A Beautiful, Hard Rocking Guitar from Gibson
Written: Feb 06 '05 (Updated Sep 22 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Classic Gibson hard rock sound, lighter than an Les Paul
Cons: Expensive, more so than other SG's that give basically the same sound
The Bottom Line: The SG '61 Reissue is a great sounding, great playing collectible guitar, among the most important ever produced. It's a little expensive and lacks the sustain of a Les Paul.
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| buffoonery's Full Review: Gibson SG 61 Reissue Electric Guitar |
The Gibson SG is one of those guitars that any rock and roller has to own. It's essential, one of the most important guitars ever designed and absolutely elemental in the rock canon, played by a host of luminaries including faves like Peter Townsend of the Who, Frank Zappa, and Angus Young of ACDC. Under review here is the '61 Reissue, a seriously @sskicking guitar that, however, you can't buy back in black but you'll have to settle for a very cool heritage cherry.
The SG was initially produced in 1961. Gibson President Ted McCarty noted that Les Paul guitar sales had fallen from 1959 to 1960 and was looking for a new product to kick up sales. The firm had been experimenting with changes to the basic LP design, including the Junior and Special The firm settled on a design derived from the LP but with significant differences, including a sharp double cutaway. Initial designs (produced from 1959 to 1961, called a Les Paul/SG Standard) looked somewhat like an ES-335, but with the body thickness of the solid body LP. In 1961, the design attained the characteristic sharp double horns of the SG (Solid Guitar).
There were a couple of very significant developments that the SG provided and that make it the classic guitar that it is. The double cutaway provides extraordinarily easy access to all 22 frets. The thin mahogany body is much lighter than the typical Les Paul, coming in around five or six pounds to the LP's nine. This provides two important advantages: considerably easier playability over a two hour gig, and a lighter sound with a better (in my view, anyway) top end, although one gives up a little growl and some sustain as tradeoffs (you can't have everything).
Interestingly, the SG was a modest seller at first as musical tastes shifted to more folky music in the early 60's before the bust out of the British Invasion in 1964. Equally interesting, even though the guitar was to be a metamorphisis of the Les Paul model and was to retain Les Paul's name, Les Paul had his name removed from it soon after its introduction. McCarty says the removal occurred because Paul was becoming less popular as a recording artist. Paul says he didn't like it because the neck was too thin and didn't like how it joined the body. Probably the most important reason, though, was that Paul was getting divorced from his wife and recording partner, Mary Ford, and didn't want to renew contract discussions with Gibson until the divorce was final, so he didn't have to hand over any more cash to his ex- than necessary. There's thinking ahead.
At any rate, the 61 reissue ($1579 at Musician's Friend) is a terrific, classic guitar. The neck (with trapezoid inlays) is extremely fast and, as I said, gives access all the way up the fretboard. It's light and easy to play. The two '57 Classic Humbuckers (same most Les Pauls) provide that great Gibson growl when overdriven into a Marshall but when dialed down deliver a host of tones besides hard rock. The body is contoured nicely (better than a Les Paul, not as good as a Fender Strat) and easy to practice with. There are two volume and tone controls and a three way switch to control the two pickups. And this model is one of the more collectible of the SG's being currently produced.
There is an important tradeoff in price. You can get close to the same sound in a SG standard (with a 490R and 498T humbuckers instead of the 57's) for $1100 or so, or an SG classic with P-90's for a grand. Other models are available for even less. That choice, dear reader, is yours. But whatever you do, buy one SOME kind of SG. The fate of the free world depends on it.
Here are the technical details on the 61 reissue:
Body Species: Mahogany
Neck Species: Mahogany
Profile: 1960 slim-taper
Peghead Pitch: 17°
Thickness at 1st fret: 0.800"
Thickness at 12th fret: 0.895"
Heel Length: 0.625" Neck Joint Location: 22th fret Headstock Inlay: Crest
Fingerboard Species: Rosewood
Scale length: 243/4"
Total Length: 18.012"
Nut Width: 111/16"
Width at 12th fret: 2.062" Frets: 22
Inlays: Trapezoid Binding: single-ply
Hardware Plating
Finish: Nickel
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Tailpiece: Stopbar
Knobs: Black Top Hat with silver inserts
Pickups (two): '57 Classic humbuckers
Controls: Two volume, two tone, three-way switch
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Recommended:
Yes
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