Question, what works best to achieve a Tony Iommi tone ?

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Question, what works best to achieve a Tony Iommi tone ?

These:

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=humbuckers&sub=contemporary&pickup=warpig

No way man those things are way over the top for classic Iommi tone. Dont let the warpig name fool you they are much more modern sounding

 

[The_Lombard_Duke]

Re: Question, what works best to achieve a Tony Iommi tone ?

You would be needing a set of Iommi pickups, alternatively the Lawrence L'90s work close enough. 0.08 strings are also important for his sound (like for May, Malmsteen, ZZ top), then you'll need a lot of distortion. As far as I remember in the 70s he used to play through a pair of Laney in series.

Personally I think his sound reached the maturity after Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and his best was Heaven and Hell, so I recommend that setup, before he was using a lot of stock Sgs, Juniot and Custom mostly but he said he couldn't find his tone until he got his John Birch custom because at that time Gibson refused to make a custom guitar with his specifications.

 

[symptom]

Re: Question, what works best to achieve a Tony Iommi tone ?

With the Custom 5 in my SG I don't get the exact same tone of Iommi, but it gets close and in the same "tone range", if you know what I mean.