NGD: 1999 SG Supreme Fireburst

[Torren61]

It's finally NGD. YAY! This is, as the thread title suggests, a 1999 Gibson SG Supreme Fireburst. This was the first year for SG Supremes and they phased out the P90s by 2001.

I've always liked these. 24 fret ebony fingerboard with split diamond mother of pearl inlays. P90 pickups. Gold hardware. She weighs 7.7 pounds. Not much wear on this 22 year old guitar.

I've been told the pickups are anemic. Well, so far, they sound fine but I need to play it awhile to get a better read on the guitar. It sounded good through a 1965 Princeton Reverb and a 1973 Marshall Lead JMP 50.

Here are some pictures. The colors are accurate:






There are no marks on the back. Those are reflections. There is very, very light buckle rash. This guitar wasn't played a whole lot and I can't figure out why. Either that or the previous owner was OCD about keeping it clean.

Schaller gold strap locks are going on the guitar as soon as they arrive from the seller. I use Schaller strap locks on ALL my guitars. Franklin 3" original straps, too.



I installed the locking tuners just like I do on nearly all my guitars. I have the ones that came on it.



Hardly any to no wear on the frets. The "nibs" are still there.

 

[Spiral]

That's a cool and unique SG. I love those inlays.

 

[dumpster chicken]

That's a fancy guitar right there.
HNGD
Congratulations

 

[MR D]

oops

 

[MR D]

CONGRATULATIONS ! Really sharp Guitar ! Is that a maple cap ? I looked at the pics, front and back, and am wondering how the Pickup's are installed ? No Pick-up Rings, No Pick-Guard to mount the Pickup's on and I cant see anything on the back of the guitar to indicate screws...HHHMMMM....What Tuning Machines did you go with ? I agree, strap locks are a must...the Schaller 'S' locks do it 4 me lately.

 

[Torren61]

CONGRATULATIONS ! Really sharp Guitar ! Is that a maple cap ? I looked at the pics, front and back, and am wondering how the Pickup's are installed ? No Pick-up Rings, No Pick-Guard to mount the Pickup's on and I cant see anything on the back of the guitar to indicate screws...HHHMMMM....What Tuning Machines did you go with ? I agree, strap locks are a must...the Schaller 'S' locks do it 4 me lately.

Hey, thanks! Below are some pics of the pickups removed from their cavities. There are metal plates under them which I THINK are shielding and double as mounting plates for the pickups. The plates are screwed into the body and the pickups screw into the plates.

The pickups are stacked to reduce the P90 hum. The bridge pickup is stacked in its cavity but the neck position doesn't allow for the pickup to be stacked there so they took the stack magnet and adhered it to the underside of the cavity cover. I was worried this was a hack job but it's actually how it's done from the factory. I checked it against several examples of other '99 Firebursts and it matches.









I went with Grover gold locking tuners and gold locking Schallers. I still haven't picked out a strap yet but it has to be as good quality and comfort as a 3" Franklin original.

 

[MR D]

IGTY, I was wonderin' if I had missed the screw holes on the back, like some of the HP Models from the recent HP series SG's have. Even if it is a Maple cap, like the new 'Modern' series SG, those have the screw holes in the back and that's how the Pick-up's are mounted. When I did not see that, IDK how they could possibly be mounted...... maybe on 'L' brackets underneath the cap ? But that can't be the case because the Cap is permanently glued on. So I was truly stumped...it is pretty ingenious that there......
THANK YOU for the explanation.