Tony Iommi Fights To Reclaim Iconic “Monkey” Guitar From Hard Rock Café, Deal In Limbo After Collector’s Passing

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is facing a roadblock in retrieving his iconic 1964 Gibson “Monkey” SG guitar, which he used to craft some of the most famous riffs in heavy metal history. In a recent interview with Guitar World, Iommi shared his frustration with the Hard Rock Café, which now owns the prized instrument but is unwilling to honor a past deal that allowed him to buy it back at any time.

According to Iommi, the original agreement was made with a memorabilia collector who has since passed away, leading the Hard Rock Café to deny knowledge of the buy-back arrangement. “I retired the Monkey SG because it was too valuable to take on tour, and the deal seemed fair—display it safely and buy it back if I wanted,” Iommi explained. However, despite his efforts to retrieve it, the guitar remains out of his reach.

The Hard Rock Café has since made replicas of the Monkey SG, a rare edition featuring the original’s distinctive stickers and battle-worn look. While Iommi holds two of these replicas, he emphasizes that nothing compares to owning the original guitar he used to shape Black Sabbath’s sound on their early albums.

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The situation has sparked interest among fans, many of whom view the Monkey SG as a legendary piece of rock history. As Iommi continues his quest to reclaim this cherished instrument, he remains optimistic about a resolution that will finally bring his guitar home.

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