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Home , Epiphone, Gibson, Guitar, Headstock, John Birch (luthier), Tony Iommi

GEAR G-400

This comes fully- loaded with a pair of US-made Tony Iommi – and they sound awesome It’s classic SG all the way with a tune-o- matic and a stop tail-piece

£595 EPIPHONE TONY IOMMI G-400 HAS EPIPHONE JUST RELEASED ITS GREATEST RO CK GUITAR YET? TG THINKS SO… WORDS: ED MITCHELL

You call this a rock guitar? There’s out there are familiar with the We love the even a set of 10s presents little trouble. Tony no locking trem! awesome sludge-fest that is ? If on this guitar. It lowered the tension on his Wash your mouth out with soap, foolish not, go to the back of the class and write ‘Nu- finishes the Iommi off even more by fitting an unusual mix of light beautifully and looks young whippersnapper! Your tart’s handbag, metal has rotted my brain’ 1000 times on the almost as good as the gauge strings (9, 9, 12, 22, 28 and 38) and lollipop stick-necked, sad little widdle plank blackboard. The rest of you, walk this way… version tuning down to #. Tuning low gives his is no match for this mighty beast. This guitar guitar the booming voice that has become sounds like a truck load of whup-ass and will OK, I’m now up to speed with Sabbath, synonymous with Sabbath songs. Only thing keep on delivering its evil-hearted goods what’s the deal with Tony’s new axe? was, such a low tuning and light strings for years to come. Can you really say all that Sabbath’s line-up may have changed over had to be coupled with a meaty pickup about your guitar? In fact, this Epiphone the last 30-odd years but two things to boost the to his Laney amp. A Tony Iommi G-400 is like every Rocky fi lm have always remained the same: the man few years ago Gibson came to the rescue ever made compared to your guitar’s Karate himself, Tony Iommi, and his ever faithful with the Tony Iommi – its fi rst Kid III. Locking trem, indeed… SG. Although he occasionally played ever signature pickup. SG-style guitars from the likes of Patrick Er, OK. So who’s this Tony Iommi geezer Eggle, Jaydee and , Gibson’s His new Epiphone has that pickup supposed to be then? classic twin weapon of rock has fi tted, right? He’s only the bleedin’ Godfather of metal always been his favourite. It’s now as Yep, for your £595 you’re getting a kick- riffery. Look, years before he began much an Iommi trademark as the man’s ass SG loaded with two of Tony’s US-made shuffling around his Los Angeles mansion, fearsome facial hair and false fi ngertips. Gibson humbuckers. Now that’s what we call dodging dog shit and shouting at the value for money, and no doubt great news kids for his reality TV show, renowned bat Sorry, his false fi ngertips? for fans on a budget. muncher and self-styled Prince of Darkness Tony lost the tips of his middle and ring was in a rather important fingers on his right hand in an industrial What’s the guitar like? band. We’re talking about the mighty accident in the 1960s. But before you accuse Probably the best Epiphone electric we’ve Black Sabbath, of course. We say important us of being sick-ass gore-hounds, there is a ever tried. The quality of finish is top class because these guys pioneered that particular very good reason why we’re dredging up this and the guitar has all the classic elements brand of grumpy metal – all doom-laden gruesome nugget of trivia. Put simply, that that we’ve come to expect from the SG. riffs and ‘you’re all gonna die’ lyrics – that unfortunate injury greatly infl uenced Tony’s Underneath that glorious finish – it keeps guys like ’s in protein choice of guitar, his set-up and his unique should be called Sabbath Black, of course bars and Bic razors to this day. ‘dungeons of hell’ tone. – is a body: a nice thick slab with The engine of Black Sabbath was those iconic devilish contours and sexy Tony Iommi, a genius with a heavy and Go on, I’m listening… curves. The neck is glued to the body, as pretty nifty lead playing ability to boot. Tony Tony needed a guitar with a slim neck it should be, and is also fashioned from always liked to keep his riffs simple; just a and an easy string tension – it had to be mahogany. The fingerboard is with few notes played with blinding intensity. You comfortable for his digits. Anyone who has funky crucifix inlays and 24 . Yes, that’s must’ve heard the blistering opening salvo played a Gibson or Epiphone SG will know right folks, this is a full two SG! Every from Paranoid? And surely all you metal that the strings are pretty easy to bend; other SG has 22 frets, natch.

134 | TOTAL GUITAR | MARCH 2005

TGR133.gear_dps 134 19/1/05 6:04:51 pm EPIPHONE TONY IOMMI G-400 GEAR

Just how much more black could this guitar be? Er, none more black, frankly...

Elsewhere we have the classic Gibson WHO’S IT FOR? and neck positions for the quieter songs. Of course, we’d all love to get our hands control set-up (2 x volume, 2 x tone and a Six-string Satan The bottom line is that this guitar just wants on the £4,000 custom shop Gibson Iommi three-way pickup selector), a tune-o-matic worshippers; the to rock and we ain’t gonna argue with it. model, but this Epiphone will keep us well bridge and fixed tailpiece and a striking Sabbath faithful happy until then. You really have to try this headstock that really suits this guitar and INFORMATION I get the feeling you guys like this guitar. superb guitar for yourself. It’s a little devil… gives the Gibson version a run for its money. Damn! What gave it away? It’s true we have ORIGIN: Korea We have also gone ape for those chunky TYPE: electric fallen for this wonderful guitar. TG has FOR: Looks awesome; sounds great; plenty Grover machineheads; built to last with rock BODY: Mahogany always had a soft spot for the SG anyway, of rock vibe solid tuning. NECK: Mahogany, set-in but the Tony Iommi version ticks all of our AGAINST: Not everyone will dig its gorgeous : The headstock has a discreet Tony Iommi Rosewood, with crucifi x boxes. And the best part is that now there’s gothic looks signature on the cover. We like that inlays a left-handed version available – which only because it means non-Sabbath fans can play FRETS: 24 medium seems appropriate since Tony is left-handed TG RATING: ✮✮✮✮✮ PICKUPS: 2 x Gibson USA this guitar if they want to. Whether you’re Tony Iommi humbuckers – everyone can get a piece of the action. a goth, a punk, a rocker or a widdler, you’re HARDWARE: Black going to love this guitar. Trust us! chrome tune-o- matic bridge, stop THE ORIGINS OF A ROCK ICON tailpiece and Grover There’s a scribble on the scratchplate. machineheads lthough it’s still only a baby compared he made, refused to sign a new TG’s old pal Tony actually signed this guitar CONTROLS: 2 x volume, 2 A to its legendary big brother, the contract with Gibson. Undeterred, x tone, three-way pickup Gibson , the SG is actually 44 Gibson switched to the SG (solid for us. Normal production models come with selector switch years old this year. In fact, when it was guitar) model name and the rest, as a plain black scratchplate only. Sorry… FINISH OPTIONS: Ebony only launched in 1961 this future rock ’n’ roll they say, is history. LEFT-HANDERS: £599 icon was intended to be a replacement Even if old Lester didn’t dig his What does it sound like, then? CASE: No for the Les Paul range. That’s why early new axe, plenty of other guitarists Like Tony Iommi, funnily enough. His tone CONTACT: Rosetti 01376 examples of the SG have a Les Paul have fallen for its obvious charms. 550033 has changed a bit over the years but we still nameplate squeezed between the neck If you play an SG you’re in very good WEB: www.epiphone. pickup and the fi ngerboard. company. In the 1960s, Beatle George rate those early recordings that showcase his com So why did Gibson change the guitar’s Harrison used a cherry-fi nish model edgy fuzz tone. Using our trusty Retroman ALTERNATIVELY model name, we hear you ask? Depending on the band’s Rubber Soul album, Lola fuzz box, we nailed that classic sound on what story you believe, Mr Les Paul Robbie Krieger of The Doors on the bridge pickup without even breaking Gibson Custom Shop (Lester William Polfus to his mum) either wouldn’t be seen dead without Tony Iommi SG – £4,200 a sweat. Add to that some modern gain and didn’t take to the SG’s radical design or his SG Standard and Eric Epiphone G-310 – £275 this guitar will out-rock anything with six simply preferred the sound of his original Clapton brandished an eye- Epiphone Les Paul model. Fair enough, but the wily catching psychedelic SG in the strings. The pickups are truly awesome in SG Custom – £429 old fox may have had another reason to early days of Cream. Of course, themselves and should be considered by have his name removed from the new the SG is also behind Angus anyone struggling with weak humbuckers guitar. In the early 1960s Les and his Young’s awesome tone on – the Iommi humbuckers are available to buy then wife and singing partner, Mary every classic AC/DC record. as a retrofit for your guitar. Ford, had decided to separate. Legend Can you imagine Angus has it that Les, realising how Mary would playing any other style of The bridge pickup isn’t so keen on clean be entitled to a share of any money guitar? It’s unthinkable. settings but you can use the sweeter middle

MARCH 2005 | TOTAL GUITAR | 135

TGR133.gear_dps 135 19/1/05 6:04:59 pm