The Gibson SG is itself a rock star.
Graced by the touch of Tony Iommi’s tipless fingers, Derek Trucks’ southern slide and Angus Young’s spastic gesticulations, the axe is as legendary as the players who lifted it to its iconic status.
When the ebony-finished Gibson SG Special arrived, my initial reactions were irreconcilable. I was unsure whether I should sit down, plug it in, and finger-pick a light and airy tune, or head into my garage, slip into my velvet trousers, and blast my neighbor’s tympanic membrane into oblivion before smashing the thing to pieces. The guitar’s renowned versatility had my sonic sensibilities all stirred up, but with a street price of around $800, pulverizing it wasn’t really an option.
In terms of design and fit, the SG’s famous “devil’s horns” shape gives off a mean vibe, but it’s actually a sweetheart when it comes to playability. The double-cutaway, beveled-edge body allows comfortable access to the upper frets. It’s also slender and lightweight — about five and half pounds. You can play it for hours without wearing out your shoulder, and it’s an incomparable joy to jump around with. The neck, which uses Gibson’s thicker ’50s profile instead of the ’60s shape found on the SG Standard, is made of solid mahogany and is topped with a fast rosewood fingerboard.
If the SG’s tone were served in a restaurant, it’d come with a side of A1 sauce and a big glass of ice water. With Gibson’s stock 490R humbucker pickup in the neck position and a thinner-sounding 490T in the bridge, the SG spits out a tone hot enough to boil your morning tea water, while maintaining a deliciously meaty low end. And it’s all adjusted with dual volume and tone knobs and a 3-way toggle switch. The ‘buckers are hot — I was able to get some seriously muscular power, whether I was wailing on a solo or strumming out power chords.
When this guitar was first introduced as a new and improved version of Gibson’s Les Paul in 1961, it was considered radical and edgy. Fifty years later, Gibson has barley changed the design — a larger pick guard, a different neck shape and a few tweaks to the pickups set today’s SG apart from the original ‘61. But the build quality still seems to be there. If you’re looking for a versatile, comfortable and handsome git-fiddle with thick, hot tone, this guy is a sure bet.
WIRED Lightweight, compared to other mahogany guitars. Slender body and beveled edges make for a super comfortable, well-balanced axe. Tone as hot as a grilled habanero.
TIRED Neck feels slightly thick. Low-end is not quite as full and present as its big brother Les Paul. Only comes with a gig bag — invest in a hard-shell case or put your repair guy on speed dial.
Top photo: Jon Snyder/Wired