Tony Iommi SG Special showed up today and has to go back.

[Gary Gretsch]

My Iommi SG Special showed up today and I have a couple concerns. Well had until I went to take pictures to post and found a crack in the clear at every fret marker except # 3. and the 12th marker where there are 2 dots has two cracks they run to the center of the neck. By the way I think the neck is very comfortable.
My original concerns were the bridge slants so much forward the front is resting on the body. I do not think that is right. Second concern it was new and sealed in the box and has a 2020 serial number.

But I must add It totally gets the clean sound I was looking for. Very disappointed I will have to wait for another to arrive.

 

[SGBreadfan]

I had to send my first one back also, it had a nasty divot on the fretboard that was unacceptable and impacted playability. I sent it back and got a real winner the second time around, good luck and hope you get a great replacement.

 

[Gary Gretsch]

I had to send my first one back also, it had a nasty divot on the fretboard that was unacceptable and impacted playability. I sent it back and got a real winner the second time around, good luck and hope you get a great replacement.

Thank you. This was made out of such a nice piece of Mahogany. But the bridge was bothering me also and the cracking was definitely a thing I would not live with.

 

[SGBreadfan]

Thank you. This was made out of such a nice piece of Mahogany. But the bridge was bothering me also and the cracking was definitely a thing I would not live with.

It’s an expensive guitar, those flaws are unacceptable. Let us know how the replacement works out, crossing my fingers for you!

 

[Gary Gretsch]

Well number two showed up today. How can a guitar leave the factory with the bridge pick up up so high that it is rubbing on the strings? Just makes me mad especially when there is a little white card in the case that was checked OK. And speaking of the case, it is a bit different TKL made in Canada and is already pealing where there was not enough glue at the seam. I do not think it sounds as good as the first one. Oh yes this one has no screws in the bridge. The first one had screws in the bridge. They were pushed back so far the front of the bridge was on the body. Maybe no screws is a good thing?

The Good... I believe this one is a 1 piece body and this one comes in at 6.12 Lbs. about 7 Oz lighter than the first. Not that big of a deal. But there is no cracking in the clear on this one and intonation is close but not right.
Funny how my Epiphones have always been right on.

 

[An Abiding Dude]

Well number two showed up today. How can a guitar leave the factory with the bridge pick up up so high that it is rubbing on the strings? Just makes me mad especially when there is a little white card in the case that was checked OK. And speaking of the case, it is a bit different TKL made in Canada and is already pealing where there was not enough glue at the seam. I do not think it sounds as good as the first one. Oh yes this one has no screws in the bridge. The first one had screws in the bridge. They were pushed back so far the front of the bridge was on the body. Maybe no screws is a good thing?

The Good... I believe this one is a 1 piece body and this one comes in at 6.12 Lbs. about 7 Oz lighter than the first. Not that big of a deal. But there is no cracking in the clear on this one and intonation is close but not right.
Funny how my Epiphones have always been right on.

There's another thread on here I started right around when I bought my Iommi Special when it first came out. No screws in the bridge. I contacted Gibson and they sent me another brand new bridge with the screws in it. But I think I was a one off and that others who did the same thing just got a set of screws. I think in some cases, if exposed to a lot of vibration, the set screws in the P90s can vibrate loose, or maybe Gibson QC has gone off the rails...again.

 

[skelt101]

I purchased a used Iommi SG Special that, unfortunately, didn’t include the screws. Since it wasn’t new, Gibson wasn’t able to help me. Here are the screws I bought:
uxcell M3x14mm Machine Screws Pan Phillips Cross Head Screw 304 Stainless Steel Fasteners Bolts 30Pcs

 

[Gary Gretsch]

There's another thread on here I started right around when I bought my Iommi Special when it first came out. No screws in the bridge. I contacted Gibson and they sent me another brand new bridge with the screws in it. But I think I was a one off and that others who did the same thing just got a set of screws. I think in some cases, if exposed to a lot of vibration, the set screws in the P90s can vibrate loose, or maybe Gibson QC has gone off the rails...again.

How about the pole pieces on your P90s were they also raised up pretty high? I noticed the screws that hold the pickup screwed in without any effort. Same thing on a Les Paul Special I recently got.

 

[An Abiding Dude]

How about the pole pieces on your P90s were they also raised up pretty high? I noticed the screws that hold the pickup screwed in without any effort. Same thing on a Les Paul Special I recently got.

Compared to conventional P90s, yeah, they look super high, a just under an eighth of an inch above the cover plate. My pole pieces were very stiff to the point where it is almost impossible to lower them. The few quarter turns I was able to achieve made this waxy substance ooze out from between the pole piece and the pick up cover, but it was so stiff what little turn I was able to achieve was negligible. I wonder if it was by a design choice to make them sound hotter than they are, because, as far as I am able to discern, they're just standard Gibson P90s with chrome cover plates, not any kind of special Iommi wound pickup or any attempt to duplicate the custom wound pickups by John Birch or J.D. Diggins that you'd find in the $20,000 custom shop run of the Monkey.

 

[skelt101]

Compared to conventional P90s, yeah, they look super high, a just under an eighth of an inch above the cover plate. My pole pieces were very stiff to the point where it is almost impossible to lower them. The few quarter turns I was able to achieve made this waxy substance ooze out from between the pole piece and the pick up cover, but it was so stiff what little turn I was able to achieve was negligible. I wonder if it was by a design choice to make them sound hotter than they are, because, as far as I am able to discern, they're just standard Gibson P90s with chrome cover plates, not any kind of special Iommi wound pickup or any attempt to duplicate the custom wound pickups by John Birch or J.D. Diggins that you'd find in the $20,000 custom shop run of the Monkey.

The waxy substance is just wax potting to help reduce microphonics at high gain/volume levels. Perfectly normal. The pickups in my Iommi Special were setup the same way. I never heard or read anything official, but I'm pretty sure Gibson set the polepieces high in order to help the pickups look more similar to the John Birch models in Tony's original Monkey guitar. I actually had the polepieces setup the same way in my old Burgundy SG Special before I sold it. To my ears, it helped with clarity of the pickups.

 

[An Abiding Dude]

The waxy substance is just wax potting to help reduce microphonics at high gain/volume levels. Perfectly normal. The pickups in my Iommi Special were setup the same way. I never heard or read anything official, but I'm pretty sure Gibson set the polepieces high in order to help to pickups look more similar to the John Birch models in Tony's original Monkey guitar. I actually had the polepieces setup the same way in my old Burgundy SG Special before I sold it. To my ears, it helped with clarity of the pickups.

Yeah, I was kind of aware of the potting wax, although I didn't understand what its exact purpose was, but it makes sense, seeing the "potted" and "unpotted" designation now and again. The un-adjustability of the pole pieces is kind of annoying, especially if you're just trying to adjust them to the fretboard radius and/or to match the output of your other guitars so you can plug in and play on the fly. But it is what it is, and I love the guitar itself.

 

[Gary Gretsch]

Well that is good to know. The second one has a chunk out of the clear where they peeled away the the tape between the binding and rosewood. I just can not believe how bad Gibson is it is so aggravating. I am not sure what to do. Maybe I should fix this one myself and keep it. I don't know. I never had problems with Epiphone guitars for one quarter the price.

 

[SGBreadfan]

Man, that’s a bummer another one with issues! If where you bought it from has a good exchange policy, sending it back for another could be a real consideration. I sent back four Standards (batwings) a few years ago because of inexcusable QC stuff, Gibson QC is still wildly inconsistent unfortunately. Also, the screws with my Iommi came in the case and not pre installed. I hope it gets sorted out one way or another, these are great guitars when they get them right. As far as the P90’s, it’s possible that they may be wound differently than the standard P90’s found on the standard Specials etc. Would be nice if Gibson could give us an answer about that.

 

[skelt101]

Man, that’s a bummer another one with issues! If where you bought it from has a good exchange policy, sending it back for another could be a real consideration. I sent back four Standards (batwings) a few years ago because of inexcusable QC stuff, Gibson QC is still wildly inconsistent unfortunately. Also, the screws with my Iommi came in the case and not pre installed. I hope it gets sorted out one way or another, these are great guitars when they get them right. As far as the P90’s, it’s possible that they may be wound differently than the standard P90’s found on the standard Specials etc. Would be nice if Gibson could give us an answer about that.

As far as I could tell, the only things unique about the pickups in the Iommi SG Special are the covers and the way the polepieces are set. They sounded remarkably similar to the P90s in a Sparkling Burgundy SG Special that I had at the same time. And totally agree about these being great guitars when the QC is right. Mine comes closest to Custom Shop quality of any USA model I've owned!

 

[Gary Gretsch]

Well number 3 finally arrived and although I have only had this one less than a day I think it is a winner. I have not found any cracking or chips in this one. It has a two piece body but I think this one actually has the nicest grain. Even better than number two which had a one piece body and was the lightest of the bunch. Number three is the heaviest 7.04 Lbs. but may have the mellowest sound. and best vibes. Also the nicest clear coat of the three

 

[Gary Gretsch]

Number 3 Going back. Same problem. Clear where the binding meats the rosewood is starting to chip. Only other guitar I have with binding on the fretboard is a Gretsch. I have had it about a year and that one is perfect with no problems. Is this a common issue with Gibson or is this a bad run?

 

[SGBreadfan]

Damn, that’s unfortunate. No kind of issues like that with mine and haven’t heard of anyone else w/ that kind of issue. Maybe order from a different retailer and see if you have better luck?

 

[An Abiding Dude]

Number 3 Going back. Same problem. Clear where the binding meats the rosewood is starting to chip. Only other guitar I have with binding on the fretboard is a Gretsch. I have had it about a year and that one is perfect with no problems. Is this a common issue with Gibson or is this a bad run?

That's a drag, it must be incredibly frustrating. I bought mine right after they first came out because I thought they were going to be a limited run like the custom shop. Been about two years now and no problem like you describe, still in excellent shape finish-wise. Somebody on the assembly-line is asleep at the wheel these days. Maybe give up, save $1,500 and buy an Epiphone?

 

[Gary Gretsch]

That's a drag, it must be incredibly frustrating. I bought mine right after they first came out because I thought they were going to be a limited run like the custom shop. Been about two years now and no problem like you describe, still in excellent shape finish-wise. Somebody on the assembly-line is asleep at the wheel these days. Maybe give up, save $1,500 and buy an Epiphone?

That was a thought. I have never had a Epiphone with problems. Iol.

 

[Decadent Dan]

I’d tell them that’s 3 strikes, they’re out.
What a shame. I would call Gibson and ask them why they can’t get it right.
I mean damn, they’re basically charging an extra thousand dollars for a monkey sticker. You’d think the lacquer would be flawless.