Gibson SG

The least expensive of Gibson Guitar's standard models. The SG is used by Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC, Kim Thayil formerly of Soundgarden, myself and a whole lot of other people.

I've always thought it looked like a Les Paul with horns.

An electric guitar manufactured by Gibson guitars. Originally designed as a budget alternative to the Gibson Les Paul, and is still very similar to it in sound and construction, and, unfortunately, price.

The Gibson SG is a double cutaway guitar with a set neck construction and a 24.5 inch scale length, like the Les Paul. The guitar features two humbuckers, and a toggle switch which can select a neck, combined or bridge pickup. This distinguishes it from the similar Les Paul Jr. and the Gibson SG Jr. which typically have one P-90 pickup or something else. The guitar is constructed out of mahogany, with a maple top and rosewood fretboard. It is very thin and doesn't weigh much. It has a fixed bridge design.

The Gibson SG is favoured for its sustain, its midrange tone and its striking (for a Gibson) appearance.

The Gibson SGs inception was in 1961 when the guitar was originally designed to bring a new style to the ever popular Les Paul line of guitars. However, without Les Paul’s approval the guitar was renamed the SG in 1963, the SG standing for Solid Guitar. Due to this change the first two years of SG guitars all have the Les Paul logo on either their peg heads or on the area just below the fretboard.

The Gibson SG is a very thin solid body guitar with a double cutaway design. The guitar is designed to be a straight ahead rocker with two humbucking pickups in most incarnations. This design is what makes the guitar ever popular with hard rock and metal guitarists. The controls on the guitar are very simple in nature and not a very far stretch from any guitar with dual humbuckers. The controls are simply 2 tone knobs and 2 volume knobs and a 3-way toggle switch. As would be expected one tone and volume knob correspond with each pickup while the toggle switch goes between neck pickup, bridge pickup, and both.

While this guitar is not the most innovative its unique design and power to scream have made it a very popular guitar among many playing styles. Some guitarists who have used the SG are:

• Pete Townshend
• Angus Young
• Brian Bell
• Alex Lifeson
• Dave Grohl
• Frank Zappa
• Ian MacKaye