The SG was going to
be Gibsons answer to to nagging issues. The first was as a response to the
Fender Stratocaster, which was finding favor with a number of popular musicians,
was smaller and lighter than the Les Paul, and was able to undercut Gibson on
price. It was also the answer to the possibly related matter of lagging sales
for the flagship solid body guitar, the Les Paul. the Les Paul was, and
continues to be, a great guitar, and a truly inspired design; but it was the
victim of conventional thinking.Les Paul himself had experimented with solid body guitars, starting with regular hollow body guitars that he filled with plaster. These ten pound guitars had the advantage of producing no feedback when electrically amplified. What he did was design a solid body guitar, according to traditional standards of hollow body guitar construction. So these guitars had arch tops and arch backs, and had a laminated muti core construction, just like many hollow body guitars; but were constructed over a solid core. They also had the traditional figure eight body design, with a cut out on the bottom forward lobe, to allow better access to the higher notes. These were the classic electric guitars, and everybody loves their look and feel; but compared to the Fender, they were difficult to make and thus expensive, they were also thicker, heavier, and some claimed not as easy to play. Such statements are certain to cause heated arguments between guitar enthusiasts; but regardless of who was right, this was the way that many guitar players felt.
When sales of the Les Paul began to lag, Gibson decided that they needed to introduce a new model. Taking a cue from the Fender, Gibson used a solid piece of wood, made the guitar thinner and lighter, and made double cutouts. They also radiused the edges, Fender style, rather than using binding as was being done with the Les Paul. They originally introduced this as a Les Paul model; but Les Paul objected, liking neither they styling, nor the less expensive building and finishing. So Gibson ended up calling the new model, the SG, for Solid Guitar.
Though this was never meant to be a top of the line guitar, some versions were fancier than others. This is the faded model, which is a lower end SG. The guitar is plain; but is every inch as well made as a regular SG, and even uses the same electronics and pick ups.. Plastic tuning knobs, and the worn finish are the only real concessions to cost.
The guitar has two Humbucker pick ups, each with it's own volume and tone control. There is a three way switch to select between them, or to use both at once. The tuners are marked Gibson Deluxe, and are commonly referred to as green keys. they are adequate tuners, and the guitar stays in tune reasonably well. Strings pass through a white plastic nut, and over the classic Gibson Tune-O-Matic bridge, before being secured by a the bar stop. This is my most recent guitar purchase, and I have not had much time to form an opinion. It makes a good first impression, and I am looking forward to seeing just what a genuine Gibson can do.
