i am looking to buy a 1976 SG standard and I was wondering how the necks are on these puppies. I prefer a slim neck.
I'm not sure about the 76 but if it's anything like the 74 (and I suspect it would be) it would be somewhere in between a 50's profile and a 60's profile -in other words , super awesome in my opinion . The nut width would be wider than a 60's but narrower than a 50's .
Welcome to ETSG! I believe the answer to your question is: handmade... so no one can tell you what to expect from an individual guitar of an era when there was a lot more hand work done on Gibsons than there is now. SG necks are made with a template for sure, but still... cut out on a band saw and shaped by a guy with a rasp. Vintage instruments don't usually fall into polite categories IMHO. If the shape of the neck was a deal breaker, then the only way to know whether you want an individual instrument is to play it.
I have a 76 tobacco sunburst and had a 76 walnut. Both necks were slim but different. The tobacco sunburst is a bit thicker, more like a C. But both had/have something around 39 - 40 mm nud width.
'70s SGs typically have that C shaped neck mentioned above, and came with either the standard 1 11/16" nut or the narrower 1 9/16" nut. I love the '70s C shape with the 1 11/16" nut myself, which is why my one and only Gibson SG is a '70s tribute.
I had a '77 with a neck thickness somewhere in between a 50's and 60's profile. The width of the fret board around the 1st to 3rd frets was very narrow. So much so that I had a hard time cramming my fingers into an A chord. You may want to try it before you buy it cause the narrowness isn't for everyone. it certainly wasn't for me.
My 78 has a really small neck, I prefer it to my classic which is the thickest of my SG's but personally prefer the 60's profile neck which is between the 2.
I had a 76 LP & loved the neck & the SG was very similar in 76. It had a sort of slim tapper but nowhere like today's thin taper neck jobs. Just right. You certainly knew you had a guitar in your hand. The '76 era necks aren't as wide as todays SG necks but were still way wider than my 69 & 71 SG necks are. The other big thing about these necks is the low profile frets! So lo-pro that they were called & advertised by Gibson as 'Fretless Wonders'! While it is a smooth & fast playing neck for chord & scale work, getting a biting grip on the strings for doing string/note bends is way harder than on a fretboard that has some height to the frets & will require some adjustment & getting used to but beware, once you get used to these Fretless Wonders they become intoxicating & almost romantically alluring as you'll find the guitar with it's funky lo-pro neck will be on your mind & you'll feel it's siren call beckoning you day after day urging you to pick her up & play her some more! There are some other very unique qualities that are only found in this era SG guitar as well with the coolest tonal one being this was one of the few years that the SG had it's neck pickup position right up against its fretboard! Great harmonic content & response from that neck pup in this position! Despite this being the less collectible & desirable Norlin era for guitars, it is also a unique era for this great sounding, highly playable & aesthetically pleasing SG & is usually a subsequent bargain in price. If it is in good original shape for under $1500 grab this baby up! You won't regret it.
I should add that inspite of me not vibing with the neck, the tarback pick-up's were to this day the nicest sounding HB's I've ever personally heard....
Those necks & frets are different for sure & certainly can take some adjustment & getting used to. But they also can become an intoxicating playing adventure that brings out a playing style that is just addicting! I stopped putting my 71 in the case because I literally was reaching for it & specifically wanting to play on that low sexy neck several times a day! That's the best I can describe what happens once it all clicks after the initial "this is strange" feeling gives way to the playing experience that is so different from all of the other guitars out there. It is that lo-pro Fretless Wonder uniqueness that eventually earns a place in your heart & makes them so 'wonder'-ful. LOL. See what I did there?? 'wonder'-ful / fretless 'wonder' ?? Eh ya, sorry.
I once had '78 Custom and other '70's Les Pauls. Neck of the era is typically narrow and thin if that's what you are looking for.
that explains why my sg's neck is so thin... i know people that want a neck that thin & are still looking...
