Diamonds Are Forever
Beauty in gleaming white or cherry red that must be seen.
Wonderfully clear bell-like tone that must be heard.
Fast action that should be tried - soon. By Gibson, of course.
Gibson 1961
Introduction
By mid 1960, the Gibson Guitar Corporation felt that the single-cut Les Paul model, introduced in 1952, had run its course and decided on a design change. Lower sales volumes is usually cited as the reason for dropping the original Les Paul’s model. In fact Gibson achieved the highest ever Les Paul range (Junior, Special, Standard and Custom) sales figures in 1959. However, a new trend emerged in 1960 when sales of the Les Paul range decreased while ES-3xx models increased. It seemed some the of the traditional Les Paul players where opting for cross over models like the ES-335. While decreasing solid model sales was an issue there was other context leading to the introduction of the Solid Guitar, the SG:- Marketing: The original Les Paul models look like traditional jazz style guitars, not as modern looking as say a Fender Stratocaster (it’s hard to imagine Buddy Holly playing a Les Paul). Gibson had tried to introduce modern guitar shapes in 1958 with the Flying V and Explorer but these guitars were perhaps too radical for the time;
- Licensing: Gibson’s licensing arrangement with Les was due for renewal in 1962/63. Creating a new design without input from Les clearly delineated the SG from the original LP;
- Manufacturing Costs: Each model in the Les Paul range has different construction detail, different finishes creating a more complex, time consuming, expensive production methods:
- The Les Paul Custom had a one piece carved top mahogany body with binding on the front and back of the body;
- The Les Paul Standard had body with carved maple top and binding on the front of the body;
- While the Juniors and Specials started as single cut slab bodied guitars (i.e. without carved cap or binding) by 1958 they used a double cut bodies;
The styling of the SG was certainly influenced by a need for greater access to the frets at the top of the neck as provided by the double cut-away (1958-60) LP Juniors/Specials (a la Fender Stratocaster?) and styling of double neck EDS-1275.
A new Solid Guitar (SG) was developed during 1960 addressing issues perceived with the older Les Paul range. The SG used a standard modern looking double-cutaway body, beveled edges, lighter weight, thinner necks and similar: pickup, volume/tone control, pickup selection arrangements across the entire SG model range:
- SG Junior: like the Les Paul Junior before it had a single "dog ear" P-90 pickup and an optional vibrato system;
- SG Special: introduced not long after, featuring two P-90 pickups and an optional vibrato. The SG Special was the guitar was notably the choice for Pete Townshend of The Who during the "Tommy" era and Carlos Santana also played an SG Special at Woodstock in 1969;
- SG Standard: New sideways Vibrola with 2 x PAFs pickups, cf. maple cap and front body binding on the Les Paul Standard;
- SG Custom: New sideways Vibrola with 3 x PAFs pickups cf. all mahogany carved body and front/back body binding on the Les Paul Custom.
SG Custom History
The SG Custom replaced the all black single cutaway Les Paul Custom in 1961. With 3 Patent Applied For humbuckers, gold hardware, multiple binding, and an ebony fingerboard to go along with the new thin-line body, the SG Custom maintained the standard of elegance set by the original Les Paul Custom. Although those Les Paul models of the late 1950s would eventually become the world’s most iconic six-stringed instruments, the introduction of the redesigned models in 1961 would also signal an important new era in electric solid body design. |
| Keith's SG Custom |
Now it's more wonderful than ever with a new body design and new features. Ultra thin, hand contoured, delicately balanced, it adjusts into a natural comfortable playing position for any guitarist, with or without strap. The three hum-bucking adjustable pickups, Tune-O-Matic bridge, and new vibrato* ... with increased power, greater sustain, and a clear resonant sparkling tone, the "Custom" provides the widest range of tonal colourings and effects. Three-way toggle switch provides a unique method of tone mixing: top position selects to top pickup for rhythm, centre position activates the center and lower pickups simultaneously for extreme highs and special effects, lower position operates the lower pickup for playing lead.
Gibson’s SG Custom featured the exact same thin solid mahogany body as the SG Standard, which delivered exceptional resonance, superior tone and much improved sustain. Its distinctive twin cutaways also offered easier access to the guitar’s higher frets. The biggest difference, however, was the added middle pickup and the guitar’s new circuitry, which included a three-way toggle switch wired to activate the middle and back pickups together in the middle position, an out-of-phase mode designed for added tonal color. The new models were also fitted with one of four vibrato tailpieces that were used in the early 1960s. The vibrato tailpiece that adorns today’s SG Custom model from Gibson Custom is the Maestro version with lyre-engraved cover plate that became a standard appointment from 1963. The SG Custom model was also fitted with a new wing-shaped, 5-ply black pick-guard, and its new 22-fret mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and slim-taper profile was quickly recognised as one of the fastest guitar necks in the world.
SGs seem brighter with a slight hollow ring than the LP models. Gibson call this a ‘bell like’ sound. The perceived brightness is more likely less bottom end due to the small body of the SG compared to the fuller bodied Les Paul.
The original 1961-63 Les Paul Custom SG had a Les Paul signature tenon plate between the neck and the neck pickup but no reference to SG on the guitar. The Standards have a Les Paul engraved truss rod cover from '61 to early '63. Les Paul's endorsement contract with Gibson lapsed in 1962, and the guitar was renamed the SG ('Solid Guitar' according to Gibson's website). By the end of the 1963 model year the SG Custom tenon plate replaced Les Paul engraving with the one word, CUSTOM. Models produced between 1961 and 1965 have a smaller pickguard; most standard models produced after 1965 have the large pickguard, which wraps around the pickups on the guitar body (though re-issues and variants of the small pickguard SG are still available).
While not attracting as much attention as the Les Paul models notable SG Custom players include:
- Glenn Buxton (Alice Cooper);
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe;
- Rick Springfield;
- Angus Young;
- Tommy Iommi;
- Jimmy Page;
- Carlos Santana;
- Jimi Hendrix (who played a SG Custom from mid to late 1969, primarily for blues numbers like Red House). Gibson are currently making a '68 Jimi Hendrix Custom artist reissue;
- David Grohl;
- Buddy Guy;
- Pete Townshend and;
- Keith Richards who regularly used the SG Custom for Midnight Rambler (with capo on the 7th fret).
1961 pricing
This pricing was the same pricing for the original Les Paul Standards and Custom the SGs replaced. Arguably, the Gibson SG range could have been less expensive given less complex construction of the SG compared to original. However, there was new retooling costs to recover and the pricing didn't impact sales (and at least Gibson didn't raise the price for the new model).
- White finish $395 ($265 for the Standard)
- 0537 Faultless gold plush-lined case $47.50
- ZC-CLP Deluxe zipper case cover $30.00
SG Custom Reissues
The SG Custom was introduced in 1961, slotting above the SG Standard as the top of the line model. It has been one of the longest-lasting variants of the SG, only shortly being discontinued from 1980-1986. SG Customs were originally available from the "Made In USA" production line. In 1993, it became a Custom Shop model as part of the Historic Collection. Since early 2000s the model, it was redesigned for more historical accuracy and has only been available from the Gibson Custom Shop. From 2014-2018, it was discontinued as a standard production model, but could still be ordered through the Made 2 Measure program. It returned to regular production in 2019.Today, Gibson’s SG line remains as one of the most popular and best-selling of all Gibson guitars, and the SG Custom from Gibson Custom is a painstaking recreation of this iconic instrument, circa 1963. Its distinct features and legendary tone are meticulously remade with all the precision and accuracy expected from Gibson Custom, including its solid mahogany body with twin cutaways, pointed horns, beveled edges and gold-plated nickel hardware. Other standard appointments include its pearl block fingerboard inlays, single-ply white binding along the fingerboard and a 1960s slim-taper neck profile. Its legendary tone comes from three ’57 Classic humbucker pickups, which are manufactured to the exact same specs as Gibson’s original PAF humbuckers, including Alnico II magnets, nickel-plated pole pieces, nickel slugs, maple spacers, and vintage-style, two-conductor braided wiring, which are coated with polyurethane to eliminate thin or thick spots on the wire. Wax potting also removes all internal air space and any chance of microphonic feedback. Each SG Custom comes with a standard Gibson Custom case and certificate of authenticity. They are available in a V.O.S. or gloss finish, in either Classic White or Faded Cherry. They can also be ordered with an original Maestro vibrato tailpiece, or with a lightweight aluminium stop-bar.
Specifications
Gibson reckon this '61 SG Custom Re-issue is a "near perfect recreation", however, as noted below this Reissue is a mashup of 61-64 features.Body
Ultra thin, hand contoured, double cut-away body:- Solid Honduran Mahogany body;
- One-piece construction;
- Angled heel;
- Historic deep bevelling;
- Tapered horn tips;
- Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish;
- Aniline dye (Translucent colours, 2000-2006).
Neck
New ultra slim, fast, low-action neck-with exclusive extra low frets-joins body at 22nd fret referred to as 1960 slim-taper neck profile. The custom shop guitars seem to have bigger/rounder neck profiles than '61 reissues but smaller than the Classic/Standard models. The neck sits higher off the body than a Made In America production models:
- 24-3/4" scale length (or 24 5/8” scale length?);
- 1-pc quarter-sawn Honduran Mahogany with adjustable truss rod and long neck tenon;
- Single-ply, Thicker style fret-edge binding;
- 1° neck pitch, 1960 Slim Taper C profile (.830″ / .945″), Set-in construction, joins body at 22nd fret;
- Ebony fretboard, 12" radius, Mother of Pearl block inlays;
- 22 frets levelled by Plek machine (2006-2013);
- 1 11/16″ nylon nut width cut by Plek machine (2006-2013).
Headstock
- Medium Open Book headstock w/ holly veneer under the headstock face
- Inlaid Mother of Pearl Gibson logo
- Multi-ply binding
- Classic font style
- Inlaid Mother of Pearl Trapezoid Split Diamond
- 17° headstock pitch
Hardware
- Gold Vintage Kluson reissue tulip tuners with push in tuner bushings;
- Green/Yellow Keystone buttons
- Gold Adjustable Tune-O-Matic ABR-1 bridge: Gold, non-retaining wire
- Gold Maestro tremolo tailpiece
- 3-ply “Angel Wing” pick-guard with wide bevel angle
- Bell shaped truss rod cover: 2-ply, wide bevel angle, “Les Paul Custom” engraving
- Tenon cover: 3-ply w/ “Les Paul Custom” engraving
- Black/Gold Reflector knobs w/ pointers
Pickups
- AlNiCo II Burstbucker pickups:
- BB1 Neck pickup;
- BB1 Middle pickup (out-of-phase?) and;
- BB2 Bridge pickup.
Controls
- 2 volume and 2 tone controls (top-hats with gold insert reflectors);
- Coarse knurled selector switch nut (a la recent '59 Les Paul editions)
- 3-way selector switch control (a la Les Paul Custom) providing:
- Rhythm position = Neck pickup;
- Rhythm/Treble position = combining Middle/Bridge pickups;
- Treble position = Bridge pickup.
Strings
- Vintage Reissue 0.010-0.046 strings;
Miscellaneous
- Custom Shop case;
- Certificate Of Authenticity;
- Custom care kit;
- Historic hang tags including an Equipped with Bumble Bee Capacitors tag;
- Certificate Of Authenticity.
Review
A Gibson Les Paul Custom or SG Custom was on my radar for a while. All the bling, ebony board and split-diamond headstock inlay. Should I buy a CUSTOM and if so which one: the Black single-cut Les Paul Custom or the double cut-away White SG Custom? I leaned towards the SG Custom:
- Less expensive;
- Much lighter (most LP Customs are notoriously heavy);
- Easier upper fret access;
- I had already had a Custom Shop Les Paul '59 reissue and a PRS Custom 24 but I had SG Custom sized hole in my collection;
- Underdog status, The SG has always sold in greater numbers than the LP and has been in production since its introduction but paradoxically the Les Paul that gets the attention and;
- Devilish good looks.
The 2009 Australian street price for a new SG Custom was about $5.5k and occasional second hand models advertised for $3.5-4.5k. The Australian Gibson distributor advertised a two week sale with the SG Custom '61 Reissue priced at $4500. The short term sale stopped the fence sitting and I placed the order for an 'SG Custom '61 reissue Classic White w/ Maestro in Vintage Old Spec (VOS) finish.
I prefer the Vintage Old Spec (VOS) finish rather than gloss. I'm not a collector, I play my guitars and over time sweat, playing marks and the odd bump seem to fit right in with the VOS theme. However, I later had second thoughts about getting the Maestro equipped model (they have a notorious reputation for tuning instability). I tried to change the order from Maestro to a stop tail but was told the only option was to cancel the order and re-order at full price.
I then waited four frustrating months for my guitar to be delivered. Initially they sent a 2006 model (I don't understand why I waited four months for a 4 year old guitar?) That guitar had a bent Maestro spring and therefore no vibrato travel. I returned the 2006 model which was replaced with a 2009 model shortly after. I'm guessing the local distributor tried to fit me up with 2006 model which was either a warranty return or they tried to dump on me with old stock so they could get a more dollars as a new sale.
Customer Support
I sent back the first SG Custom I was sent. The vibrola on the guitar was crushed in transit and didn't work properly. No problem returning that guitar. This second SG Custom was better but still with many issues to resolve. However Gibson/the dealer resolved:
- The guitar didn't have all the case candy but Gibson made good;
- Comes with a 'Life time' warranty;
- I've not had problems dealing with Gibson regarding other guitars but not much experience either.
Observations
I made the following observations and identified a number of issues:
- Finish: No amber 'aged' clear coat was applied to the headstock so the Gibson logo and split diamond along with the fret inlays look quite stark compared to the aged off-white paintwork and VOS finish;
- Pickup selector: On delivery the 3 way pickup selector wouldn’t switch positions. Fixed with a touch of graphite paste;
- Middle pickup: the middle pickup on LP and SG Customs restricts playing style on both guitar but more so on the SG because there is no gap between pickups rings;
- Weight: At 7.46 lbs the Custom one of my lightest electric guitars, second only to my SG Standard at 6.48lbs. The body must be pretty light because the third pickup and the vibrola adds some weight to the guitar. In this respect the Vibrola may be a good thing counter-balancing the traditional SG neck dive.
Variations between original 1961 and 61 Reissue
- Pickup selector:
- Switch tip: All vintage SG Customs I've seen are fitted with a white tip. this reissue is fitted with an amber switch tip. I like the look but it’s not historically correct.
- Switch nut: coarse groove per 1961 spec.
- Bridge: A wire-less ABR-1 bridge is correct 1961 spec. Gibson used a wired ABR-1 from 1962-1965;
- Maestro Vibrola: 1961-62 SG Customs were fitted with the sideways Vibrola. This Custom Reissue is fitted is a 1963-65 lyre style Vibrola which has better usability of stability than sideways contraption. On reflection I would have preferred the stop-bar model;
- Truss rod cover: All 1961-65 SG Custom TRCs are blank. The SG Custom reissue has a Les Paul engraved truss rod cover. ;
- Tenon cover: The 1961-63 Les Paul Custom SG had a Les Paul signature tenon plate between the neck and the neck pickup. The font used to engrave the word "Custom" on original 61-63 tenon plates was smaller than the font used on this reissue. After Les Paul agreement lapsed the tenon cover engraving was changed to read CUSTOM;
- Tuners: SG Customs were usually fitted with Grovers 1960-1963 and waffle-back tuners 1963-65. I don't like the heavier bolt on Grover tuners, the lighter weight Vintage Kluson Reissue tulip tuners with push-in tuner bushings are my preference;
- Pickguard: 1961-195 style 3-ply “Angel Wing” pick-guard should be secured by 4 rather than the 3 screws.
Issues
As delivered, the guitar didn't sound or play great. I didn't think about why the Gibson distributor offered the sale prices until recently. Obviously, Gibson was looking to quickly increase sales quickly and quality suffered. I soon found a number of issues:
- Tuning stability: The guitar wouldn't stay in tune and using the Vibrola made things worse;
- Gold Plating: Gold wore off the Maestro lyre cover very quickly.
- Vibrola:The vibrola on my Made In USA '61 Standard Reissue (now sold) was perfect. However, the vibrola on this SG Custom is all over the place.
- The spring steel on the vibrola arm is not bent at the right angle, so the vibrola arm doesn't raise to the correct angle. The spring rests on the body and the break angle across the bridge is quite shallow contributing to tuning instability and sustain issues.
- The whole unit is fitted about ¼" too close to the bridge leaving a ¼" gap between the Maestro and the body edge. This also changes the break angle over the bridge;
- Bridge: The ABR seemed loose in the posts and the saddle slots were cut incorrectly. This caused a mis-alignment of the string passing over the pickup pole pieces and placed the string too close to the binding on high E string side of the neck.
- Body: In general the guitar was well finished however:
- Shape: parts of the body are not sanded smoothly especially the in the lower cut-away;
- Routs: the body routs for the pickup and control cavities are very messy, lots of burred timber;
- Fret to nib gap: Fret work, ebony board, fretboard and headstock inlays are well done. However, the top E strings got stuck in the gap between fret and the fret nibs. This issue was acerbated by the bridge mis-alignment.
- Electronics: The control wiring was messy.
Repairs and upgrades
- Strap locks: The first mod I always perform on Gibson guitars. Gibson's don't bounce;
- Body: Short of completely removing the finish, sanding and refinishing the guitar there's not much I can do to address the poor sanding in the lower cut-away;
- Vibrola: I replaced the Vibrola spring and body with an after-market part. This improved the break angle and smoothed the action but it's still not perfect;
- Bridge: I tried a number of things to improve the bridge:
- On the ABR-1 I tried:
- Changing the bridge saddles;
- Using graph tech TUSQ saddles;
- Replaced the ABR-1 with a Tonepros AVR-II locking bridge. I cut the saddles incorrectly and Tonepros don't sell replacement saddles;
- My luthier recommended reinstalling the ABR-1 and recutting saddles and adjusting the truss rod. This improved the string alignment and tuning issues. He also wired the ABR-1 (expertly drilled the bridge to fit a retaining spring over the bridge saddles per original 1961 build), replaced and recut the saddles to correctly align the strings with the pickup pole pieces. The intonation, string alignment and Vibrola stability was somewhat improved;
- In January 2024 I install a Faber bridge. The bridge looks like an ABR-1 but the saddle screws are retained in the bridge and the saddles are pre-notched. I've noticed an improvement in sound and tuning stability.
- Binding nibs: I had the treble side neck binding re-seated to remove the gap.
- Electronics: I wasn't happy with the sound as delivered. The full story of my Gibson SG wiring experiments are detailed here. Overall, I found the wiring changes too complicated to use in practice. At this stage the only changes to the factory SG Custom Reissue wiring I would like to implement is a seperate volume/tone control of the Middle pickup using the neck volume and tone controls (that are switched out while the pickup selector is on the Rhythm/Treble and Treble setting). As of 2026 I haven't figured out how to do this so I'm back to the standard wiring.
- Setup: I don't think any luthiers checked the setup but I adjusted the truss rod, string height, intonation, pickup height and cleaned the nut slots.
Conclusion
The SG was an immediate success and the story might have ended there except… a number of ‘60s blues guitarists, principally, Eric Clapton but also Mike Bloomfield and Jeff Beck, discovered the original Les Paul Standard hid a sonic secret. When played through a loud amplifier on the verge of break-up the Les Paul produced a singing over-driven sustain that became the sound of heavy blues/rock. While an SG can produce similar sounds, everybody wanted the LP Standard because that's what Eric played and a Les Paul Standard was all you needed to become a rock God! Gibson re-introduced the Les Paul in 1968.
The LP has the mystique/desirability but the SG is the work-horse of the Gibson range remaining in production since its introduction in 1961. Gibson picked a winner with the SG but couldn't leave the LP history behind!
After many modifications on my guitar: replacing the badly cut bridge and depressed vibrola, repairing the neck binding and a complete setup (which should have be done years ago) this dog has been turned into a star. It sounds great (with the original factory wiring) and stays in tune. I am now jamming with the guitar and would feel confident taking it to a gig!
While the Gibson SG Custom Reissue is not a near perfect recreation, I like specification: all bling'ed like a Gretsch White Falcon, unusual electrics and a stark contrast between whiteness of the body with a darkness of the ebony fret board. Cool but extravagant, famous but also infamous, it's not for everyone. Should I have bought the single cut Black Les Paul or the White SG Custom? In 2024 I ended up buying a '57 LP Custom. That was an itch that needed to be scratched.
So, the Les Paul Custom is called the 'Black Beauty'. maybe the SG Custom could be called a 'White Beauty' or as I call it, The Penguin!
