - 17 ohm and wax potted. Based on this DC resistance, would it still be a problem for semi-hollow body? because normally this pickup is often installed in SG or Les Paul type of guitar.

Any comments / inputs will be appreciate it. Thanks a lot

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I like the way you are thinking! A set of high output buckers like the Iommi's might not be most folks first choice for a semi hollow but it's outside of the box thinking that will lead to original/signature tones!

The Iommi pickups have a high DC but that doesn't mean that they can't or won't work in a semi hollow or even hollow. I used mine in an aluminum neck Kramer guitar so in that regard you and I are worlds apart but the pickups do have a nice crunch ability and them being potted in epoxy means no microphonic feedback from the pickups!

I say do it!

Drop back in and start a new thread with your results and good luck!

[OsvyRock]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

I tried the Iommi set on an Epiphone Iommi signature guitar.
What a great pickup set for all those ''dark'' sounding tunes.
Very hard rocking/metal pickup.

[Guitaraxz]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

Any info on Iommi´s pups will be greatly thanked, but I mean the ones that inspired the Gibson Iommis'. I will quote the Iommi Official page on his #1 the "Old Boy":

This instrument was built in Birmingham, England by John Diggins, now Jaydee Custom Guitars. The exact date of its manufacture is not recorded (or remembered!), but will certainly be between 1975 and 1978. The guitar was first used for some overdubs on the 'Heaven and Hell' album. It was then used more and more frequently and soon took over from the black John Birch S.G. as the main instrument both on the road and in the studio.


And most IMPORTANTLY:

The pickups are of different types, the bridge is a Jaydee special and the neck is a John Birch style Magnum X in a John Birch casing, though made by John Diggins. The bridge is by Schaller and features fine tuners. The machine heads are Sperzels.


You can see that ax here http://jaydeecustomguitars.co.uk/original_old_boy.html

I beleive that Iommi has also used the Schecter Z-Plus, If I remember correctly this was mentioned by Mr Dawk (of Dawksound) who modded Iommis Marshall for the Mob Rules album. I may be wrong.

Once again any info on Iommis non-Gibson pups would be aprecciated!

[firebirdphil]

Re: Iommi Signature pickup review

I've always had vintage PAF humbuckers in my SG's, so it took a while to get used to this Tony Iommi model. PAF's are a lot brighter because they have less output. The Tony Iommi humbucker is all about the growling mids that P90's are famous for. They really deliver that Black Sabbath sound and that's what I use them for. They won't do AC/DC too well , because they lack high treble and bite. I've tried one in the neck position but it just wasn't trebly enough for the clean styles that I like. I think it's a special pickup designed for special purposes.