Gibson SG Standard '61 - Vintage Cherry Reviews

I used to have an awesome Les Paul back in the day but the weight killed me. I play pro for last 10 years I have several Nash Godin fender and out of all this is my favorite to play. It just feels special. It can growl hard on the bridge pu and on the neck gives you that classic paf sound even great for jazz. Both together gives you a beautiful out of phase tone. The price is right for this too. Finish is stunning and this is super light weight. The Plek job done on it was fantastic frets are perfect. I did have to adjust the pickups and set up the neck and string height, but that's standard. Great guitar!!

Very nice upper fret access and the burstbuckers sound great! The neck is still plenty thick enough to fill the hand but easy to get your thumb behind. Add in the hard case and I think the 61 is well worth the couple hundred dollar difference over the regular standard!

This guitar has great intonation and action right out of the box. I did not notice any imperfections. The pickups sound great through my amp. I was nervous about buying a guitar in this price range without playing it in person first, but I am glad that I gave it a chance. I was surprised at the good quality of the case, but I suppose that was because I was not expecting much from the included case.
Overall, I'm happy with this instrument and looking forward to many years with my new SG!

Guitar arrived in about 2 days time. Once I opened the case and inspected the guitar I was very pleased with what I was holding in my hand. The guitar was flawless and very well attended to before it left the Sweetwater facility. I will be doing business with Sweetwater again in the not too distant future. Thank you Andy and the Sweetwater staff, for your assistance and professionalism, you'll be hearing from me again in the next couple of weeks.

I've had my 61 SG reissue for a few weeks now and already need a fret job.... Just kiddin! But my fingers are about worn out. Thanks for all your help Lucas Payson, your a fine representative for Sweetwater. P.S the Les Paul is sweet too!

My SG Standard '61 has an awesomely clear sound, better than many of my other guitars (OK, not better than my LP). The neck is very comfortable, the setup perfect, and I love the Cherry finish. Greg @ Sweetwater helped me pick out the best-looking grain in the body; it's beautiful - thanks Greg.

This is the best guitar I have ever played HANDS DOWN! I have a Fender Telecaster and this far succeeds it in my opinion! It feels very comfortable, and I don't feel neck-dive at all, and from all the SGs I've played, the neck-dive doesn't bother me at all, in fact, I don't even think about it until after I played the guitar, and i think to myself, wait, did I feel neck-dive?? So if you're worried about neck-dive, I'd say go to a local guitar store and try one out. Another thing that is very important, is the sound. This guitar sounds the best out of any guitar I've ever played, even Gibson Les Pauls. It also stays in tune very well if I go to tune it down or do some weird tuning. Also, its a classic. You are guaranteed to get people commenting on the guitar, especially of they are musicians. I went to a guitar center and bought the guitar, about 3 hours away from my house (I know sweetwater, I'm sorry) and I think during the drive home, it messed up the neck so I needed an adjustment, and it comes with a multi tool in the case, and it has a truss rod adjustment tool so it was no problem! There is sooooo much more I could say about this guitar, but long story short, it is beautiful, while looking sick, it sounds off the chart awesome, and it feels amazing! JUST BUY IT ALREADY!!!

I have been playing for many decades and have owned SGs in the past. I am primarily a Strat player, but I wanted to revisit the SG. The quality of this SG Standard 61 is outstanding!

Joel Helton the Sales Engineer did a fantastic job! Great communication! I appreciate the attention to detail!
The guitar arrived on time and the packaging was incredible. I'm very pleased all around!

My first guitar I purchased as a young beginner guitarist was this model guitar. After decades of playing my Fender Strat and Gibson Les Paul, I've finally returned to my first love and it feels like ol' times in my hands! That sound and tonal qualities I've missed for a long time. And thanks to Sweet Waters own Colton Kreuzer, he hooked me up with the perfect fit and model. I highly recommend this guitar to any rising budding guitarist or any seasoned guitarist looking for that perfect fit. Thanks Sweet Water!

P. Sloan
Alabama

Love this guitar. Everything you'd expect from a Gibson classic. Pickups have a nice, edgy growl compared to the standard. Finish is gorgeous. Grateful to Zack and Ben and everyone else at Sweetwater, who are always looking out for me.

Got one of these few years back, preCovid and post Gibson Bankruptcy reorg..It's always been the favorite of my collection—my '57 LP a very close second. The neck is incredible. The tone is a perfect blend of satisfying crunch to sweeeet sustain!

Just got my SG '61 Demo and I got to say IT'S BRAND NEW !!!! can't find one thing wrong with it tuned it up and can't put it down!!! It's in better shape then some of the new ones sent to me by the Gibson factory , Thank you Nate for all your help and patience you are the best!!!

Wanted one for a while now, I truly love this guitar and the awesome case that came with it. Guitar has an awesome sound and feel very balanced. Price was pretty good as well and you will not find better service than Sweetwater.

Quite possibly the best guitar Gibson currently makes! Incredible playability, and tone to die for! Through a cranked tube amp,the the squeals and pinch harmonics are endless, and oh so easy. It's light as a feather, and beautiful to look at! However, after playing it for an hour or more, I find myself reaching for a Les Paul instead! The SG is great, but the Les Paul is still the king!

I've played guitar for almost 50 years and have the pleasure of owning and playing many great guitars. My go to guitars have been Gibson Les Paul Standards. Love the tone, feel, and playability, since my first one in 1974. I also play a 335, PRS 594, Strat, and PRS Paul's guitar. With all these great guitars I've always wanted to add a SG to the family but have been hesitant because I haven't found one that sounded and felt like to my liking. And with the many changes at Gibson that have rumored to affect product quality I've been very hesitant to buy something new. That changed when my Sweetwater sales rep, Nick Dutiel, let me know there was a special on Gibson guitars. I looked at the offering and after a couple days of thinking about it I decided on the lightest SG they had in stock. It showed up at my house 2 days later. When I took it out of the case the fit and finish was first class. The setup was great and the neck was fantastic. Plugged it into two amps and the tones were fantastic. Two days later I played 2 gigs with it over the weekend and 2 more the next week. 4 gigs in 8 days and nothing but joy with every style from R&B to Blues to Rock to Country. On top of all that my bandmates and most importantly my wife love it. If you've ever wanted a SG I suggest you go for it.

Gibson, I am giving you a 5 star on my SG standard 61. I can't believe how it came. Action is perfect. I have no tuning issues and came out of the case flawless. This guitar is amazing.. I play it through a
Marshall DSL 40 and it just blows me away.

Sweetwater never fails me. Thanks Jimmy for taking care of my needs, you guys are awesome.

I have an Epiphone SG Pro that I've played for a number of years and liked just fine. Never felt the need to upgrade to the Gibson because I didn't think it would be worth the expense. Wrong. This rig is an absolute monster…. Fire breathing dragon that was born to be played through a Plexi. No head dive. Easy access to the upper register. Light weight…like REALLY light weight compared to an LP. Played perfectly right out of the box…thank you Sweetwater quality department! Couldn't be happier with this guitar.

First off let me start by saying it is always a pleasure dealing with Bryan Campbell at Sweetwater.
He always picks up his phone and is very helpful.

Now, I must say that after reviewing and ordering my new SG 61, I was extremely impressed.
The guitar was almost still in tune upon receiving it.
It is the nicest sounding guitar I have ever owned.
No need for a setup. Action was right on out of the box. No regrets on this end.
Go get yourself one !!!

The '61 SG is already a famously "sick" guitar for rock, blues and metal. The tone is amazing, and along with the looks, inspires when dialing in Black Sabbath and Cream tones, not to mention Freddy King, and yes modern metal imo. This Demo was as described, and really, is what one would expect when buying a new guitar from a brick and mortar store where other customers have handled it before finding a home. Sweeetwater really stands out, especially on being able to see the exact guitar -new and "demos" -- you are getting before it's delivered. Thank you!

Guitar #15 for me; and I wanted an SG (second Gibson, the other an LP '50s). This guitar was awesome for a standard issue, medium-high priced guitar. Did some shopping, and the price was good. Action was perfect (I usually tinker with the truss rod and bridge to get it right, but this was right, right outta' the box). Just need to make some slight intonation adjustments, but pretty close. The LP I got previously from GC was WAY out of setup and also had a loose pickup switch. Not sure if the better setup was an accident or a Sweetwater function, but I'll give them credit for it since they do the 55-point test (they provide a copy and signoff of the checklist). I love that Sweetwater lets you look at the grain online to pick what best appeals to you. Fast shipping, excellent packing, great company service. I'll be back again...

Excellent workmanship. Nut was cut well, fretwork is nice, electronics work cleanly, neck is solid. Well built.

As always, Sweetwater did an excellent job of packing, too: the guitar traveled 700+ miles via Fed Ex. And after opening the outer box, removing the large form-fit shipping foam inserts, then opening the Gibson box and removing its shipping inserts, I found an SG that was still in tune.
This is my 5th Gibson; my first was purchased in 1974 (sadly, I no longer have the oldest ones).

And this guitar is the one I've enjoyed playing the most. I've owned a couple of ES345's, a couple of Les Pauls, a couple of ES335's. The rest were Gibson basses. As with all the Gibsons I've owned, the craftsmanship of this one is exceptional. I can't find a single flaw. Sound is what you expect from a Gibson and playability is unmatched by any other guitar of any brand I've owned. It came perfectly set up right out of the box. I've bought and sold a couple of dozen guitars over the years, but this one is a keeper.

I originally purchased the Epiphone 1961 SG Les Paul Standard, but it had problems from the get-go. It arrived to me with a broken volume knob and a crack in the neck by the nut. Anyway, unbeknownst to me, my parents had planned on buying me the one I really wanted (this one) but I jumped the gun on the Epiphone. So I returned it and they bought me this one. Sweetwater overnighted it.

This one is absolutely wonderful. It plays amazing and it sounds amazing. It looks killer. I have very few complaints and am giving it five stars.

The only complaints I have with it are the knobs are a bit stiffer than I like but not sure if that's how all Gibsons are or if they will smooth out after awhile. Also, I can't get a straight answer on if the hum I get from the pickups when not playing is normal or not. I checked the grounding and the DC resistance on the pickups and the wiring and all looks good so I'm thinking this is normal. Again, never had a Gibson before with these pickups.

If you're trying to decide between getting this one and the regular standard, spend the extra $. Upgraded wiring, hard case, and much better pickups. I can't stress enough how good these pickups are. This guitar came set up extremely well. Very happy with my purchase. I guarantee you the other online shops don't quality check like Sweetwater does. I also like that they show you pics of each guitar as well as weight so you can choose the exact one you want.

I love this Gibson SG Standard '61 - Vintage Cherry guitar. Sweetwater's Alden Debee is a great Sales Engineer and friend. He's helped me with every question I've had. From setting up my peddle board to selecting guitars.

Wow, absolutely gorgeous! The QA on this guitar exceeded my expectations (honestly). The extra care taken on packaging couldn't be better on Sweetwater's end as well. My guitar was delivered in temperatures at 18 below zero. I let it sit a couple of days in its box. When I pulled it out and inspected it... guitar was still in tune (hahaha), set up was perfect, and the finish looks better in person. I'd planned on swapping out pickups ahead of time. I've changed my mind after playing it. These 60's Burstbuckers are as good as it gets (for unpotted A5's). Also- it was a bonus to get the brown classic Gibson case with it. If you guy's plan on having premium gear delivered through mail (Fender/Gibson USA and Custom Shop, etc)... go with Sweetwater for your source please (or you may be rolling the dice).

I've lusted for this guitar since I played it in a local store a few years ago. It just felt right. It plays so easily and just sounds amazing. Get a leather or similar strap if you play standing up to avoid the neck dive. I got the Gibson leather strap, and it works great. I love my Strat Pro, my Tele Ultra, and now this SG. All are different and it's completely overkill for me to have all three, but this SG is different enough from the others that I play differently on it.

I would buy this again in a heartbeat. Shout out to Bryan Campbell, my sales engineer. He's always given me unbiased recommendations and he has my loyalty.

I usually don't do reviews, but super-stoked after receiving this demo. Absolutely the best player I have ever owned, and as sweetwater would know….that is a lot of guitars. The tone is exactly what you'd expect from vintage SG. Guitar was better than described, an J Demott was awesome as usual. Don't hesitate on this one…..it is worth every penny!!!

Best overall guitar I've ever purchased and with it being Plek'd straight from Gibson USA, a luxury I don't ever get being historically a Fender fan and owner(nothing special, just a couple 21' American Performers, Tele and Strat, 1 each, and an 89' Strat HM.). It sounds perfect straight out of the hard shell case and the case candy is an added bonus. I love that "tuning fork" look and sound. Also, Sweetwater is more accommodating than I could have ever imagined. If I got a bill in the mail I'd probably just pay it without questioning it. Sweetwater product buyer for life from now on. The 61' BurstBuckers sound like nothing else. You can't go wrong with the Gibson SG Standard '61 - Vintage Cherry. It's absolutely a steal

By far the best guitar I own and I have quite a few. What can I say, The fit and finish is perfect. The neck is a dream to play on but the pickups, Oh those pickups sound absolutely fantastic. Clear and articulate by far the best pickups that I have heard. Light weight with a fast neck, I highly recommend this SG. The color and nitro is awesome.
I usually change strings first thing on a new axe but not on this. I did lower the action to my liking and raised the tail piece a bit for easier bends but that is all I needed to do. I do like the tuners and will be keeping them. The case is nice but not really made for alot of traveling but does the job for me. All said I give this SG a 5 star plus, just love it.

An absolutely beauty! As a teenager I always wanted one but it was always difficult for me to choose the one I wanted because of the finish. I want to take the opportunity to thank Michael Perski who made this purchase possible. I was very picky with choosing the SG I wanted and Mr. Perski made it possible for me to receive one of my dream guitars with the finish I wanted on it. He absolutely provided fast and great customer service. The SG looks great and sounds great! I am ready to play some classic rock and other pieces on this beautiful guitar. Thank you again Michael Perski and Sweetwater for making this possible! I am off to make some music.

The Best Guitar That's What I Think !!!!!

I've had my Gibson's SG 61 reissue for several years now. This guitar will take anything you throw at it music wise. It's light weigh, It has a fast tapered neck, and it sounds and plays like a dream. I have a collection of about 20 guitars. Out of my 3 Gibson electrics (a LesPaul custom, a Gibson SG Tribute and this 61 reissue) I consider this one to be an extention of my body, and my favorite guitar out of my collection.
Maybe I got lucky and the guy that built it, was having a good day. I don't know? But Wow!
Keep in mind I had a professional setup done on it, but other than that noI just can't say enough good things about this guitar.
This one is with me for life. I even told the wife, I want this one in my casket with me when I pass. Because I am not to keen on the idea of playing a harp for eternity. LOL

The SG has always been a great guitar, and i say that in a room full of Fenders. This 61 was Plek'd just like all the new Gibsons seem to be and it shows. Too bad the new Fenders i have bought went straight to a luthier for fret buzz. Really?? I actually raised the action on this SG. That's a first for me. Plays like butter. Felt the pups were a bit edgy bright for my taste so i swapped the 61s for a pair of 57s. Now its my perfect SG. This along with my single P90 LP Jr and a standard LP gives me all the Gibson sounds i like. I added a Bigsby tremolo to it and its right where i want it now.

I just had one show up at the crib and it's quite impressive…. I saw one on here that only weighed 6lb's4oz and I knew I had to have it. The light weight guitars are ones I'm always after but the things that have really impressed me are the tuning stability, the pickups , and playability are superb. Thank the good lord for sweet water.

In 2014 I bought an SG Standard, which I sold in 2016. It was a great guitar. I regret selling it. So I wanted another SG. I am soooo glad I bought the 1961 SG Standard because it is much better! The build quality is better than the regular Standard (it's flawless). Perfect set up. Low action. Stays in tune. And the pickups are fantastic! Pickups have the traditional Gibson slightly scooped mids with tight lows and a slightly bright attack. Pure sweetness. Anyone who wants a really nice SG that's better than the Special or regular Standard might want to consider this one. No regrets this time!

I ordered a Gibson standard '61 SG demo from Sweetwater and I'm so happy with this guitar.
For a discounted demo, it's flawless.
My sales tech Sean was far and beyond the best person to deal with on this piece.
I'm extremely happy with not only my purchase, but the quality, fit and finish of my Gibson SG.
Thank you Sweetwater as I appreciate the 55 point inspection/setup of my new guitar.
It actually came to my home on perfect tune.

I've never bought a new Gibson I kept. All the ones prior were varying levels of sloppy. Gibson seems to be back on track. This guitar is great. Light, fast, sounds killer. Now I just need to find all the extra notes that Derek Trucks' SG came with. :) Over all, another GREAT Sweetwater experience. Gibson is still on probation with me, but this is a huge step in the right direction.

The last SG I had fell off a Marshall stack in 1968 and the body cracked thru on both sides of the neck. I went the Les Paul route and never looked back until now. I liked what I read about this SG and since my favorite music store had a supply I bought one. I sometimes make poor decisions (like using the top of a Marshall stack for a guitar stand), but this was one of my best. The fit and finish are perfect, once I lowered the action the play-ability is perfect, and of course the transaction with Sweetwater was perfect. This SG has everything made right that in some views had gone wrong. Hard case, audio taper pots, orangedrop caps to name a few. This thing sounds great, plays great, looks great and helps my back. Bottom line is I had thought before I got it I might put a P-94 in the bridge, but that '61 humbucker has plenty of bite and pop.

When I was in high school 30 some years ago, I saved all my money from odd jobs to buy the 30-year 61 reissue anniversary version of this Gibson SG '61. I eventually sold it to cover rent or buy beer or something stupid which I always regretted. When I saw this guitar on the site and compared it to some old photos it was the same guitar and had to have it. So light and easy to play and hard to put down, strange how a hunk of wood can make you smile. I'm pretending it's the same guitar from long ago, just super shiny.

Bought this a few weeks ago. It plays wonderfully and is comfortable to hold. Light as a feather and contoured body doesn't dig into the forearm like tops of the Les Paul. Glad I bought it. You'll be glad too. It's a classic.

I always wanted a nice guitar and I purchased this. I am amazed how easy it plays. The tuning keys are smooth and all strings ring. I can feel the vibrations throughout the whole guitar when played. Awesome tone on both humbucker pick ups, switches work. The sweetwater folks were great and my beautiful guitar was set up perfectly!

Ordering this thing from Sweetwater was the best decision I could have made. They've sold me on ordering everything from them from now on.

I had to wait a couple of months for Gibson to get it to them but my sales guy Ian was always quick to respond and helpful when I had a question or wanted an update. When it did come in they sent me a bunch of pics of the guitar, nicely lit and everything, looking ready for a magazine. It arrived in 2 days.

Initially I was really nervous about shipping an expensive guitar but I had nothing to worry about. They packaged it in its hard shell case, in the gibson box with bubble wrap, then put that in another box with harder foam packaging. I think they could throw that off of a building and it would be fine. The sweetwater box was also plain brown with a black fragile printed on the outside. No labels or anything, so you'd have no idea that it was a guitar. I really liked that.

All in all, sweetwater was a joy to do business with.

The guitar itself is perfect in every way. I can't find a single flaw anywhere. perfect finish, no weird marks or anything, the frets are the nicest frets i've played on, which is to be expected since Gibson Pleks their guitars. If you're like me and are used to mid range instruments with less than perfect frets, this will blow you away. The case is also shockingly well made, I wasn't expecting this for a free included case. Gibson has really really impressed me with this thing, which is my first Gibson. It's looking like I'm a Gibson guy now. Worth the extra money hands down. Also the case candy was nice. The multi-tool is a really cool thing.

10/10 all around. Thank you Sweetwater and thank you Gibson. The wait was worth it.

Love this guitar. Easy to play and great Gibson sound.

in my opinion...this is the ultimate SG. Light,responsive and just fun to play. My wife picked out the the perfect SG for me. She is cool that way.

Ok so having had several Les Paul's and high end strats as well as a 2020 SG standard I can honestly say this guitar is well worth the money. Gibson kind of killed the SG standard for me by fattening the neck so much. So wanting an SG with a thinner neck I bought this one the '61. It plays great, sounds incredible and looks outstanding. It has a great blues rock sound as well as a awesome metal sound. It's thin neck is so easy to play and so very comfortable. The sounds you can get out of this SG is so smooth and sultry that it just works. It is light weight and just looks great. So a 5 out of 5 for me and add in the great deal I got from Sweetwater and I am very happy! For my money this was a great buy and addition to my collection.

Had a rare opportunity to actually visit the Sweetwater store and man was it impressive?! After driving from the east coast I took the opportunity to go check out what I describe as the IKEA of music stores. Everything in the store is top notch from the amazing entry to the cafeteria and the coffee shop. Although a few very minor and not related to music areas are closed due to COVID, the crew and the experience were amazing. Andrew and Jake made sure I had an opportunity to put my hands on half a dozen guitars that were of interest to me. Since my playing is still developing, Andrew played every guitar I asked about to demonstrate their full potential. I also played each one before finally getting the choice down to two. The dual 490 humbuckers, deep tones, and slim design of this SG made it a clear favorite and the deal Sweetwater gave me sealed the deal. This potentially once in a lifetime experience was all I expected and more.

Beautiful guitar and sounds great to. Buying a guitar online is not the most ideal way to buy a guitar without putting your hands on first but I know I can buy with confidence from sweat water. I asked my sales engineer Brian Sheehan if he could pick out the lightest one they had and he did. And he sent pictures of the actual guitar I purchased. Free super fast shipping. I ordered on a Friday and picked up from fedx the following Monday. Great deal all the way around. I love the way this guitar plays and it is now one of the lightest electric guitars I own.

Thanks again Brian and thanks to everybody at sweat water.

Absolutely a beautiful guitar. Mike at Sweetwater was extremely helpful. The SG played like a dream right out of the box. I will definitely use Sweetwater for all my musical needs in the future.

Great guitar, I really like it

Everything I hoped for ... loving life right now. Great setup by the team at Sweetwater, couldn't be happier.

Wonderful in every way; finish is flawless, construction is supreme and no rough spots, glitches, discoloring, weak spots on neck, body, headstock, electronics are smooth and pickups are super responsive and vintage esq quality. Really well balanced weight, neck doesn’t swing up or down when sitting or standing. Great case as well.
I’ve played slide on it and this guitar can get all the blues, country and rock tones desired. Finger style and picked, just what I was looking for.

This guitar is light yet heavy! Light in weight (5.4lbs) yet heavy on tone! Fret access is second to none, and the way it sits around the shoulder and turns to the side is a players dream for live work. The Audio-Taper pots are magic for tone shaping and gain staging. Ty is THE GUITAR TO OWN! Glad I bought mine from Sweetwater!

Great guitar!!! I've had this for a while now and I can't believe how good it sounds and plays. First things first, The issue I've had with the 2019 Gibson production is that the last 2019 models I got from Gibson had an overwhelming smell of lacquer or whatever is used to finish the guitar. Shout out to my Sales Engineer Tiberius Huiu for making sure I got a guitar that did not have this smelly issue (Whoever is in charge of Managing the reviews please high five Tiberius on my behalf)
-The first thing I noticed after picking this guitar up is how light it is, which is great cause I have lower back problems caused by a car accident.
-Next, the sustain on this model is just amazing, I was a little concerned because the bridge is advertised by Gibson as an ABR-1 bridge but it is actually mounted Nashville style, this concerned went away as soon as I strummed a couple cords and played a some licks, the sustain in this thing is amazing.
-The neck and binding are beyond perfect, no dead spots or sharp fret edges. The play-ability is effortless and the neck profile and neck heel allows some fast playing on the higher frets.
-The 61R/61T pickups are great all around pickups with growl and bitty-ness that will clear up as you lower the volume and can cover anything from Fat clean tones to some Modern high gain and anything in between YMMV.
If you've played these pickups on a Les Paul be prepared because, in my opinion, the 61R/61T sound like a completely different pickup on an SG, To me, they sound way better on an SG because the Dynamics and high frequencies are way smoother.
The SG body style and those pickups are a match made in heaven.
-The tuners are buttery smooth and the tuning stability is perfect
-This is the first time in years that I got a new guitar and I don't feel the need to change any stock components because everything has just a perfect synergy and mojo.
-This has become my new go to Axe and I believe this guitar just turned me into a Gibson Fanboy
I can't recommend this guitar enough if you are in the market for a new all around rock/metal guitar, or if you are on the store make sure you play one, you'll see what I mean

This Gibson SG is a beautiful deep/rich Mahogany with an exceptional feel to play that kicks out amazing magical tones. It was easy to loose myself playing it through my Marshall 1987X at a gig just after purchasing it. I had other musicians saying they couldn't believe the tone they were hearing from it. I had been looking at these for months as I needed something light weight now. Thanks to Sweetwater's expertise and service, I was able to discover the guitar I was wishing for.

Just purchased this beauty from Sweetwater. Shout out to Taylor S for patiently working with me over a couple of weeks by phone and email to get me the guitar I wanted. Great customer service!
Let"s talk about the guitar...I was worried before receiving because I"ve played some Gibsons in the past that just weren"t good, but really wanted that Gibson sound and mojo.
I currently have some nice, professional level, guitars and I"ve sold some that are very nice too. This one ranks up as one of the best! It plays great, Sweetwater set it up to perfection, it sounds fantastic and it stays in tune! Yes it stays in tune like a champ...bending the fire out of strings and playing hard. Spend the extra money, get this Gibson and have Sweetwater set it up. You won"t be disappointed. It"s worth every penny!

I've had this guitar a couple of weeks now, and I just can't seem to put it down. Previously, I've owned an entry level Gibson SG--as '60's Tribute. This blows that one out of the water.

First, the pickups sound great. Going into my Marshall Origin 50 head and 2x12 Orange cab, it can go from clean to roaring using nothing but pick attack and the volume knob. Plus, if you are looking for the woman tone--here it is. Turning down the tone knobs and turning up the volume gives you that Sunshine Of Your Love sound without the pickups cosing any clarity. It doesn't get muddy, the way my 2016 Gibson Firebird can.

Rolling back the volume and turning up the tone knobs I could get cleans without any icepick highs. In fact, it's one of the few guitars I have where the bridge pickup isn't harsh or biting.

The fit and finish was flawless. The thing is just a work of art. Good case, good tuners (the thing stays in tune remarkably well for and SG. Great neck.

And as for Sweetwater...my sales rep Simon was great to work with! I had them do a setup for me, since I'm a little picky about setups (medium action, 10's, and enough relief so there is ZERO fret buzz.) It came out perfect, and Simon kept me up to date the whole time.

I could not be happier with with guitar or with the purchase.

It's great to see that Gibson is finally coming back!

Can't believe how much I like this guitar. I have an Epiphone SG, thought this would be an improvement, and boy was it ever! The guitar came out of the box playing perfectly… props to the Sweetwater inspection team. 4.5/5 stars because one of the tone knobs was broken…. Sweetwater cheerfully sent replacements.

Back in the 60's, 70's and 80's, I toured extensively with many iconic artists and bands. I traveled with one acoustic and an electric. I have several guitars. I had a custom SG made with a natural finish and gold trim. It was a beauty and I cherished it. But, it taught me a lesson. I was playing a club in NY as an opening act for a well-known female artist, (Dylan told me once to never name-drop, so I won't ... hee hee), and I left the SG in the hotel because I was basically doing an acoustic set. One night, I came back and my beloved SG was gone. Stolen. Pooof! I learned then to never take a cherished guitar on the road, again. Anyway, I tried to track that guitar down, to no avail. So, I didn't replace it. Time marched on and I kept hoping to find a quality Gibson to replace the stolen one. Recently, I saw what I was looking for in a '61 SG Standard at Sweetwater and my sales engineer, Brook Floyd, helped me pick one out. But, quick as a cricket, the '61's were all gone - bought up! Anyway, Brook called me and said there was one that a customer passed on and he helped me buy it. I had Sweetwater do the set-up and waited for the guitar to arrive. I couldn't play right away because of a recording schedule. But, as soon as I got home, I fired it up to play some Chicago blues. My, oh, my, oh, my, oh, my....what a joy. Sweet like sweet Spring butter. It is an incredibly beautiful to look at and to play....and so much lighter than my Les Pauls. So, I am in love. I also want to applaud Brook Floyd for his knowledge and dedication in helping me purchase this fine instrument. So, my friends, when and if you can.... get one for yourself, you will be a most happy person. (PS: Last night, I heard sleigh bells in the sky). So, have my permission,(not like you need it)...to treat yourself. You only live once and your life will be that much better with one of these SGs in the house. Ho ho ho ho!

I had been obsessed with this guitar. One popped up, Sweetwater got it to me. Financing with the Sweetwater card it was doable. It rang in at 6 lbs 7 oz. Love it. Just beautiful. The nut was high. I had it seen by my guitar technician friend for a setup, 60 bucks later 100 percent better than out of the box (had to wait that 24 hours per recommendation). I love this guitar. I should have it till my death. Still obsessed.

I like it at lot! And it may just turn out to be the best. I've had my SG Standard '61 Maestro Vibrola for several weeks now, and I couldn't be more pleased. It just works in every way I need it to. Plus, it's beautiful. My main concern was tuning, especially when using the Vibrola. But it stays in tune. Granted, I use it more for subtle effects than for dive bombing or antics. There was also some concern that Gibson had just slipped. But this instrument is solid and well made. It just sings if you know how to play it. Plus, it's beautiful...and it smells good. Be careful with the finish. It's delicate. Thanks, Gibson, and Sweetwater. Electric Guitar history: '85 Gibson Invader, '99 Fender Stratocaster, '00 Gibson Les Paul, Jr, '15 Epiphone Dot

I had just bought a Les Paul Standard and wanted a Gibson SG for a while and being both an Allman Brothers band and a Mick Taylor Stones fan I wanted this guitar! Thank my "lucky stars" Sweetwater had just put this puppies out for sale and I grabbed one and enjoy playing a lot more because of its weight(bad back)I also must rave about that Plked thing, the frets play better at least I think! Cool guitar everyone has played, just look from Tom Petty to Jerry Garcia to Derick Trucks!

My S.E. (Matt Fuller) helped me select the lightest example in stock (6lb 3Oz). The photo strongly indicated that the instrument was far lighter in shade than the other SGs and sure enough it is. What it didn't show is a slight yellowish tint to the lacquer, which looks amazing in the right light. The only issue with the guitar was a tiny shaving of plastic still left on the forward point of the pick guard. That's it, that's the only thing that was "off" about the instrument. It was setup by the techs or luthiers at Sweetwater to my specification and the intonation and action are dead on (Std C, Dunlop extra heavy strings). The pickups are good but will soon be replaced with Lollars (I did not expect to keep the stock ones in the first place). Sound wise I played it through a 5F1 clone as well as a Micro Dark Terror (and a PPC112) and it's fantastic. Precisely what I imagined when I ordered the instrument. I absolutely recommend this for what it is: A wonderful example of a mid-tier production guitar that's well suited to play just about any kind of music. Also: Despite being brand new it has pretty much stayed in tune after about an hour of playing. When it came out of the box only two strings were off, and not by much.

First off, the guitar was just beautiful. I was impressed until I plugged it in. I had a crackling sound when you touched the body around the volume and tone controls and the further you moved away it did lessen. I emailed my gear guy and the guitar department said rub a dryer sheet over it since Gibson uses this paint that causes that. I did see that online and tried that but to no avail. I ended up sending it back and Sweetwater refunded me with no issues. I play Telecasters but wanted a good SG. Unfortunately, I guess it won't be for a while until the Gibson QC gets better.

I wanted another USA made Gibson, but the search goes on. I had a beautiful Les Paul Traditional that sounded great and played like a dream, however at almost 10 lbs. my aging arthritic shoulder couldn't handle it. I sold it off and figured a much lighter SG would fit the bill. I'd read that Gibson quality was back to form so I pulled the trigger on the Gibson SG 61. I couldn't have been more disappointed. I opened the case and it looked okay, then upon closer inspection I noticed some cosmetic flaws. I picked it up and played a few cords and it was very stiff to play with high action. Also, the frets were level with their advertised PLEK leveling system, but no attempt had been made to polish out the machine marks so string bending was gritty. I put on a good 10 set of strings, lowered the action and raised up the tailpiece which had been decked all in an attempt to better the playability. It made a very minor improvement, but it still played stiffer than my $500 Asian acoustic. I realized that even spending money on a professional setup wasn't going to help, so back it goes. The rest of my arsenal is PRS guitars the best playing and sounding ones are SE models. I'm pro USA all the way, but don't have the 5 to 10K + budget for a custom shop. Come on Gibson, if PRS can make a usable guitar in the common man's price range, why can't you? Thanks to Sweetwater for their return policy. The search goes on.

This is no reflection of Sweetwater, but instead Gibson. This is not a 61 ri. The headstock and tuners are wrong. This is a standard with a small guard. Thank you, that is all.