Which side it lets out depends on who plays it! Style: resembling the horns of the devil, but with Marilyn Monroe’s sexy hourglass figure, the Gibson SG’s shape embodies the schizophrenia of rock ‘n’ roll: a sensual and sweet femininity coupled with a monstrous, unholy nastiness.Also, the double-cutaway facilitates access to the top frets, making this a popular weapon for fast, mind-bending solos that burn a hole in the stratosphere. Playability: with its extra-thin neck, the Gibson SG not only saved weight but also made it extra easy to play – it was dubbed “the fastest neck in the world”, and is still a benchmark for speed (and sometimes preferred by guitarists with small hands).It is comfortable to play thanks to ergonomic contouring, and becomes of course significantly lighter. Smaller body: The Gibson SG has a thin mahogany body, mainly because it omits the LPs maple top. Maybe this “focus on essentials” contributed to its success, resulting in many advantages: Superficially, the Gibson SG is a bit like a stripped-down Les Paul, the same chassis, electronics, scale-length, headstock and bridge. Unoriginal or genius? You choose…Ĭheck out: 10 GUITARS YOU NEED TO KNOW #2: LES PAUL Paul objected (he found the new guitar horrendous and didn’t want to be associated with it), Gibson probably panicked and came up with a name on the spot.Īnd because this was a “ Solid Guitar“, the name was just that: SG. Initially, the ‘New LP’ was sold under the Les Paul name – after all, the popular Jazz guitarist/inventor had been the face of Gibson’s flagship models for a decade. To emulate the Strat, the Gibson SG had a lighter body and double cutaway, but kept the general concept of the warm-sounding LP: mahogany and humbuckers. The preceding decade had been difficult for Gibson as the new Fender Stratocaster was vastly outselling them. Supposedly an improvement on the LP, Gibson introduced the SG in 1961. In fact, there are plenty of reasons why this has become Gibson’s best-selling model of all time. They all loved the guitar’s iconic, naughty aesthetic as well as its gnarly midrange sound, and it became the guitar of the 1960s. Eric Clapton played it in Cream, and Carlos Santana played it at Woodstock. (Iommi lost the tips of his fingers in an industrial accident, forcing him to play with extra-light strings that are easier on the fingers.)Īngus Young of AC/DC was apparently drawn to the Gibson SG because of the lighter body, which also looked better on his smaller frame. Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath plays a Gibson SG, partly because it’s shorter scale-length of 24¾ inch allows for a low string tension. In an instrument, it involves the working-together of every element, each part supporting and embellishing the others.Įvery so often a guitar comes along that just fits, an instrument which is greater than the sum total of its parts. This is an elusive and subjective quality, the ‘Ingredient X’ which finds you when you least expect. But one element hasn’t yet been talked about: synergy. As I have tried to show in this series, some guitars push more towards a visual style, others more towards the sound, the price or the playability. Guitars exist in all shapes and sizes, styles and sounds, for all budgets and tastes. Synergy of body, mind and soul: The Gibson SG Check out: 10 GUITARS YOU NEED TO KNOW #2: LES PAUL.Synergy of body, mind and soul: The Gibson SG.
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