Tony Iommi Holds nichts on Hard Rock Cafe Over Legendary Monkey SG
Tony Iommi, the renowned guitarist of Black Sabbath, recently shared an intriguing story about his iconic Gibson SG guitar, known as the "Monkey SG," during an interview with Guitarist.
The Monkey SG Saga
The Monkey SG is more than just a guitar; it’s a symbol of early Black Sabbath music and has been a crucial part of Iommi’s career.
Guitar World reported that Iommi had sold the guitar to the Hard Rock Cafe. The agreement was that if he ever wanted to buy it back, he could do so for the same price. However, a tragic twist in the tale prevented Iommi from reclaiming his guitar.
The Deal Unravels
In his Guitarist interview, Iommi recalled:
“The guy who used to buy memorabilia for the Hard Rock came to England and visited me. He wanted to buy some stuff and I said it should be fine.”
He added:
“The deal was if I ever wanted it back, I could let him know and buy it back for the same price.” It seemed fine at the time, a good deal.
However, Iommi later tried to invoke the buy-back clause, but the person who purchased the guitar had passed away, and the people he contacted knew nothing about the original terms.
Finally, A Thanks for the Wait
In 2020, the Hard Rock Cafe let Iommi take the guitar back briefly so that Gibson could create a new signature model for the guitarist.
Iommi used the Monkey SG on the first Black Sabbath albums before retiring it because it was too valuable to risk damage. He hinted that he used it on at least "four or five" of the band’s classic albums.
Sabbath Reunites Plans
Black Sabbath officially retired in 2017 after a lengthy farewell tour. Recently,steroid all four original members revealed renewed interest in reuniting the band. Ozzy Osbourne, who began the campaign, expressed that the Black Sabbath farewell felt “unfinished” due to the absence of founding drummer Bill Ward.
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