Incoming SD Iommi

[daenius]

Re: Incoming SD Iommi

I don't think it's wrong that the Epi feels better than the Gibson. I bought my first Epi over a Gibson 25 years ago. The Epi played better, couldn't tell the difference with pickups with the Gibson designed and overall just felt better! The $500 price tag was also way better than the $3000 for the Gibson. I've still got the guitar.
I picked up a series 1 Epi Iommi SG years back. Although it plays like a dream, I was never really hooked on the pickups (Epi used the same Gibson Iommi pickups in that model). For the amount of turns (impedance I think was in the 16-17K mark), they sure sounded muddy and not much output for what I was expecting. My idea of Sabbath tone is the first couple of albums which he was using P90's, a treble booster and Marshalls. Towards the 80's, the sound became a bit - blahhh. So to me, the tone is a PAF style pickup, treble booster and a Marshall or Laney. Plugging the Iommi straight into a Marshall just didn't cut it for me - so the guitar sits in it's case until I could find something to bring it to life. Being that they're humbucker size, makes it an easy swap when I find the right pickup. On the downside, being humbucker size - it's not mini humbucker size to look the part!
I think what most people forget (new signature models included) is that the pickups themselves in the JDs were about mini-humbucker size (regardless of the magnet configs). That does shape the tone too.
Those JD's look awesome and I bet they sound as good. $3000 pound price tag is a killer just to sound like Tony. Think I might do some work in the shed and knock up a replica myself!
I've seen the new Iommi Epi's and they look nice and price isn't too bad. But those silver pickups!

I own 2 high end Gibsons and I can tell you that Gibsons aren't much better made than Epi, if at all! Yes I made sure both were properly setup so they play great and sound amazing now, but you can't deny the fact that out of any guitar brand that puts on a $3000 price tag, Gibson is the only one that can be plagued with problems out of the box. Why the hell did I buy them? I just wanted them and was fine with putting up their bull**** because I liked the guitars enough and thought they had great potential. They are notorious for pissing on you and call it rain.

Gibson uses the same cheap cast bridge as their low cost Epiphone cousins, and the 3-way toggle is a total joke in quality. My '58 Reissue shipped with a very loose switch that the bridge pickup won't engage half the time. Opened it up and tightened it and it's perfectly fine now, but of course, rather frustrating to see on a brand new expensive guitar. The other one was better, and I only had to lubricate the nut to make sure it stays in tune when bending the G string.

Don't get me wrong, I love both guitars now. Just making the same point that it is not all that difficult to find a nicely made and setup Epi that smokes a real Gibson.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Incoming SD Iommi

If you follow Jay Dee guitars on Instagram, there are a lot of pics of him building replicas of Old Boy, and Monkey. He uses his own pickup design on those, I think.