Gibson SG Standard (Heritage Cherry)

The Original Double-Cutaway Rocker, Loaded for Tone and Ready for Action!

When it first hit the scene back in 1961, the Gibson SG (short for Solid Guitar) was the most radical design the electric guitar world had witnessed so far, and it still makes a bold statement today. The diverse list of guitar stars that have taken variations of the SG to heart includes Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Robbie Krieger, Earl Hooker, George Harrison, John Cipollina, Pete Townshend, Carlos Santana, Tony Iommi, Pete Ham, Mick Taylor, Peter Frampton, Terry Kath, Jerry Garcia, Duane Allman, Glen Buxton, Michael Bruce, Jimmy Page, Frank Zappa, John McLaughlin, Mick Box, Buck Dharma, Gary Rossington, Todd Rundgren, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Frank Marino, Link Wray, Angus Young, Rod Price, Barry Goudreau, Don Felder, David St. Hubbins, Johnny Marr, Derek Trucks, Jeff Tweedy, The Edge, Gary Louris, Deryck Whibley, Rivers Cuomo, Andrew Stockdale and Kirk Douglas.

Originally conceived as a modern replacement for the single-cutaway Les Paul Standard (the name it still carried for the first couple years of its existence), the SG had several features that made it perfect for cutting-edge guitarists – all of which remain present in the Gibson USA SG Standard – and it became an iconic rock guitar almost immediately. With its light yet resonant solid-mahogany body and neck, a radical looking double-cutaway design that also yields unprecedented upper-fret access, a rock-solid Tune-o-matic bridge and stoptail pairing, and two meaty humbucking pickups, today’s SG Standard is just as sweet a player and as monstrous a tone machine as the guitars that made the name legendary nearly 50 years ago.

Go for the classic look of Heritage Cherry, or opt for more contemporary Ebony Black and the Gibson USA SG Standard not only looks great, but it gives you all the goods to get the job done. Both finishes are also available in left-handed models.

The Original Double-Cutaway Rocker, Loaded for Tone and Ready for Action!

It’s more than just a coincidence that mahogany is one of the most prized woods for electric guitar design, and the Gibson USA SG Standard is arguably the most classic example of the use of this fine tonewood in an instrument that’s both nuanced and powerful. Unlike thicker mahogany/maple designs, the SG Standard’s thinner solid-mahogany body offers a considerable reduction on weight, while presenting a warm, rich resonance with lots of harmonic depth and sparkle.

The guitar’s solid mahogany neck is carved to a rounded profile similar to SGs from the mid ’60s, for superb in-the-hand comfort and outstanding playability, while it’s glued in deep-set, long-tenon neck/body joint and 17-degree back angled headstock team up to provide a transference of neck resonance into the body that’s far superior to other neck designs. Of course, a pair of Alnico-loaded humbuckers was always a big part of the SG’s magic, and today’s SG Standard brings it on in spades. With Gibson’s popular 490R in the neck position and the slightly hotter 498T in the bridge, the SG Standard gives you everything from bluesy vocal warmth to snarling, wailing aggression, all at the flip of a three-way toggle switch. A stopbar tailpiece provides a rock-solid anchor behind Gibson’s legendary Tune-o-matic bridge, prized for its ability to enhance singing sustain while remaining highly adjustable to perfect your instrument’s intonation.

Sum it all up, and it’s a guitar of unrivaled versatility and stunning looks – and a rock beast to be reckoned with. All this, and your SG Standard comes protected in a formfitting Gibson hardshell case, and is covered by Gibson’s famous Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 customer service. It could just be the bargain of the decade… or the past four. Check one out now at your authorized Gibson dealer.

Body and Finish

Neck, Headstock and Fingerboard

Pickups and Electronics

Hardware

Gibson USA SG Standard

Instantly recognizable. The backbone of rock and roll. The ultimate conduit between the music in your head and the sound coming out of your amp. Gibson’s best-selling SG Standard shatters all perceptions of what an electric guitar can — and should — be. The slim, lightweight mahogany body; unmistakable twin cutaways, pointed horns and beveled edges; the fastest neck in the business; a pair of Gibson’s screamin’ humbucker pickups — all irresistible features coveted by some of the greatest guitar players of all-time. Various SG models have been played on-stage by the likes of Pete Townshend, Angus Young, Tony Iommi, Robby Krieger, Chris Robinson, Alex Lifeson, Derek Trucks, Elliot Easton, Jim James, Jeff Tweedy, Moby, Keith Urban, Nick Jonas, Rocco DeLuca. The list is unbelievable. When will you add your name to the list?

Available Finishes

Take your pick between two gorgeous, time-honored finishes — Heritage Cherry or Ebony — both of which are applied by hand in a process that demands several coats and many hours. Unlike a lot of of our competitors, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural vibration of the instrument for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time. That way your guitar’s wood can breathe and age beautifully.

Exquisite mother-of pearl and acrylic inlays make this guitar a knock-out

Among other key distinctions, the SG Standard stands out from its no-frills kid sister, the SG Special, because of the fine mother-of-pearl Gibson logo and holly inlays that decorate its headstock. The SG Standard also boasts figured acrylic trapezoid inlays along its rosewood fingerboard.

A meaty neck profile with elegant fingerboard binding

The most distinguishable neck of all-time. The traditional ’50s neck profile on the SG Standard is hand-sanded by American craftsmen to give you a comfortably thick, round profile that emulates the neck shapes of the iconic late ’50s Gibson models. The cherry on top is the stunning antique cream binding that runs along the fingerboard.

Hot chrome pickups dole out a searing modern sound

Gibson’s 490R and 498T pickups (“R” for rhythm and “T” for treble) are Gibson’s most versatile pickups. These covered humbuckers give you the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, but with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the perfect complement for the 490R, giving you a hotter sound with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs.

Resonant set-neck construction leaves our competitors in the dust

Better tone, better sustain and no loose or misaligned necks. That’s what distinguishes the neck of the SG Standard from those of most of our competitors, who opt for bolt-on necks. The neck on the SG Standard is glued on by hand to ensure maximum contact between the neck and body. This allows the neck and body of your guitar to function as a single, incredibly resonant unit.

’50s Rounded Neck Profile

No guitar neck profiles are more distinguishable than the neck profiles employed on the Gibson models of today. The more traditional ’50s neck profile—found on the SG Standard—is the thicker, rounder, more time-honored profile, emulating the neck shapes of the iconic late ’50s Gibson models. The neck is machined in Gibson’s rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. But once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest—including the final sanding—is done by hand. That means there are no two necks with the exact same dimensions. So while it still has the basic characteristics of its respective profile, each neck will be slightly different, with a distinct but traditional feel.

Set-Neck Construction

Like all classic Gibson guitars, the necks on Les Pauls and SGs are distinguished by one of the more traditional features that have always set them apart—a glued neck joint. Gluing the neck to the body of the guitar ensures a “wood-to-wood” contact, no air space in the neck cavity, and maximum contact between the neck and body, allowing the neck and body to function as a single unit. The result? Better tone, better sustain, and no loose or misaligned necks.

GIBSON’S 490R AND 498T PICKUPS

The mid to late 1960s saw the emergence of a very different type of music coming from the clubs of England. This new genre’s players were demanding more powerful amplifiers with increased volume outputs to satisfy their sonic explorations. This led to a call for a more versatile pickup, and Gibson answered the call with the 490T and 490R pickups (“T” for treble, and “R” for rhythm), humbuckers with the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, but with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the 490’s ideal complement. Taking the 490 one step further, the 498 swaps the Alnico II magnet to an Alnico V, thus making it slightly hotter with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs. The pole pieces on the 498T are also aligned a little further apart to accommodate the spacing of the strings at the bridge, which is different than the spacing of the strings at the neck.

Solid Mahogany Body

Probably the most central of all SG features is its solid mahogany body. The mahogany goes through the same rigorous selection process as all of Gibson’s woods, and is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before it enters the factories. Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This ensures all woods are dried to a level of “equilibrium,” where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight-fitting joints and no expansion, and controls the shrinkage and warping of the woods, in addition to reducing the weight. It also improves the woods’ machinability and finishing properties. Consistent moisture content means that the SG will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.

Nitrocellulose Finish

Applying a nitrocellulose finish to any Gibson guitar—including the Gibson SG—is one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process. A properly applied nitro finish requires extensive man hours, several evenly applied coats, and an exorbitant amount of drying time. But this fact has never swayed Gibson into changing this time-tested method, employed ever since the first guitar was swathed with lacquer back in 1894. Why? For starters, a nitro finish dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, which means there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone. A nitro finish is also a softer finish, which makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can’t do the same on a poly finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and actually gets thinner over time. It does not “seal” wood in an airtight shell—as a poly finish does—and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.

Gibson SG Standard (Heritage Cherry) @ Electro Music.
Price: £1079.00.

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