Tony Iommi has identified the Stratocaster he used while recording Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut as the only guitar that could replace his beloved SGs, explaining that he had to switch to a spare SG early in the recording process.
Throughout his career, Iommi has been primarily recognized for playing SGs. The iconic Gibson double cut has become synonymous with his sound and image, particularly his red 1965 Special, nicknamed “Monkey,” which is now on display at the Hard Rock Café in New York City.
However, when Iommi, along with Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, began working on their debut album, he started with a modified white Stratocaster. This modification accommodated the limitations resulting from an industrial accident that left his right-hand middle and ring fingers without their tips. Unfortunately, the Strat malfunctioned shortly after Iommi completed the track “Wicked World.”
In a recent interview with Guitar World, Iommi expressed his frustration over the incident, even though “Monkey” was available as a backup:
“When the Strat went, I couldn’t believe it. I’d spent a long time working on that guitar, getting the fretboard and frets just right. I had to do all that because of my accident.”
He recounted the challenges of the era: “Back then, getting a pickup changed or fixed was a big hassle. We had only two days to record the album, one of which was dedicated to recording.”
Iommi had to rely on his SG, which he had not owned for long and had little experience with at that point. “When the Strat pickup went, I had to pick up the SG. From that day on, I never looked back. I stuck with SGs.”
He noted the initial anxiety of having to improvise with a different guitar: “I had only used my Strat with my booster and the Laney amp. That was my sound, so it was quite scary to switch.”
While Iommi has experimented with other guitars over the years, he admits he prefers SGs. However, he reflects fondly on the Strat: “The only other guitar I really liked was that original Strat, which I wish I’d kept. I can’t believe I got rid of it. At the time, I thought the guitar was done, but that was a big mistake.”
Iommi also played the Strat during a brief stint with Jethro Tull, and it appeared in the band’s performance of “A Song for Jeffrey” on The Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus.
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