#Gibson Tony Iommi "Monkey" 1964 SG Special Replica LH IOMMI #18

Tony Iommi's iconic riffs, heavy tones and massively-influential albums created the blueprint for Heavy Metal and many other genres to follow. His career, like the man himself, is universally loved and revered. And while his innovative tuning and playing styles were a major part of his monstrous tones, a Gibson SG named "Monkey" was at the center of it all. This heavily-modified 1964 SG Special was used extensively with the original lineup of Black Sabbath, heard on every album and tour of the 1970s. It features, most notably, a polyurethane-coated fingerboard, a zero fret, and a unique set of hand-made pickups. Combined with the dropped tuning and Tony's unique playing style, the power and depth of sound from the "Monkey" SG is unlike any other axe available. That is until now, thanks to the meticulous reverse-engineering and painstaking attention to detail employed by Gibson Custom Shop. 50 exact replicas have been created, 25 right-handed and 25 left-handed like the original, each signed and numbered by Tony Iommi himself. No detail was overlooked in the construction and aging, telling the complete story of the “Monkey” from the zero fret to the stop tailpiece bushings to the legendary pickups, which were hand-made in the UK by the apprentice of the late John Birch. Each guitar will include an exclusive replica of Tony's silver cross necklace with a coffin case, a replica of Tony's leather touring guitar strap, a 1960s replica case and a Certificate of Authenticity.