Tony Iommi Old Boy SG Bass in a day or two

[locust1313]

Here's how I did it. You can too. Grab your Epiphone EB3 and take off all the strings and anything plastic, except the nut. Get some mild sandpaper and sand the bridge, pickups, tuner keys, and string tree tops til they have an antique look. Walk across the room and pry up a tone knob off your squier strat. Grab two silver knarled edge knobs off another squier or cheap BC Rich Warlock. Paint one flat black.

Go to Radio Shack and buy two big black knobs like in the picture. Find a piece of thin plexi glass plastic and trace your pickguard onto it with a razor blade, I lightly clamped mine down. Cut it out with a saw, use it on a fast speed and go slow. In a few cuss words you'll be done with that. Sand the edges so they wont cut you. Set the original pickguard on top and mark the holes. Drill each hole just big enough for the threads to fit through barely.

Put a couple of layers of tin foil over the rear cover to protect the wiring, etc from fire. Tape it down.
Grab your live Black Sabbath cd and remove the guitar pick, I ended up putting a piece of tape on the back of it to keep it from sliding around under the pickguard. Grab two more black pics if you dont have any more Sabbath picks. Get some White Out and paint a cross on one pick. Grab your wife, mom, or daughters red nail polish- I used an orangy color, and paint another cross on the other pick. I considered attempting Tonys signature for 1.5 seconds. Let dry. Tape some layers of tin foil over the cheap plastic nut so it dont melt.

Now, confidently take your prepped bass or guitar to the garage and set it down on a flat metal table. Don't worry about scratching the beautiful black paint. Just dont throw it around, its not a telecaster. Mine plays exactly the same as before, and I have no regrets to this backwoods antiquing method. If anything I've added worth and mojo to my bass.

Start your cutting torch, use a white and blue flame. Calmly go back and forth on the paint, one side at a time while simultaneously blowing out the flames that try to catch it on fire. You want the layer of paint to come up on its own. Dont be too thorough cause you dont want to melt wiring, etc. Also, you want the finish to look rough like the instrument barely escaped a fire, or has been to hell and back. Lets assume you have proper ventilation and not as many brain cells left to lose from any fumes you experience. Use a scraper to help up most of the more difficult sections.

The paint on the headstock did not come up, nor did I try to force it. Just be happy with it bubbling and flaking. Do both sides carefully. Stop to drink a beer and console yourself that you didnt just blow $300. It's not a Gibson megabuck guitar, so no worries. Go back over the newly exposed wood to darken it. Burn it, dont be afraid. Just go lighter near the back cover and by the neck. Let some paint stay in those areas. Rub the black ash into the wood. Blow the dust off and run a fan to hasten the cooling process.

Assemble like in the pics, then calmly walk up to your guitar tech with the instrument and have him do a set up. You may have to answer some questions. Use your imagination and let fly with a good story to pacify him. Thats it, now give JD Guitars a call letting them know to cancel your order. Spend the next year wearing black so you dont notice the ash stains, actually it's not that bad. Heres mine before and after the burn process. Clicking on each pic will allow you to see it very close with a zoom function, if you didnt know. Enjoy

[guitarbob123]

Even I can't be arsed to correct all that. Make it legible please.

[locust1313]

I could care less if you correct it. Here are more pics.

[Dino Velvet]

And why is this under Other Gibsons.

[icantbuyafender]

Originally Posted by Dino Velvet

And why is this under Other Gibsons.

cause tony dont play a 'paula.

[locust1313]

adding pics

[locust1313]

more pics more pics

[locust1313]

continuance of pics Old Boy EB3

[locust1313]

more Old Boy EB3 Pics, not to be redundant but each pic is interesting

[locust1313]

almost done here

[locust1313]

more before pics.
and yes there are only 3 strings on it that day.
also a funny concert pic.

[benjammin420]

looks great

[Phoenix59]

Using a blowtorch on an instrument? No thank you. I'm not insane enough to do that.

[benjammin420]

Originally Posted by Phoenix59

Using a blowtorch on an instrument? No thank you. I'm not insane enough to do that.

at least it wasn't an LP

[Shane]

Looks great. Wouldn't do it myself mind, but still looks great

[A string bounce]

Am I missing something here???? When did Tony Iommi play bass??????

[A string bounce]

OK I get it now.

[locust1313]

Lets try to think outside the box. Anyone have details/specs on the P-Bass that Geezer had that was before his new sunburst P-Bass and used on the first album? Just curious, nothing to do with SGs. I am happy with my bass and hope it inspires folks. Of course Tony didnt play bass, jeeze you guys.
Thank you to everyone who likes the results. I was also nervous about taking such drastic measures to achieve this. But I have to say, I like what character the flames brought out of the wood. It plays very well and has a special feel, more real. Basically.

[A string bounce]

His back!!!!

[benjammin420]

Originally Posted by locust1313

Anyone have details/specs on the P-Bass that Geezer had that was before his new sunburst P-Bass and used on the first album?

it was a 68 I believe, with the finish removed, I dont know if he removed it himself or if he bought it that way

[A string bounce]

Originally Posted by locust1313

lets try to think outside the box you arrived in. Anyone have details/specs on the p-bass that geezer had that was before his new sunburst p-bass and used on the first album? Just curious, nothing to do with sgs. I am happy with my bass and hope it inspires folks. Of course tony didnt play bass, jeeze you guys. Git yer pedicured hands dirty and live yer life fer christs sake!

vlcsnap-2010-11-11-16h26m09s8.jpg

[locust1313]

Thanks for the Geezer pic. Ive seen that video before. Sabbath inspired me more than any other band.

[locust1313]

Since this Bass was made in honor of my favorite guitarist of all time- Tony Iommi, I am going to add some pics of him and his guitars. I don't own these pics and you may have already seen them. Enjoy

[locust1313]

here's more

[locust1313]

And a few more

[Sterling # Sound]

how about this?

[benjammin420]

[locust1313]

Originally Posted by Sterling # Sound

how about this?

Oh yes, I like. Where'd you get the monkey sticker?

[locust1313]

Maybe this needs a new post. I noticed on Tony Iommi's Old Boy SG that on the pickguard it looked like he might have a "body contact". It's something that you touch and the sound changes through a circuit. Usually used in Circuit Bent keyboards and electronic toys. It is usually a small circular flat bit of metal that you simply touch to change the sound coming out of the instrument. It looks like Tony has one on the pickguard. Anyone else notice this? Obviously he doesn't need any more magic to produce the awesome array of sounds coming from his SG. Just noticed it and wondered.

[OldBenKenobi]

You are goddamn crazy.



I dig crazy. You got balls.