Gibson SG '61 Reissue Ebony

Introduced more than a half-century ago, the Gibson SG Standard achieved legendary status almost from the moment it hit the scene in 1961. This sleek double-cutaway rocker had a slim, light body but no shortage of power and sustain, and the kind of fast playability that the guitar world had not previously experienced. Originally introduced as a replacement for the single-cutaway Les Paul, the SG held firm even after the LP's return in the late '60s, and has retained its iconic status with rock and blues players ever since, while displaying its versatility by making inroads into virtually all other types of amplified music.

Like the original 1961 SG and all of the classic variations since, the SG '61 Reissue Satin has a body crafted from solid mahogany in the asymmetrical "double-horned" deep double-cutaway design. A light and supremely resonant wood, mahogany gives this guitar outstanding tonal richness and depth, with plenty of clarity and sustain. Coupled with the SG's characteristic beveled edgea big part of this models distinctive stylingthe mahogany's light weight also enhances playing comfort, and the fine grain of the Grade-A timbers used beneath the semi-transparent Worn Cherry and Worn Brown finishes look superb, too. The guitar's quarter-sawn mahogany neck is carved in a slim tapered profile that measures .800" at the 1st fret and .890" at the 12th. It is glued into the body with Gibson's acclaimed mortise-and-tenon neck joint, and topped with a rich, brown baked maple fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets and vintage cream binding. Acrylic trapezoid fingerboard inlays, a mother-of-pearl headstock logo and holly inlay, and the smaller five-ply early '60s pickguard round out the package visually.

Making this reissue the best tonal performer it can be, Gibson USA loads the SG '61 Reissue Satin with a pair of the most accurate PAF-styled humbuckers available today. The 57 Classics in the neck and bridge position are made with genuine Alnico II magnets, and wound with 42-AWG enamel-coated wire just like the originals. To make them more versatile for todays high-volume music, the coils are wax potted to combat microphonic squeal. Routed through the classic configuration of an independent volume and tone control for each pickup and a three-way toggle switch, this pair gives you warm yet articulate voices from the neck position, crunchy and singing bridge tones, and sweet round sounds in between. It's all anchored by the classic pairing of ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, with a set of TonePros vintage-style tulip-button tuners installed at the other side of the PLEK-cut Corian nut. Add it up, and the SG '61 Reissue Satin is one powerful and elegant slice of vintage Gibson.