“​​The deal was if I wanted it back, I could let him know and buy it back. He passed away and Hard Rock Cafe knew nothing about the deal”: Tony Iommi tried to reclaim his iconic Gibson ‘Monkey’ SG but wasn’t allowed – because the person he sold it to died

Tony Iommi with his signature Gibson SG.

Tony Iommi’s Gibson ‘Monkey’ SG might be the most iconic electric guitar he’s ever been associated with across his storied career, but – at the time of writing – the Black Sabbath legend no longer actually owns it.

And that’s not for a lack of trying: as Iommi explains in the new issue of Guitar World, he once tried to reclaim his SG from its current custodian, but he wasn’t allowed.