Gibson's Second-generation Solid Body Guitar!

The Gibson SG actually began life in 1961 as the "new and improved" Les Paul. However, Les was not particularly fond of the design which featured a thinner mahogany body with beveled edges and pointed horns, so the guitar eventually got a new name: The SG, which stood for "Solid Guitar." It was actually a big success for Gibson - obviously the right design for the times. Most SGs were finished in Cherry, which was all the rage in the '60s, however, some were produced in either solid black or white. The original SG Standard was actually at the top of the SG "food chain" back in the '60s, though it still sold well because it delivered all the features most guitarists wanted in terms of playability and sound. Today's SG Standard has changed little from those original guitars. It still has two humbuckers with chrome covers and the larger (and in our opinion) better looking pickguard.

Gibson SG Standard at a Glance:

• Solid mahogany body finished in Heritage Cherry finish with large pickguard
  
• Solid mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard and pearloid trapezoid inlays
  
• Two humbuckers - 490 R (neck) and 498T (bridge) with chrome covers

The 1960s SG is Back in Style
It's hard to believe that by 1961, Gibson decided to discontinue the original Les Paul guitar - or what we now think of as the Les Paul Standard. The motivation is unclear. Weak sales? The urge to try something new? In any case, the first SGs were actually called Les Pauls, but Les himself wasn't in favor of that for a variety of reasons. So, in a bold move, this solid guitar was renamed SG, which stood for, uh, solid guitar. A few years later, Gibson started making the original Les Pauls again, but the SG proved so popular that they kept making them. Though it fell on tough times in later years, there's a renewed interest in SGs today. The reason is easy to understand. It's actually quite a cool looking instrument, delivering the classic humbucker sound for people who don't particularly want or need a Les Paul Standard. The SG Standard is also a much lighter instrument. Yet it doesn't cut corners. You still get the mahogany body in a deep Wine Red finish with large pickguard and a pair of hot humbuckers that deliver all the warm, fat tone you could ever want.

A New Generation of Fast-playing Necks
The early Les Pauls had huge necks, but by 1960 the neck underwent several modifications until it became what's known as the slim-taper design. The SG took it one step farther, making the neck among the fastest ever designed. Hey, Frank Zappa played one and the guy had some wicked chops. If you like the combination of a fast mahogany neck with the warmth of the traditional rosewood fingerboard, you'll love the SG Standard.

Two Fat, Smoking Humbuckers
When you really want to cook on a solo or deliver some thunderous power chords, you reach for a guitar that's got a pair of humbuckers, right? Forget all those thin "out-of-phase" guitar sounds that the session players overused in the 1980s and (sad to say) right through much of the '90s. That's not for you. Your sound is all about the warmth, punch and midrange complexity you can only get from a pair of Gibson humbuckers. The SG Standard comes with a pair of chrome covered 'buckers: a 490R in the neck position and a 498T in the bridge position for uncompromising power, whether you're playing rhythm or digging into a solo.

Gibson SG Standard features:

• Color: Heritage Cherry
  
• Body: Solid mahogany
  
• Neck: Mahogany
  
• Fingerboard: Rosewood with pearloid trapezoid inlays
  
• Number of frets: 22
  
• Pickups: Two humbuckers - 490R (neck) and 498T (bridge) - with chrome covers
  
• Controls: Two each tone and volume with three-way pickup selector switch
  
• Machine heads: Schaller Green Key
  
• Hardware: Chrome plated
  
• Case: Black reptile pattern hardshell

The Gibson SG Standard is a rock legend!

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