Upon its release back in 1961 the SG Standard was one of the most radical designs the guitar world had ever seen, and it still makes a bold statement today.
The diverse list of guitar stars that have taken variations of the SG model to heart over the years includes Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Angus Young, Frank Zappa, Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Gary Louris of The Jayhawks and many, many others. Today, Gibson USA offers the SG in two distinct varieties — the SG Standard and SG Special — siblings that are similar at their cores, but subtly different too.
The SG’s beginnings
When Gibson revamped the Les Paul Standard of 1958-’60 into the Les Paul/SG of 1961 (later simply SG Standard), it introduced a wealth of features that continue to appeal to a wide range of players, long after the reintroduction of the single-cutaway model that it was intended to supercede, many of which are shared by today’s SG Special and SG Standard. The solid mahogany body was thinner and lighter than any solidbody Gibson had produced before, and it still provided a wealth of rich, warm, woody resonance, but with a little extra snap and zing to the tone — all without the back ache. Its slightly offset twin-horned double cutaways were more than just a radical adornment: The design offered better upper-fret access than players had ever experienced before, just one of the features that made SGs famously playable. Another, the fast yet comfortable neck, also survives on today’s SGs, which wear the more rounded “late ’50s” neck profile.
The SG Standard with a Heritage Cherry finish
If you are a player of a certain age then the chances that an SG was the first “real” guitar you got your hands on - and if you're 17 and in a punk band you might well be playing one, too. This sculptured, high-power classic has been driving rock, pop and blues for 40 years and more. Tony bacon has the Inside story of Gibson's slimmed-down rocker...
