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Guitars > Electric Guitars > Solidbody Guitars > Gibson Government Series SG (Government Grey SG)

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Gibson Government Series SG (Government Grey SG)

Solidbody Electric Guitar with Mahogany Body and Neck, Rosewood Fingerboard, 2 x Dirty Fingers Humbucking Pickups, and Hardshell Case - Government Grey

Sorry, the Gibson Government Series SG (Government Grey SG) is no longer available. We've left this page up for reference only. Check out the great alternatives on this page or call toll-free (800) 222-4700 to speak with a Sweetwater Sales Engineer about similar products.

From Our Research Team:

The Government Series SG

Grab a guitar destined to be a collectible with the limited-edition Gibson Government Series SG solidbody electric guitar. In August of 2011 the US Government raided the Gibson factory in Nashville and seized a large amount of wood. The seized wood, mostly rosewood, was eventually returned. This limited-edition guitar sports a rosewood fretboard that was seized in that raid. The Government Series SG gives you genuine Gibson sound and looks in an affordable US-made guitar. Limited to a run of 300 guitars, each Gibson Government Series SG guitar includes a custom olive green hardshell case and a Certificate of Authenticity hand signed by Henry Juszkiewicz.

Gibson Government Series SG Solidbody Electric Guitar at a Glance:
  • Slim Taper neck for uber-playability
  • Dirty Fingers + pickups deliver the aggressive sound of hard rock
  • Bringing back a legacy of time-tested rock tone

Slim Taper neck for uber-playability
The Gibson Government Series SG sports a comfortable, fast-action neck with a '60s Slim Taper profile. Early Gibson electric guitars had huge "tree-trunk" necks, but beginning in 1959, the company began slimming the neck down to a more comfortable size. By 1960, this evolved into a design Gibson called the Slim Taper neck. Varying in thickness only about a tenth of an inch from the first fret out to the twelfth and maintaining a precisely controlled width-to-thickness ratio, the Slim Taper neck promoted playing speed while reducing player fatigue. Many guitarists consider Gibson's Slim Taper neck the most playable Gibson neck ever made. Whether you're chording down low or riffing up high, the Government Series SG's neck - with its slick rosewood fingerboard and classic trapezoid inlays - always feels just right.

Dirty Fingers + pickups deliver the aggressive sound of hard rock
When modern punk and metal guitarists started experimenting with vintage pickups in the early 2000s, it's little wonder that they rekindled the demand for Gibson's long-out-of-production Dirty Fingers humbucking pickups. After all, it was only a little over two decades before that these pickups helped to divide the nasty, raw, and distortion-rich sound that broke punk and metal away from mainstream rock. The Gibson Government Series SG model is a lot like the guitars that inspired these modern shredders, featuring the performance and the tone that kicked off two waves of aggressive rock. Whether you're diming a classic British high-gain stack or unleashing the fury of a tubetastic terror from the hills of California, the Government Series SG will let your amp unleash the fury your music demands.

Bringing back a legacy of time-tested rock tone
It's hard to believe that in 1961, Gibson decided to discontinue the original Les Paul guitar. No one really knows why. In fact, the first SGs were actually going to be called Les Pauls, until Les Paul himself objected, so they just shortened Solid Guitar to SG and called it good. By the time Gibson started Les Pauls again, the SG was so popular that they simply kept making them. As it turned out, a lot of guitarists enjoyed the slightly ruder and more aggressive sound of this guitar - and the Government Series SG model nails the sound perfectly. Just pair this Government Series SG with a classic high-gain tube amp, and you'll get a pretty good idea what inspired many of the biggest names in rock history.

Gibson Government Series SG Solidbody Electric Guitar Features:
  • Created using the rosewood seized by the government in August 2011
  • Genuine SG sound and looks in an affordable US-made guitar
  • Classic mahogany body delivers singing sustain
  • '60s Slim Taper neck is made for playing without fatigue
  • Dirty Fingers + pickups kick out smoky humbucker tones
  • Certificate of Authenticity hand signed by Henry Juszkiewicz
  • Olive green hardshell case

Add a collectible guitar to your collection with the Gibson Government Series SG!
Specification Detail
Body Type SG
Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
Body Material Mahogany
Top Material Not applicable
Color Government Grey
Neck Material Mahogany, Set
Neck Shape SlimTaper
Scale Length 24-3/4"
Fingerboard Material Rosewood from Government Raid of August 2011, 12" Radius
Fingerboard Inlay Dots
Number of Frets 24
Nut Width 1-11/16"
Bridge/Tailpiece Chrome Tune-O-Matic/Stop Bar
Tuners Grover Kidney
Number of Pickups 2
Neck Pickup Dirty Fingers + humbucker
Middle Pickup No Middle Pickup
Bridge Pickup Dirty Fingers + humbucker
Controls 2 x Volume, 2 x Tone, 3-way Pickup Toggle
Case Included Hardshell case included
Manufacturer Part Number SGGVGVBC1

Government Series SG (Government Grey SG) Image Gallery

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Best customer service I've ever encountered. My guitar arrived ahead of the date it was supposed to, in flawless condition. Played well right out of the box. I will be buying all of my gear from you, from here on out. You made me feel like I was ordering a custom guitar, just for me. I was treated like a valuable customer.


Christopher , Savannah, GA
See Also: Solidbodies , Gibson , Gibson Solidbody Guitars

Gibson Government Series SG (Government Grey SG)

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