The Gibson Custom Shop “Monkey SG” is a highly limited recreation of Tony Iommi’s famous modified 1964 SG Special, originally nicknamed “Monkey” and used extensively in the early Black Sabbath era. It is one of the most accurate factory tributes ever made to his original instrument.

This is nr 20 of 25 and comes from the 1st owner. Unplayed collectors condition.

Production numbers

Only 50 guitars were built worldwide in total, divided evenly:

• 25 left-handed versions
• 25 right-handed versions

Each instrument was individually aged, signed, and numbered as part of this strictly limited run.

Artist involvement

Each guitar was:

• signed by Tony Iommi
• individually numbered by hand
• based directly on detailed measurements and wear patterns of the original guitar

This makes it a true artist-supervised Custom Shop replica rather than a standard signature model.

Construction highlights

The guitar is based on a vintage SG Special platform and typically includes:

• Mahogany body and neck
• Rosewood fingerboard
• Dual pickup configuration modeled after the original modified setup
• Lightweight construction similar to Iommi’s original “Monkey” SG
• Period-correct hardware and aged finish
• Left-handed configuration matching Iommi’s playing orientation

Sound & feel

The design aims to replicate Tony Iommi’s early heavy tone:

• thick, mid-focused SG character
• strong sustain and harmonic richness
• slightly aggressive, vintage-driven breakup
• lightweight feel for long playing comfort

It reflects the practical adaptations Iommi made due to his playing style and finger injuries, which influenced his preference for low tension and fast response.

Collectibility

This model is considered highly collectible because:

• extremely limited production (50 total worldwide)
• direct association with Tony Iommi’s most iconic guitar
• each unit is signed and numbered by the artist
• equal scarcity in left-handed and right-handed versions