Custom Shop Limited-edition Jimi Hendrix SG Custom
Jimi Hendrix is, of course, forever associated with the Fender Stratocaster; but there were also two Gibson solidbody electric guitar models he was sweet on: the Flying V and the SG Custom. Considering that nothing drives a stack of Marshalls more convincingly than humbuckers, Jimi’s dalliances with Gibsons come as no surprise. Now, Sweetwater is delighted to present to you the Gibson Custom Jimi Hendrix 1967 SG Custom, a meticulous re-creation of the guitar Jimi played on national television during his appearance on The Dick Cavett Show in September 1969, three weeks after his historic Woodstock performance. Handcrafted by Gibson’s elite Custom Shop luthiers in Nashville, the Jimi Hendrix 1967 SG Custom is a limited edition of just 150 guitars worldwide, so our advice is to reserve yours from Sweetwater today!
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A meticulous re-creation of an iconic guitar
Sure, you can wield a Strat with a reverse headstock, but how many guitarists can take the stage with a gorgeous, limited-edition reissue of Jimi’s iconic ’67 SG Custom? A faithful re-creation of this iconic guitar, the Gibson Custom Shop’s Jimi Hendrix 1967 SG Custom features a scrumptious Murphy Lab aged Polaris white finish and aged gold hardware, a wicked-fast neck, and a Maestro Long Vibrola tailpiece. In the electronics department, a trio of premium Custombuckers cranks out a symphony of classic fat, snarling tone.
Vive la différence
OK, so let’s talk tone. As much as Jimi Hendrix was associated with the wiry sound of single-coil pickups, there are numerous iconic photographs and video documentation of Jimi playing humbucker-equipped Gibsons. And those privy to the details of his sessions at London’s Olympic Studios and New York’s Record Plant paint the picture of a savvy tonmeister who knew how to creatively gain stage his signal chain to craft his inimitable signature sound. Mind you, this was a good decade before master-volume guitar amps would hit the market, and Marshall heads like Jimi’s preferred 1959SLP were typically cranked in the studio in order to overdrive the output tubes. However, they offered no way to variably drive the preamp stage, other than by employing pickups with different gain characteristics. And so, we see the wisdom of Jimi crafting his recordings using both low-output single-coils and higher-output humbuckers.
The enduring musical legacy of Jimi Hendrix
Ask any guitarist here at Sweetwater (indeed, there are quite a few), and many will cite Jimi Hendrix as a major influence. The cultural impact of Jimi’s music was monumental, extending well beyond the world of rock. Jimi affectionately called his Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell “my Elvin Jones,” a reference to John Coltrane’s legendary timekeeper. “Mademoiselle Mabry,” from the 1969 Miles Davis album Filles de Kilimanjaro, was a re-working of Jimi’s "The Wind Cries Mary." The jazz trumpet legend had reportedly met with Jimi more than once, and it’s tantalizing to think about the collaborations that might have taken place had not fate intervened. The Gibson Custom Jimi Hendrix 1967 SG Custom celebrates a nuanced side of the artist who extended the vocabulary and range of the electric guitar into uncharted creative territory. Use it to open up the next chapter in your own musical explorations.
Gibson Custom Jimi Hendrix 1967 SG Custom Electric Guitar Features:
- Meticulous, limited-edition re-creation of Jimi’s iconic ’67 SG Custom
- Mahogany body with aged nitrocellulose lacquer finish
- Mahogany neck with ’60s Slim taper profile
- Ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl custom block inlays
- Gibson Custombucker neck, middle, and bridge pickups
- 3-way toggle pickup selector switch
- Per-pickup Volume and Tone controls
- ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge; Maestro Long Vibrola tailpiece
- Nylon nut; Kluson Waffle Back tuners with metal Tulip buttons
- Aged gold hardware
- Handcrafted by Gibson’s elite Custom Shop luthiers in Nashville
- Hardshell case included
