Iommic Life Complete 🦇✝️

[@Chabam]

The fact that a left-handed guitarist, with parts of his fingers missing, basically defined the sound of a whole genre of music will always blow my mind.

[@MRTECH-ym7lm]

Dude you just took the words out of my mouth.. Im mind blown about the fingers. : O

[@TheTjoconnor]

That's how it goes usually. Adversity leads to creativity leads to innovation

[@JJames666male]

I mean, Hendrix was left-handed too, that's not that crazy. The missing fingertips though? Goddamn

[@davidrice3337]

you're giving him a lot of credit - y'all just remember - Clapton was first - he was playing hard rock guitar riffs in 65,:66 before there was a label for it - He moved on , changed his sound (as he always does) and people seem to think Black Sabbath was the first - nope - Clapton was the original Heavy Metal guitar God and Cream was the original Heavy Metal group - don't let the "psychodelic" label fool you - Y'all Metal heads need to give credit when it's due

[@castleanthrax1833]

How about the fact that it was his last day at work that he lost his fingertips. He went home at lunchtime and was not intending to go back, but I believe his mother told him to go back and finish out the workday.

[@themightymcb7310]

Also fun fact, the first two albums were in standard tuning but 9s were too heavy for Tony so he actually used banjo strings. He realized it was easier to tune down for Master of Reality.

[@Rob78169]

Just think if he could handle the 9s. There might be no Stoner/Sludge genre!! Crazy!!

[@tony69em]

I'm glad y'all added those two messages. I was thinking about both facts as I was watching the video.

[@Ibaneddie76]

Actually you are right and I still try to play those songs half step down but they were indeed recorded in standard tuning, hard to wrap my head around still!

[@phil2756]

He used banjo strings cause light strings didn't exist back then (even 9s)

[@MarcoPolo-je5ej]

I saw Sabbath on their reunion tour in 1999 with Pantera. What a show! They were so tight it was like listening to a Black Sabbath record in my bedroom when I was a teenager. Cool info. 🤘🎸

[@338mag]

I caught that show in Pittsburgh. Great show. Great mix of metal fans of all ages too.

[@whyismynametaken123]

@@338mag You know... I was there too, but I completely blocked out who ever else they played with. I was 1000% obsessed with Sabbath at the time. I had no idea I saw Pantera :/

[@Metalhead4EVR]

I caught that show in San Antonio w/Pantera 🤘😂

[@danielcastillo1225]

I'm 55yrs old, everyone my age knew this back in the 70s cause he told everyone what he did to get the awesome sound. But l appreciate you telling a new generation of guitarist, Bravo Sir

[@hailmaryrecordings8255]

Great insight. Tony is a monster! I didn’t know he used p-90’s in the 70’s. Those are my preferred pickups too. They’re “snotty”

[@seblo8462]

Crazy that Tony did all the things that modern Doom players say not to do lol Don't use light Guage strings, don't roll up the tone knob, and don't use single coils haha

[@manfrombritain6816]

I always find it amusing that everyone wants to emulate a sabbath sound with crazy thick strings, downtuning, fuzz pedals and so on... when tony was mostly the complete opposite. I think we all need to be thanking geezer a lot more.

[@rob9340]

Its the sound that I hear in so many groups post the Sabbath. Great Channel mate. Your passion and knowledge is superb, and very inspirational. Thankyou.

[@harrymanbach]

Steve,some of these know it all comments.....you've got the patience of a saint. Just got an Epi Tony Iommi Monkey SG and running it into my Walpurgis V4 then into my Orange. You guys nailed the tone on that pedal. Baghdad came this week too and it's HOF in a pedal. Awesome job on these pedals,keep em coming!

[@DoesItDoom]

Haha! Thanks dude! I’m glad you’re digging the pedals bro. 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@elinino5275]

C# wasn't till 1971 MoR

[@DoesItDoom]

yep, yep

[@chriscurran1967]

Very cool info brother!!!🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

[@DoesItDoom]

🙏🏻🤘🏻

[@jeremyfarley3872]

Sweet! I never knew that but my SG (knockoff) has P-90s in it. Amazon sent me the wrong pickups but I figured I'd check them out anyways. Ended up being one of my favorite guitars.

[@michaelreid6881]

That guitar is so sweet! I have the same year and model with black P-90s. Got it in a pawn shop about 43 years ago!

[@kurtniederstadt97]

Bro👍🏻! Excellent info and the best comments ever! Thank you to all!! This guy blew me away and was amazing even with his digit disabilities! Love the info!!

[@MinutesFromVegas]

Fun fact. Tony was originally gonna use a Fender Strat until a pickup blew out and he had to use his spare guitar. The Gibson SG.

[@13JDOG666]

Another fun fact: It's was the same Strat he played when he was a member of Jethro Tull.

[@lutymcshooty2556]

Wicked World is the only song recorded on that guitar

[@DJC-]

Im sure it was custom made by jaydee... Never originally used a Gibson

[@SergejSucur]

​@@lutymcshooty2556didn't know that! Pretty cool!

[@moss1transcendant]

those soap bar pups are incredible

[@gratefuldude5676]

I didn’t know Saruman played guitar.

[@marcnico8476]

😂

[@ericolsen67vw]

Thanks for everything Tony!

[@raymondreid4987]

His signature strings are two 8 for the first and second strings.

[@thewitchfindergeneral4015]

The P90s he used were also overwound to be hotter and to produce more output and he coated them in epoxy to reduce hum. He also used the Dallas rangemaster which was modded right before the recording of Master giving that album its signature guitar tone

[@karlbjornsson9090]

P90, Tele Bridge and TVJones are my favourite pus. The sounds of Vol4 and Master of Reality are my favourite of the Sabbath era, also my favourite albums of Sabbath

[@Irishtwinbeads282]

Only reason he began using the SG which was his backup guitar. Because his pickup on his strat stopped working during recording of their debut album.

[@iggyfritz7150]

First I have to admit I'm jealous that you have that vintage gear Tony used to use. Tony is always been a huge influence on myself as a guitarist and when I got my first Laney Half Stack I thought I died and went to heaven. Don't get me wrong I love Marshalls but the laney has more meat and potatoes. I remember playing Toledo Speedway and the amplifier volume was only set on three and people were complaining it was too loud. I would always tell them you're exactly right. 😀

[@chrisnichols9187]

Good job bud..I love that ur a blues musician as well .🎉

[@johnm3152]

best and most info packed history lesson evr

[@AnnemarieStanton]

I like the feel of sg guitars really suit jazzy clean tones as well

[@gasolinechlorine]

I thought Tony played an SG built by a local builder, because Gibson wouldn't make him a 24 fret one? Cool video!

[@DoesItDoom]

John Birch started making guitars for him in the late 70’s. He switched at that point. But the Gibson “Monkey” SG was his main stage guitar until the Sabotage era.

[@baabaabaa2293]

1975 so mid 70s

[@earlycuyler2295]

the guy knew his stuff. tone pot deletes are the BEST "mod" you can do to ANY guitar. they might as well be called a " sound worse" switch. if your butt hurt about your " sweet spot" on the tone knob, solder in a low value capacitor.

[@harrymanbach]

Agreed. Other options are a treble bleed circuit or using 1 meg pots. Tone knobs are technically Treble Attenuators as they can only roll off treble frequencies and can't really add them to the signal.

[@ActualLiteralKyle]

That’s cool and all but why do you look like Sarumon?

[@asherasator]

I saw an early interview with Iommi online, mentions he used the neck "Rhythm" pickup to get a lot of that heavier sound. I've always used the neck pickup a lot too, it sounds better for many rhythms and riffs, and of course for solos. That's how many early electric guitarists played. I think most modern rock and metal guitarists play wrong tonally. The bridge "Treble" pick up when used mostly for rhythms is wrong [from EVH]. Even classical and flamenco guitarists fingerpick towards the neck to get bassier sounds and towards the bridge to brighten it up. The neck and middle pick together create a natural flangy phaser effect for rhythms and solos on my strats! I also like that Iommi used the guitars volume knob to control dynamics and solos. Most guitarists barely use volume or tone knobs and rely on amp presets or channels. It's a whole nother level when a player can use the sound spectrum of an instrument and amp by his picking technique and know how to fully utilize the guitar's electronics.

[@DoesItDoom]

That interview does exist, I’ve read it also, but Tony never used the neck pickup. Watch any live performance or any other interviews over the years and you’ll find it was always the bridge pickup.

[@asherasator]

@@DoesItDoom If the interview from 1974 says he did, then he must've at some point used the neck pickup for rhythms as a regular way of playing for some things. Especially when he played a Fender Strat in the early days which is longer scale, brighter and the neck pickup sounds good for deeper tones. He probably changed things up as time went on with newer equipment and guitars. With live performances musicians sometimes do things differently on stage than in the studio. Either way the neck pickup for rhythm works well for heavy genres, especially when not too distorted and the amp is dialed in. I do like the guitar sound of the guy from Orchid. He has a good balance of gain and straight driving power.

[@NotAuxell]

I find amusing that Tony did the opposite of what current guitarists do and still sounds great to this day. Gear snobbery won't get you far.

[@jameslanclos568]

My first guitar 🎸 was a Gibson ES 135 that my father traded a flat bottom aluminum boat, motor and trailer for it. But my second guitar 🎸, the first one I learned how to play on was a 1984 Gibson SG Special. That's the guitar 🎸 that I fell in love with. I knew that Tony Iommi played an SG but I didn't know what model that it was. Unfortunately I lost that guitar 🎸 in a Pawn shop that was devastated by Hurricane 🌀 Katrina. But I just got my new SG from FedEx today and now "I'm back in the saddle again" (Aerosmith) !!!

[@zandig666]

thanks bud that answered a couple questions I had as im loosely chasing his tone right now !! first thing I did myself was ditch all my tone knobs as I get a treble boost on vol pots anyways I'm still wondering what his silver single screw coil pups were and when he used them ???

[@Craiglyhead]

Always great man! Love it.

[@MrStrawberryhurrican]

Do one about electric wizard

[@remembertheblacksabbath]

Woo HOO!!! More fabulous information!🔥🔥🔥🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@shootfirst2097]

Tony is underrated as a melodic composer AND guitarist

[@tatethompson1234]

The first two albums were an early SG Les Paul Custom with PAF’s.

[@markhoffmann158]

I love that sweet tone you get from P90s, you just can't get from humbuckers. Especially around the 12-14 fret area.

[@peterb7435]

Love your vids

[@DoesItDoom]

Thanks Pete!

[@TimBardos]

I love that man... Didn't know much of that but i DID KNOW about the p 90s in the SG

[@miguelcorleone6633]

Tony ROCKS !!💥💥💥

[@ramzamboguitars]

You missed the fact that Tony used .008 - .008 - .011 - .018w - .024 - .032. in C# and in D#. They also played even their early shows in D# to help Ozzy sing live. Those string gauges and Iommi's touch is where the tone is coming from.

[@blainwilson7937]

Back when music blew your mind!

[@Nigel-ry1po]

NIGEL in Canada🇨🇦 'pass the doochie from de left hand side man'

[@xeverettx2564]

His original ‘64 Cherry Special with neck binding, half pickguard like a ‘61 and dot inlays had the non dog eared P-90’s. But he played several more set ups. Played Standard with PAF humbuckers and 498T humbuckers, he played SG Specials and Standards both with the Gretsch Filtertron humbuckers, which I though and still think has some awesome tones in an SG, Les Paul, 335’s, and Firebirds! But yeah absolutely the SG Special with P-90’s is the guitar he became famous with! Really the True Tone comes from the amp and how it developes the signal in the preamp. Grant it guys like Iommi and Clapton were notorious for rolling off the volume a bit and roll the tone back between 5-8 especially on the middle position and if it had humbuckers reversing the magnet and a 180 turn so the whole pick up “faced the bridge” gave it that warm clipping sound by reversing or running out of phase! I’ve played squire strats and Ibanez guitars made from soft garbage bass wood not actually tone wood but could get it screening through an Orange AD-30, Sunn 180L, Fender Bandmaster, Twins, Boogie MarK 1-5, I had a Boogie DC-5 that was a special amp that absolutely destroyed. It’s what guys call a “special one” where it was a cut above the other production units and had NOS RCA 12ax7 and 6L6’s! Like that one dude from Uncle Acid plays a $400 slab body Les Paul Melody Maker single cut model, but it’s great tone wood used in the body and a killer pre amp to develope the signal. That’s a very inexpensive student model (still quality though) and they only made them for 2 or 3 years in the mid 2,000’s around 2005ish. They did a Les Paul single and double, an SG, a Flying V. Because of the rareness though they are double and triple the prices of new which was $400 now about $800-$1,200!!! However I digress and #IommiIsGod #IommicusRifficusInvictus

[@topfacemod]

Close, but no cigar. Those "filtertrons" are John Birch Magnum pickups custom wound for Iommi. Nothing Gretsch about them.

[@bryanfalcho6293]

@@topfacemod that's a shame Gretsch makes quality shit. The Beatles and the Who (Townsend used 6120's on a majority of the Who's studio work) both got great sounds outta Gretsch equipment! Can't 4get abt Chet Atkins pickin a country gentleman clean to the bone as well..

[@nicoguarini28]

@@bryanfalcho6293 Country blows!!!

[@Noloveforspectre]

the neck looks nice and ready to write songs

[@DalScottGuitar]

I remember being a kid and saying “p-90s weren’t for metal” and my gramps said “Call Tony Iommi and ask him about how well they worked for him” 😂😂😂

[@Jodyrides]

P 90s are my favorites

[@savoystylo]

as a les paul junior p-90 player I can confirm the volume knob is critical to shaping your tone

[@Ibaneddie76]

Tony is the Godfather all hail!

[@danielbasetone1467]

The pickups were rewound by John Birch Far from your standard P90 Entire Guitar was modified by John Birch with A few Banjo Strings according to Tony"s book

[@richardhincemon]

65 Gibson SG with modified neck and P- 90 pick ups by John Birch employee of John Diggins guitars. When Gibson did the replica of the Monkey SG it was dated 65 not 64 by Gibson guitars from the serial number. 🤔

[@madsam7582]

He didn't use the lowest in the set of strings. He moved everything down and used a banjo string for the high e. He actually talked about it in an interview.

[@umanile]

Actually the first two Sabbath records are in standard tuning.

[@DR-mp4gv]

I'd like to see Saruman next compare a Dwarf axe and an Orc axe! 😅🤘

[@metaldog4642]

Never thought of that volume knob trick for leads. 😂

[@rickmiller7884]

So cool. I have a '64 special. I thought he always used humbuckers.

[@free-birdrocker8809]

Lots of rockers back then didn't have the gimmicks of synthesizers we enjoy today. Tony was truly a Legend of his time. Viva Tony!

[@edgarsifuentes3248]

They did a lot with less, now it’s opposite lol

[@zeusapollo8688]

They had to play

[@Gearhorder]

He also had his pickups changed to really high output John Birch pickups, p90s are a bit weak and John Birch wound p90s at 20k output was what he used to make it heavily distorted

[@nugboy420]

Dang c# standard? When I was learning BtBaM songs I discovered that tuning and I used it for my proggy pop punkish sound cuz it fit my vocal range at the time. Then I’d be stuck at a friends house and they r like play me some of ur songs and I’d be like screw it I am not spending 5 mins retuning it, so I’d just play it vanilla and found out I could in fact reach the vocal notes and decided to not worry so much about the tuning. Nice to find someone else who uses it tho.

[@bobbykelly6703]

Okay

[@scout802]

Man I just got this when Epiphone announced the Tony Iommi signature

[@Diggerdog2nd]

He didn't use 9-42s. He used light banjo strings starting at 7 gauge. Can't remember for sure the heavy but it was I think a 36

[@hopespotbrand.1725]

Hi, awesome channel. What pedal does tony use on the early mid 70s sabbath live album. it sounds like a chorus maybe?

[@DoesItDoom]

Not sure unfortunately.

[@xijinpingsfavoritehemorrho1328]

Given the time period, nearly guaranteed to be an Echoplex. This is a time when there were like 10 pedals in existence.

[@PassTheCheese]

Thank you 🧡

[@guitarhiker4449]

He also played with the string order right handed but he was a lefty. I play the same way. I read where he traded his original righty SG for a lefty and just changed the order of the strings. I do the same! I buy lefty guitars and put a right handed nut. That way the cutaways and components are in my favor. Hendrix did similar but he mainly played a righty guitar strung lefty. Rock on!!!

[@agirotto1]

Gotta love Tony.

[@coreyfellows1945]

The warning is my favorite song of all time....

[@miparedro76]

Este tipo está hablando de cosas sagradas... Amen

[@mestengo22]

Just as I always suspected fank you very much

[@steezyriffs]

That’s freaking INSANE

[@jamesfriend481]

The first two were standard tuning, on Master Of Reality only 3 songs were down tuned, I’ve never read it was because of his handy cap, I think it was a musical choice.

[@clanjarheadstt05]

It’s in his biography, downtuned due to pain in his fingers when playing on the road to make it easier

[@garybrady9531]

5 watt world just put out a great video on this great player

[@cheshirebowman4465]

Tony used John Birch guitars with Super Hyperflux Gs pickups. Almost always.

[@tedspens]

5 things... I didn't know about his prosthetic digits. ✌🏻

[@jamiebruner8463]

is your pickguard warped????

[@DoesItDoom]

Little bit. Guitar is almost 60 years old. Lol.

[@Kampfwageneer]

I read somewhere he even experimented with banjo strings and whatever could be found in those days that was suitable, im assuming that one or two of the strings were banjo

[@JohnnyBgood548]

p90$ are sic! Love SG with pnastys!

[@j7cc]

Black Sabbath was a great band. ✌️🇬🇧🤘

[@electricsuitbatman]

I really do want to try those like gauge strings I think it makes a massive difference

[@christopherfelser]

Legend tells of a smaller string gauge.

[@Combustion47]

Tony tuned low and used a mix of guitar strings and banjo strings and had the lowest possible action to accommodate his plastic finger tips

[@duderinoification]

according to tony's autobiography, which you clearly did not read, he used a stratocaster on the first two albums. Its also very easy to hear, as the strat has a different scale length. He used the gibsons only live at first.

[@DoesItDoom]

Wrong. Read his autobiography again. Or just watch this and hear it straight from the man himself. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4u3k52drtyefrs

[@duderinoification]

@@DoesItDoom re read it. wicked world wasnt the only song he did on a strat. I had him sign a copy of his book for me in person, and i personally asked him about this. its akin to when people talk about hendrix and assume everything he did was on a strat, except like half the solos he did in the studio were done on a tele. sure iommi = SG, but the nuances get deep.

[@sniper10666]

Also what you missed out is the fact he plays a baritone guitar which has more frets than a standard sg Angus young plays one as well

[@DoesItDoom]

He did start playing 24 fret guitars after retiring the Monkey and switching to John Birch guitars in the late 70’s, but never baritone scale, always 24.75”.

[@maryannmoran-smyth3453]

Saying that Tony used stock P90s was from my understanding is not correct. Tony realized that P90 were lacking in punch so he modified P90 and also had custom pick ups made from other manufacturers, which were basically hot rewound humckers. if you want to get close to this, you could use DiMarzo super distortion or other aftermarket pick ups, which will do the trick… Anyway… Keep on rockin

[@Nigel-ry1po]

NIGEL in Canada🇨🇦 the video should be called? '4 things that show you I don't know what I'me talking about'

[@vaxxedfilms7477]

Down 3 semi tones? How high were his strings?

[@richardmabie5779]

What does it mean tune down 3 semitones

[@allenslager376]

Actually I did know all those. And the company who made his stings back then we’re called Picardo. The only company that would make him LG strings. But also prior to that he used banjo strings

[@saltorix4760]

don’t forget the banjo strings

[@kilroy2517]

Only a thick string snob would consider 9-42 to be "extremely light gauge". The 7's Billy Gibbons uses are extremely light gauge. 9-42 is firmly in the normal range.

[@starjunkie5328]

I do know that I love it.

[@andretoyo]

Wooow that’s why those fat tone. C#standard makes sense now. Ive gotta try it.

[@johnjozefowicz2022]

I think it's funny that with Tony's pickups and Slash's custom made guitars, there wasn't a lot of authentic Gibson used by Gibson's biggest poster boys

[@garyjones7044]

Um, what.

[@baabaabaa2293]

Derrig & Birch.

[@jamesyearout7639]

This is need to know info...thanx!

[@basedbane787]

How do people learn this ? I can't even find what guitar bands use lol

[@louiscampbell1416]

God bless the guitar Scholars

[@diaryofanaxeman539]

He also used Laney amps .... exclusively.

[@alexanderhanksx]

I wonder why he didn't just play an SG Junior. Would have been freaking sweet.

[@gonedeep43]

He also plugs into his amp using the bass hook up.

[@christophergordon7433]

He also used a modified treble booster. But I’m sure you already knew that.