“I couldn’t get up to the top frets, but the SG suited me perfectly”: Why Tony Iommi never became a Les Paul player
Tony Iommi is about as synonymous with the Gibson SG as any guitar player could be, apart from maybe AC/DC’s Angus Young.
But in his early days as a guitarist, the Black Sabbath man actually set his sights on being a Les Paul player instead, but found that, following his famous accident while working at a sheet metal factory – which saw him lose the tips of his two middle fingers on his fretting hand – the LP proved a little restrictive.
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During a recent Q&A event held at the Gibson Garage in London – where he launched his new signature humbuckers – Iommi explained [via Guitar World]: “I always wanted a Les Paul, but I couldn’t play the Les Paul because of my accident.”
“I couldn’t get up to the top frets, but the SG suited me perfectly,” he said. “The SG for me was comfortable. I liked the shape, the weight, and, eventually, a ton of people started using it. Everybody wanted a Les Paul in the early days; that was always the best.
“As I said, I couldn’t have a Les Paul. I didn’t feel comfortable, [it was] too heavy, and I couldn’t get to the top frets. So the SG has been perfect for me, and that’s why I always stuck with it.”
While Tony Iommi is now synonymous with the Gibson SG, he started out his Black Sabbath career playing a Fender Stratocaster, before it became faulty while recording the band’s self-titled debut album.
He reached for his backup Gibson SG, which has been his preferred guitar for his entire career since.
While the Les Paul is widely considered to be the most iconic Gibson model, guitarists have long touted – and continue to tout – the benefits of an SG.
Recently, Greta Van Fleet man Jake Kiszka explained why his SG is his favourite in his arsenal.
“The thing about an SG that differentiates it from other Gibson guitars is that it’s really microphonic, and you can feel every nuance of the guitar,” he said.
“I really like to play with my body,” he continues, “and even pulling the neck slightly back and moving things and tapping on it. It’s responding in more than just one way. It’s not just the strings and the connection between that and the pickup.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
