He is a legend. I have a ton of respect for him he's legit .seems alitle more champagne and I'm wisky or beer but he's awesome..I think he used to teach at the University of Vermont
As a very young man, many many years ago, I was fortunate enough to purchase my 1962 Gibson Les Paul SG Ebony Block. The most addictive thing I've ever bought in my entire life...! Your videos are really good and informative, without any nonsense or gibberish. Love your work mate…
And just when I am getting ready to buy the new Epiphone SG Worn with the P-90s, a five-watt history comes out. This must be a sign that I need one in my life.
My first guitar and I still have it, a 1991 SG Standard in Cherry. Walked into the music store at 17, saw it on a stand and it was love at first site! $20 layaway deposit, came in a month later with the $ i was earning from my summer job($1000!) and she went home with me. 29 years and a few additional guitars later, I still have it, in fact I'm cradling in in my lap as I type this. It's "home".
That's a great love story ! My first Gibson was the SG special my Dad gave me for my birthday and for sticking with the guitar playing ! It's got ebony fret board and cherry red finish and PAF humbuckers that sounds really great ! I'm also typing this up with my newer 2017 Gibson SG standard cherryburst on my lap so my love for the SG remains !
What I love about this is the fact that I own a couple SG's their my favorite guitars and learning that the wood of the first issues came from the country I'm from (Belize). Awesome!
I fell in love with SGs after seeing the video of Carlos Santana playing "Soul Sacrifice" at Woodstock. In his autobiography , he said he destroyed his red SG special shortly after the concert because he couldn't keep it in tune, but in my opinion it was the best sounding guitar he ever used. Great video as always! Thank you!
Gary Clark Jr. plays SGs, although not exclusively. ..but I think he deserved an honorable mention. My favorite workhorse underdog guitar hero Glen Buxton (Alice Cooper) created legendary guitar work on an SG, and Matt "Guitar' Murphy played an SG in The Blues Brothers!
Bossfan49... Here here to the late "GB"! And Michael Bruce as well since they both played SGs throughout 1971-1972 for the Love It To Death and Killer albums and tours
There should have been mention of John Cippolina’s many SGs. Iconic. Gary Duncan also played SG in Quicksilver Messenger Service, but the customized ones John played, WOW!
Wonderful video to an unsung hero of music. I've been in love with the SG ever since I saw Robbie Krieger in 1965! I own 3 albeit Epi versions ( Standard, Special, and P90) and will buy nothing else!
I bought an SG tribute 6 months ago. Couldn't be happier, it's extremely comfortable and the sound is just perfect, clean and dirty. I'm completely in love with this guitar and hope to get other ones in a near future. Great video thank you!!
I can't recommend the SG enough. If I had to describe it in two words, aggressive beauty. The way the neck feels, the further back balance, the power in those humbuckers, there really is nothing like an SG. And the Epiphone models are absolutely amazing to boot. I played a lot of different electrics before I finally settled on my favorite. They all felt as if they were lacking something. The Les Paul came the closest, but still wasn't quite right. But the second I picked up an SG I knew what I'd been missing.
Mick Abrams, who played on Jethro Tull's first album "This Was" played an SG. He left JT to for Blodwyn Pig and is pictured using an SG in the illustrated BP cover art.
you could record an hour long history of nearly any given month in pre pcb Marshall production just given how much each amp they shipped out was until the mid 70s.
I always loved SG's and Gretsch's, seeing Angus and Malcolm play those guitars was amazing. That's why i now am a proud owner of an Epiphone SG special, A 1975 Gibson SG and a Gretsch g6131 jet firebird, modified by me in a Malcolm young style.
@@jubei7259 Pete played everything he could get his hands on that he could smash on stage to compensate for whatever normal sht was missing inside of his head. I can leave him out of anything I want and don't consider him an SG player or player of anything specifically. He was/is a good musician but pumping him for loyalty to or love of any specific instrument makes my stomach turn a bit.
Nope. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a Gospel Rocker b4 the term became popular was playing an SG long before The Doors got a name and Robby Kreiger picked up an SG for the first time.
I have a '67 SG with the annoyingly narrow nut width. It appears to be 1 5/8". I cannot find a Tusq nut for it. That would certainly help it with tuning stability. I put Tusq saddles on the bridge years ago. I am glad I did (no more broken strings ever).
I LOVE my SG! It’s hard not to love those sexy devil horn cutaways. My main guitar, and the most soulful and lively guitar I’ve ever owned, is my early ‘69 SG Special (one piece body+neck, no volute). I mean it’s a total mutt... I got it for a song since she’s been routed for humbuckers and is beat to hell, but she’s got some period-appropriate patent sticker t-tops and positively siiiiings 🎶 It is true what people say about old guitars... the resonance and feel is something that’s extremely difficult to replicate. Thanks for the great video, long live the SG 😈
I loved this video, as I love SGs! In 1968 when I was a freshman in H.S. we watched a movie in chorus class, produced by Gibson, showing the making from start to finish of a guitar, the end result was a cherry red (what else) SG Standard! When 13yo me saw that guitar I said to myself "that's perfect, I'm gonna have one just like it". My 1st SG was an original 1961 Special from a yard sale, my friend and I were riding around and he said "we oughta watch these yard sales, we might see one with a guitar at it", we went around a curve and saw a huge yard sale with that white SG by the road! best $210 I've ever spent. The rest of the day, every 5 minutes one of us said to the other "we oughta watch these yard sales..." One thing you missed was that the stop tailpiece on the 61s and early 62s had a very severe angle but by the end of 62 this had been changed to the straight position that they've had ever since (this was pointed out on a Joe Bonnamassa video). I still have that guitar and though they have a rep for broken headstocks and neck-body joints, mine has never had to be repaired. I did catch one of the guitar players in my band pushing on the back of the neck once when he was playing it due to breaking a string on his Les Paul and I stopped the practice then and there and took it away and never let him play it again! One of the things I like the most in this Video is that you gave the real reason the name was changed from Les Paul to SG, that it was because the contract with Les had run out, not the incorrect reason that many think. I now have 3 SGs, a cherry Standard and white Epi Custom 3 pu and also a good handful of Les Pauls but the original one will always be my favorite. One of the best SG players is one you missed, Frank Marino, he played a Cherry Standard with a Vibrola for quite a few years and then played, up until the end of his career, what looks like a custom made one with single coil pickups. Thanks again for this informative and clear history.
Was a Never SG player until March 2023. Just got an Epiphone SG. The neck dive is a drag but I use a wide bass strap which holds it ok. Very nice, wide neck. I put GFS Mean 90's in it as I prefer P90's over HB's. The neck takes a bit getting used to over Wizards but I'm getting used to it. As all the comments say, very good/great guitars, light, playable and fun to play.
Great Job Keith !!! Back in the mid-70's.... when I lived in Miami, Fla. A good friend, "Mike" gave me his SG ! But, It was damaged !! As the story goes.... Like most teenagers he had an argument with his parents, this time it was over his lessons ! Being the focus of his rage, he launched his SG across the room ! Unfortunately it was plugged-in and it Splintered and left about a 2-1/2 inch Crater in the body ! The only reason it didn't do more damage, was the brass ground shield that was inside the body . Anyhow, I un-screwed the back plastic access plate, removed the jack and the pots. It was a real mess, so I hammered the brass back into shape and replaced the electronics. It was way too flimsy to be used that way, so I found some mirror polished aluminum sheet and cut and drilled a front cover plate . I used for many years that way ! During that time I had moved to North Carolina and met a excellent guitar player, "Wayne" ! We became good friends, but I was on the move again.... So, I gave the SG to him ! It's been 30 yrs now, so if you run across an Odd looking SG out there.... You now know some of it's history ! It's the only guitar I've ever had that didn't need a whammy bar !
Hey! I absolutely enjoy the build and history of the guitar as you feature in this video. I am a firearms enthusiast and have also found the same thing in guitars. Great template for your presentation of the SG guitar. I love it. Thank you for your efforts and expertise.
In 1986 I bought a brand new SG standard. I ordered a small pickguard and tunomatic bridge. Heritage cherry. What is a little weird about it is that my input jack is on the side like a Les Paul. Anyone ever seen that on an SG? I haven't seen another like it. I love the guitar and just had it buffed and setup this year. Great guitar.
Great video. I had heard the story that Les Paul first saw the SG displaying his name at a music store in Milwaukee. He called Gibson and complained that they had changed the design. Gibson then agreed tp take his name off of it and call it the SG. Your explanation about his contract with Gibson ending makes more sense.
Three things I’d like to clarify: Les Paul didn’t want his name on the guitars because he had just gotten divorced from Mary Ford and didn’t want her taking the money. Tony Iommi had custom 24 fret SGs made because he tuned his guitars lower because of his finger injuries, and needed the extra high notes. Jimmy Page played a Fender XII in the studio. So any 12-string you hear is the Fender. He only used the double neck live. And McLaughlin is pronounced “lock lin” not “lof lin”
I was at Roots Rock Revival up in the Catskills, a workshop/jam event put on by the Trucks family and Otiel Burgage. This year the red SG was the most popular guitar among the young players, which us older players attribute to Derek Trucks steady popularity and that the focus of the event was Allman Brothers/Grateful Dead styles and who can reproduce Jerry’s guitars or afford (at that age) John’s. Kind of fun to see the ebb and flow of popularity.
My first 6 string was an epiphone sg cherry red. I fell in love with it and I learned so much on it. It had a screw half way out the neck as a guitar strap button and a huge crack in the bottom pick up but that just added a gritty sound to it. I ended up giving to my "lil" brother and he busted it at a party.
I thoroughly enjoyed the years I spent playing a 1993 Les Paul Studio lite, but I would have to say that my SG standard in wine red quickly became my go-to guitar. Bought in New York around 2003, it was extremely easy to play, and once it was set up (by John Bertsche) I never had to worry about it onstage. It is one great guitar!
I loved my Tokai LP so much that, after playing many Gibson SG Standards ranging 2013'-24' at Guitar Center and finding them lackluster for the price, I stepped up to the Tokai premium line and got a beautiful black SG' from a small online store. It's on it's way from Indonesia as I write this. These are hard, if not impossible to find online and, though they are Tokai's best, they are still hundreds less than Gibson Standard. It will be my first SG. If it delivers even close to my LP's (Gibson and Tokai) it will become my main stand up, stage/rehearsal guitar, because of the agreeable weight.
In 1978 I bought a brand new flying v and loved it until a friend brought a guy over with an SG that looked brand new like the one at the beginning of this void but had a stamped Gibson vibrato plate. In 2 minutes I traded straight across. I still have that guitar and I've used it to jam with Johnny Winter, Blues Traveler Bare Naked Ladies, Mark St.John, Metal Church, so many shows 2 rocklahomas,,that guitar defines my soul and my life. I'm at the Music Ranch in Austin working on yet another album and yeah she's right over there in the corner waiting .. Her serial # is 940034. It is still the fastest ax I have ever played and I have turned down a shitload of money offered. I'm 64 now but made of metal literally lol Thanks Gibson, for letting a high school drop out live a life worth living. Thank you thank you thank you.
Just to add, part of my love for the SG was seeing Angus when I was a teenager in Bristol Colston Hall (1979). The SG was covered in gorilla tape and he had no lead. For fifteen year olds this was confusing. But a happy memory. I’ve seen Motörhead Saxon Nugent etc but that evening was counter intuitively loud.
You did miss a few like the Robbie Kreiger signature model with the Gibson vibrola made in 2011, the blue1998 SG Deluxe model with the three mini humbuckers and Gibson vibrola. I also own a 2007 SG Custom Shop with three single coils on a angle with a rare factory custom shop vibrato tailpiece. Thanks for the video guys.😎👍
First SG I bought was in ´97, it was a Gibson SG three pickup Custom 1974 walnut. Because of the music of Black Sabbath and love of guitarist Tony Iommi, I ended up buying 3 more: one of the Epiphone recent custom Iommi model and the Iommi SG400. The other is a Gibson SG standard hand singned by Tony at the Gibson factory back in 1998 ....my treasure! Love this video!
The Gibson SG Guitar . I hope one day to add to my guitar collection. It’s like a staple of the guitar community. Without it we wouldn’t have so many songs .
I had a 1971 SG purchased for $100 in 1979. The guy who sold it to me needed money for the Fender 25th anniversary Stratocaster (the silver ones all turned green!. Ahh the made in USA guitars of the 70s). Long gone and I miss that one. Traded for a brand new 1982 BC Rich Eagle.Remember Gracins Music in Hempstead NY?
Fantastic video. Thank you. Every time I watch one of these... I yearn for the instruments you're showing. Makes it hard to not go out and buy another guitar. Lol
Watch the video “Enough and the Short History”. It covers the “want everything that’s beautiful” thing. And hey, imagine what it’s like for me MAKING these videos. :)
I like this channel. As someone who's just not been around to know all these things I can just come here and find out about the history of the Instruments I play on.
I think I’m right in saying that the SG is one of, if not the only, Gibson model to be constantly in production since it was introduced. It’s also their highest selling guitar, probably due to the former. I’ve pretty much always had an SG of some kind since I was 16/17, and even though I’ve become something of a PRS convert recently, the SG will always be the first guitar I fell in love with.
rewatching this for the 5th or 6th time, and i wanted to mention a modern player who uses an sg in a completely different context and genre to what you’d generally associate the sg with. she’s an indie pop artist called tessa violet, and she’s recently been playing a brian ray signature sg junior, which she coved in yellow/gold rhinestones
I have an ‘08 Epiphone reissue of the ‘61 custom in White-white. It’s actually a very good playing guitar after a set-up & pickup swap & still mint because I rarely play it. I’m a Telecaster guy.
Bought my first guitar from Herb David guitar studio in Ann arbor Michigan in 1979. A walnut body sg. It was stolen from me by a guitar shop in Ypsilanti Michigan. I have had quite a few guitars since. None as remember able as that sg. Some I will find me another one of the same era.
I recently purchased an Epiphone SG Standard 61 and liked it so much that I had to get the Gibson SG Standard 61, non vibrola guitar. The Gibson quickly became my favorite guitar with the Epiphone right behind it. They are tone machines.
My first Electric Guitar was a 1970 SG Standard with the Vibrola and 10 -56 string gauge. I really like the thin neck. Unfortunately the body is not as pointy as the earlier years. It has the Vibrola and only goes out of tune when a string breaks. I still have the Guitar.
Jimi Hendrix had his white SG present at Woodstock. If you watch the (mainly) black and white 'amateur video' version of Woodstock, which features 'Hear My Train A Coming', you'll see a roadie holding it near the end of the film; I believe it's shortly before the encore before he played 'Hey Joe'. Also, Bob Marley played an SG too.
I have a 1972 Framus in SG style and I love it so much despite the fact I play bass. It's why I bought an Epiphone SG bass! My favourite of all body styles for sure
After thinking for a long time when I was a kid that I wanted to get a guitar it was seeing Ian Mackaye on the cover of Fugazi’s 3 Songs single that made me want to play an SG.
Thank you for this great brief history in time of this amazing highly underrated Gibson electric guitar. I own several SGs and they all play like BUTTER.
Fantastic video, sir. I really like my 71/72 Deluxe with the Gibson stamped pup covers. Certainly a bit different from the earlier/later models, but sounds and plays great.
Derek Trucks’ signature SG came out before the Dickey Betts model, you can see him playing those a couple years before he made the switch to the Allman repro.
the Clapton "The Fool" psychedelic painted guitar was (& I assume still is) on display at an exotic car dealership in La Jolla ,CA, on LaJolla Blvd. near the intersection with Pearl st.
I love my SG. First "real" guitar I bought. Real, meaning American made Gibson. Robo tuners were great, until it stopped working, then fell apart, replaced with Grovers. Only one in my collection I didn't build myself or restore. Great video too.
The first guitar you showed is a ‘61 Les Paul. I know because I have one that my grandmother bought for my uncle brand new with a Gibson Skylark amp which I still have.
You hardly touched on the sg1, 2 and 3. I was hoping to see pics of these. I own a sg2 with the tremolo built into the bigsby bridge. Overall a great history lesson about my favorite model guitar!
The SG has always been a favorite of mine, not necessarily better than Les Pauls or Fender Strats or Telecasters, but they seem to take on a life of their own, depending on what type of music you play! The SG was full blown rock, and always looked cool as Hell!!
Wow, you even heart the critical comments! Haha, but I wasn't being critical, I just wanted to point that out in case it was overlooked. Not sure if that's quite a pun, but it's close. Haha, as a consummate pro, I'm sure you understand that. I narrow my lines, & speed up the cursor to avoid this problem, but you've probably figured that out already.
So glad you gave a shout-out to Buck Dharma - to this day I don't think Buck gets the credit he deserves as a guitarist - he's the reason I've owned SGs since I first started playing guitar in the 70s. His white SG, which he played from the start of the band until the early 80s when it was stolen, was originally cherry with a Bigsby. He had the Bigsby removed and painted it white. A few years ago - not sure exactly when, Gibson Custom Shop may a replica of his White SG - I've actually held it as I've become friends with Buck - which is a story in and of itself - and Buck played it at a gig in Tampa sometime around 2005, which was uncommon because he's been playing a custom made Steinberger for the past 20+ years - called the Cheeseberger because it's body is carved to look like Swiss cheese - it is one of a kind. The SG I currently own is an SG-Z - it has a 24 fret neck so it is super neck heavy - SGs have always been this way but with 24 frets it is more-so than most - and it has strings through the body, which is very uncommon for Gibson - it also has an Ebony fingerboard - Grover tuning keys and all black hardware - its a great guitar and it is autographed by Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom - both founding members of Blue Oyster Cult. It is also autographed by Richie Castellano and Jules Radino - current members of BOC
my 2nd nice guitar was/is a fresh out the box '04 standard that i quickly modded with duncan phat cats. made the short list of never-going-to-sell a long time ago. pickups have permanent green schmoltz on them, the finish is getting old and deep, all the dings and haze and scratches are baked in. i just looked at it during the video and i think it winked at me your videos remind me why i love this shit
I have always been a Les Player, but the older I get, the SG just makes more sense. I didn't like them when I was younger. I hated the neck dive and the long reach to the lower frets by the nut. I now have a SG Junior. With some arthritis these days, I love the easy reach to the upper frets. What bothered me when about the SG I was younger, are no longer issues. I love this guitar so much, I am thinking of selling my LP Custom and getting a SG Standard or a Custom.
Interesting video about the Gibson SG and all the great guitarist that had one. Well, almost all? Did anyone else recall the Alice Cooper band when they first started? I was surprised they weren't mentioned in the video. I was inspired, and wanted an SG, back in the days of the Alice Cooper band and their first few “best” albums of around 1970 or so. There was Glenn Buxton with the SG Custom, Michael Bruce with the SG Standard, and Dennis Dunnaway (I hope I spelled his names correctly) with the SG bass. I was about 10 years old and felt they couldn’t have sounded so good without that choice of guitars they played. I then had to save up and get and SG Standard that I still have today.
The guitar player in my band will only play a 2013 SG. He had two at one point, selling the cherry finish in favor of the amber finish. He's played Les Pauls, Strats, earlier and later SGs, and even my PRS, but loves his '13 SG best.
The SG has been my main guitar for a long time along side my Les Paul (for mellower sounds) and my Strat (single coils). Best guitar i ever played (even though its an Epiphone). I will be brutally honest, the neck joint is a little too low on the neck so its prone to a “neck bend” tone shift, but i can excuse it as it plays like heaven. Nice history review! Ever thought of trying a Rickenbacker video?
Hahah FOURTH! Time watching this video. Certainly not the last! I love these short history’s. Not to mention that I’m falling in love with the Brian ray SG and I think I’m gonna pop for the silver fox finish. Either that or the Zappa sg.
Another great video. Thanks. But, one player is missing: Terry Kath. For this Gen X, I can't think of the SG without his image from the inside of Chicago Transit Authority's debut double-album popping in my head.
