“They were getting pretty hard to find!” Gibson has re-launched its first ever signature pickup – the Tony Iommi humbucker

Back in the late 1990s, Gibson joined forces with Black Sabbath rifflord Tony Iommi to create the brand's first ever signature pickup. Now – less than two months after Sabbath took their final onstage bow with the late Ozzy Osbourne – that pickup, the Tony Iommi Signature Humbucker, is back.

Featuring a distinct configuration of powerful ceramic and Alnico 2 magnets, and unique winding, the fully wax-potted and epoxied Iommi humbucker is designed to help guitarists emulate the mighty, distorted rumble of the metal godfather's tone, without descending into overcooked, blown-out mush.

The humbucker's 4-conductor wiring, meanwhile, allows for series, parallel, and split coil operation.

The Iommi 'bucker had become an increasingly rare sight in recent years, in turn fetching ever-bigger money on the secondhand market.

“I’m really excited that Gibson’s bringing back my signature humbucker, they were getting pretty hard to find!” Iommi himself said in a statement. “This pickup came about after a lot of time spent in Nashville, just experimenting with different setups to get that perfect tone and sustain from my favorite guitars.

“We had to make sure it worked with my light gauge strings and low tunings, but still pack a punch, and the result has got some serious output. They're on my signature guitars too, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how they turned out.”

“I’d personally installed these on one of my Gibson guitars 15 years ago, and I was blown away with the distinct Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath sound I was able to get out of them,” added Gibson President and CEO Cesar Gueikian.

“They have such a great, clean look with the unique pickup cover, and we are excited to bring the Rifflord’s signature humbucker back as we continue to pay tribute to Tony.”

The re-release of the Sabbath man's signature pickup continues his fruitful relationship with Gibson, which has also – in recent years – produced a signature SG Special, which for our money stands as one of the best Gibson SGs you can buy today.

The Gibson Tony Iommi Signature Humbucker is available now for $229.

For more info, visit Gibson.