Gibson SG history. The Gibson SG guitar is an electric guitar that was first introduced in 1971. Its popularity began to skyrocket with Eric Clapton. It was later adopted by Les Paul, Eric Clapton’s guitar of choice. And then there was the Custom. Unlike the standard SG, the Custom has an all-vinyl body. These guitars have a semicircular control plate, regular-size pickguard, and a raised headstock.
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Eric Clapton
A little about Eric Clapton’s history with the Gibson SG guitar can be found on the renowned guitarist’s official website. He played the instrument extensively, primarily on albums like Wheels of Fire and Goodbye, and later on his live albums. He formed a close relationship with this instrument, which you can find in many pictures of him. Here are some of his most notable SG moments. Read on to learn more.
The first SG that Clapton owned was a 1954 model. It is believed that he bought it in 1964 while playing in the Yardbirds. He did not use the instrument much at the time, but it eventually replaced a stolen Les Paul. After he released Badge, the guitar became an icon in the guitarist’s solo career. Clapton played it for over 20 years. In the 90s, he still performed with it, despite its storied history.
The guitar was used on Clapton’s self-titled solo album in 1969. Critics gave the album a mediocre grade, but the song ‘After Midnight’ quickly became a staple on Eric Clapton’s concert playlist. The Gibson SG’s rich history is evident on its labels. Eric Clapton’s guitars have also featured on other notable albums, including “Purple Rain” and “Miracle on the Moon”.
Eric Clapton’s SG is also known as the Fool. It was the guitar that he used to perform his first live performance in the U.S., which he performed on March 25, 1967. But soon after it made its debut on the stage, the paint was already chipping off and he started playing it with a smile. In the end, he returned to playing his Gibson ES-335s and Firebirds.
Les Paul Custom
The Gibson SG was an electric guitar that replaced Gibson Les Paul. The body of the SG was called the Les Paul when it was first launched, but the shape was changed and later became the SG. Gibson presented the SG as an evolution and a new model of the Les Paul. Most people assume that it was launched in 1961, but it came out much later. Here’s a quick look at the history of this iconic guitar.
The SG is Gibson’s most popular electric guitar. It has a vintage feel to it. The beveled edges are indicative of an era when it was first introduced. Its design has remained virtually unchanged since. Unlike Les Paul, the SG features a semi-circular control plate and a regular-size pickguard. The body of the SG features a slightly longer neck than the Les Paul.
During the late 1950s, Gibson introduced solid-body guitars. They kept the upper-crust features of the SG, including gold-plated metalwork and three humbuckers. Despite the newness, the Les Paul Custom was still a step down from the Gibson SG, and it grew in popularity thanks to Jimi Hendrix’s endorsement of the SG-style guitar.
The Gibson SG has an incredible history, starting from its humble beginnings in the 1950s. This guitar has evolved through many models, each featuring unique features and staying true to the original design. In its earliest days, the Les Paul Standard is the flagship model, and it’s still one of the most popular guitars in the world. Its tone and look are second to none. In addition, it’s a long-term investment.
SG III

The SG was the flagship guitar of Gibson, and its success led to several innovations. Its popularity soared during the 1960s, with guitarists such as Eric Clapton of Cream, George Harrison of the Beatles, and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath all using it as their main instrument. Others used it to great effect, including Pete Townshend of AC/DC, and Carlos Santana. Even today, the SG remains the guitar of choice among many guitarists.
In 1958, the SG body style first appeared on Les Paul Junior. The company had planned to roll out the new design across the entire range, so it re-styled the Les Paul Junior with the SG style. SG was a slang term for a solid guitar, but folklore claims that Gibson was only using this name for a short time. Today, however, it is one of Gibson’s prime movers.
The SG Standard features two nickel-plated Gibson PAF humbuckers and a three-way toggle switch. It could originally be fitted with a side-to-side Vibrola, a nickel-plated pickup that replaced the original. Later, the SG Standard was available with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece and a rectangular “Block”-style inlay. However, in the ’70s, the SG Standard was the only SG that featured a side-to-side vibrato.
The SG III was produced from 1966 to 1973, and in 1967, it was redesigned to feature an angled control plate and an enlarged pickguard. It was available in cherry red and walnut finishes. Its original single-coil pickup was located in the neck position and surrounded by a nickel-plated base. It also featured a recessed control plate and tone controls on the body. A nickel-plated hand rest featured the Gibson logo.
SG Custom

The SG Custom was a top-of-the-line model introduced in 1961. The model was temporarily discontinued in 1980 and 1986 but was reintroduced in 1993 as part of the Gibson Custom Shop. The instrument was also redesigned in 2000 to ensure historical accuracy, and it was dropped from standard production in 2014 but was still available through the Made to Measure program. In 2019, it has returned to regular production.
The Les Paul was the original SG design, and the SG Custom was a further evolution. This model was based on the Les Paul design but featured a semicircular control plate and a raised pickguard. The control cavity cover was shifted to the back of the body, and the headstock was changed to make the guitar look more like a Les Paul. Gibson’s management had lowered the price of the SG, and it became the best-selling guitar of all time.
The SG was originally named “the next Les Paul”, but Gibson changed the name after the first model was released. Les Paul’s name was removed from the nameplate because he felt the association was commercially ineffective. Les Paul was in the middle of a public divorce with his then-wife, Mary Ford, and was unhappy with the SG. This prompted Les Paul to ask former Gibson President Ted McCarty to stop the Gibson contract.
The SG is one of the most recognizable guitars of all time. Gibson introduced it in 1961, and it has played a significant role in the evolution of rock ‘n’ roll. The original SG had a fast neck and throaty pickups. The SG’s low price tag and great upper-fret access helped it quickly become the guitar of choice for many guitarists. Gibson has continued to produce the SG Custom for many years, and the model continues to be one of its prime movers.
SG Faded T

The Gibson SG Faded T electric guitar features a comfortable body with a slim tapered neck profile. The guitar’s maple neck offers maximum comfort for fast fingerstyle playing and fluid hand flexibility. The neck is fused to the mahogany body using a mortise and tenon joint, which provides ultimate resonance. The guitar is available in several finishes, including black and white. If you’re looking for a guitar with a history of classic style and a unique style, the Gibson SG Faded T is the right choice.
The Gibson SG Faded T is a modern interpretation of the legendary SG. This guitar delivers a full-blown Gibson SG feel for a reasonable price. It is equipped with two Gibson 490 humbuckers that offer variable Humbucker tones. The guitar also features a classic mahogany body and maple neck with a Slim Taper profile. This guitar has a rich history that dates back more than 50 years.
The SG Special is a versatile instrument that is perfect for almost any genre. It’s best suited for blues, country, rock, or extreme metal. Its electronics and pickups are interchangeable with the Gibson SG Standard. The Gibson SG Special can also be upgraded to the Standard specs with interchangeable parts. It’s the perfect guitar for any style. However, if you want to keep the classic tone, you can get the Gibson SG Standard.
Gibson SG Special
The Gibson SG Special, which first made its debut in 1961, was a guitar that was specifically designed for rock musicians. It replaced the Les Paul single-cutaway in Gibson’s catalog, and soon became a favorite among blues, fusion, and rock players. Today, it is one of the best-selling electric guitars in history.
The SG Special sold moderately well throughout the 1960s, but the guitar’s peak year came in 1965, and the company had to expand its plant in Kalamazoo to produce a hundred thousand instruments a year. By 1966, the company was losing money and needed to reduce production costs. As a result, they changed the design of the pickups to fit onto a larger scratchplate, simplifying the process and cutting costs.
Gibson SG Standard

The Gibson SG is one of the most popular solid-body electric guitars of all time. Its solid body was inspired by the Les Paul, and its shape offered excellent upper-fret access. There are several models in the SG line, including the Standard, Custom, Junior, Special, and TV models. All of these guitars feature an associated double-neck, and countless players have chosen them as their favorite.
After its release in the late 60s, the SG quickly became the Gibson flagship. It was the guitar of choice for a number of well-known guitarists, including Eric Clapton from the band Cream, George Harrison from the Beatles, and Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath. The guitar also became a favorite among the members of AC / DC, The Doors, and Frank Zappa. In the early 1970s, the SG became a staple of the Eric Clapton concert tour. In fact, in 2004, the SG was still used by Clapton to perform.
Gibson SG Junior
The Gibson SG Junior is a high-quality guitar that is incredibly affordable and ideal for beginners. Its slim taper neck and single P90 pickup make it easy to reach the higher frets. The guitar’s value credentials and quality made it an instant hit, and it soon swept up the solid-body electric guitar market. Many professional players purchased it as well.
Introduced in 1954, the SG Junior was the most popular Gibson SG model during the 1960s and was the second most popular solid-body guitar behind the Melody Maker. It shipped over 18997 units from 1961 to 1970. Sales dipped considerably from 1966 onwards and the model was eventually discontinued. It was last featured on the Gibson price list in September 1970.
Gibson SG Special HP
The history of the Gibson SG Special HP guitar began with its release about 60 years ago. The guitar was a huge hit in the rock and roll scene, and many great guitarists used it to shape their sound. Famous musicians such as Townshend, Clapton, and Young all played SGs. Its classic design features a mahogany body with a maple neck, a 22nd fret neck/body join, and a single volume/tone control. Its humbuckers were covered in Gibson’s lyre logo.
The design of the SG changed dramatically in 1972. Gibson switched to mini-humbuckers, and the neck changed from one-piece mahogany to a three-piece. The company also changed the pickup’s polarity to counter the hum of the output signal. Its sonic qualities were very similar to the P-90s, and a Gibson SG with these pickups has often been compared to a P-90.
Gibson Pete Townshend Signature SG
The Pete Townshend Signature SG is a model that was introduced in 2001. The guitar’s sonic qualities were made even more distinctive with its glued-in mahogany neck and solid mahogany body. This combination gave the guitar ringing sustain and incredible tonal depth. This model also has slim body dimensions and a classic ’60s neck profile, making it a pleasure to play.
Pete Townshend first played the SG at the Rolling Stones Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus on December 10, 1968. Later, he stopped playing the guitar and switched to a Les Paul Deluxe. He played a gold Schecter during Live Aid and a black double-bound Tele at the BPI Awards ceremony in 1988. After the BPI Awards, he switched to custom-built guitars.
The History of the Gibson SG Bass
Gibson SG history
The Gibson SG bass is one of the most popular and influential bass guitars in the world. Its cutaways were shaped into graceful points and featured twenty-two-degree beveled edges on the bass and treble sides. The bass side bevels extended inside the body, while the treble side bevels ran along the treble side’s edge forward, following the line of the pickguard. This innovative design allowed for a thinner body while making the SG look more attractive.
SG Standard
The Gibson SG Standard is an iconic guitar that has been used by countless rock stars. The iconic double-cut electric was first made famous by Angus Young, who played countless Gibson SGs for AC/DC. Young started his love affair with the Gibson brand in 1971 and began using a ’60s model with a Vibrola pickup and a relatively thin neck.
The Gibson SG Standard was one of the most popular electric guitars ever produced. First appearing late in the 1960s, it featured a rosewood fingerboard, crown markers, and a wide fingerboard. Les Paul had one major gripe with this guitar: its thin neck, which was prone to breakage at the headstock and heel. Les Paul also had a divorce and was unhappy about his name being attached to the instrument.
The SG went through some drastic changes during the 1970s, and by the mid-1980s production moved to Gibson’s new factory in Nashville, Tennessee. Today, there are two basic models: the SG Standard and the SG Deluxe. The latter has a headstock logo called a Firebrand, and the SG Special II was a limited edition model released in 1983 and 1984.
SG Special
The history of the Gibson SG bass dates back to 1957. The SG’s unique set-neck design has a long sustain and is built with mahogany. Mahogany is an extremely hard wood with uniform grain and a warm resonant tone. It was originally used for acoustic instruments and is one of the few tonewoods that are still used in guitars.
The SG had many features that made it stand out from other models. It had a unique and striking body style that was more like a work of art than an instrument. The mahogany body featured a large cutaway on the bass side and a smaller cutaway on the treble side. Its design was unlike anything that came before it, and some of its features were inspired by Fender.
The first SG featured active pickups. The model has discontinued shortly after. The SG-R1 was the first model to feature active pickups. In 1981, it was renamed the SG Artist, but it was discontinued a short time later.
SG Custom

The Gibson SG bass is an electric guitar with a striking body and shape. It was the first bass to have a “neck-through-body” design. It was built of solid mahogany and featured a large cutaway on the bass side and a smaller cutaway on the treble side. The guitar’s unusual design was inspired in part by the Fender Strat, but not entirely.
The SG line of bass guitars was first introduced in 1961 when Gibson introduced its new SG design. This model introduced active pickups and slimmer-profile necks. It was a major departure from earlier Gibson models and was a big hit with guitarists. It was available in a variety of finishes and features. It also came with a Maestro Vibrola vibrato tailpiece.
Besides the Standard and Special models, Gibson also introduced several variants of the SG bass over the years. Today, the company continues to manufacture special editions of bass. Some of these models include the Supreme, the Artist Signature SG, the Menace, and the Gothic. The SG series also offers several models with custom wood finishes.
Diablo
The Gibson SG Diablo Premium Plus bass features Gibson’s best humbuckers and high-performance hardware. It also has a 24-fret fingerboard, two more than the standard SG. Its finish is made of genuine hand-sprayed nitrocellulose lacquer.
The SG Diablo was originally introduced in February 2008 as part of the “Guitar of the Month” program. It had gold hardware, a 24-fret bound fingerboard, and two Burstbucker Pro humbuckers. This model was not to be confused with the later Floyd Rose-equipped SG Diablo that was produced in 2012.
The SG Diablo has a horned mahogany body and a rounded mahogany neck. It comes with Burstbucker pickups with historically “unmatched” bobbin windings and Alnico II magnets. The SG Diablo also has a rosewood fingerboard.