Gibson '61 Les Paul SG Special Historic Reissue

2000 Cream White Historic Stopbar Custom Shop.

http://www.sometimelater.com/03172.jpg

'57 Classics. It's white, but actually cream. I would
have preferred more white or more yellow, but it's somewhere
in between, most would consider it a beaut but I'm actually
considering refinising it (yikes) in black because I've seen this guitar in black and it's just stunning.
Tunomatic Stop piece. Vintage tuners (will replace).
The neck is like the other Historic SG's I've seen.
Round, not extremely thin, like a '60 Les Paul.
It has a slight "taper" or bevel near the binding which I absolutely love. My main concern buying this guitar was the neck (hate the real thin ones) and I couldn't be happier, this is my neck for life.

I play Rock and Roll. Right now through a Peavey Classic 50 (the best cheap amp I've ever heard). It'll sound great through any amp.
I've also played it through a Vintage Bogner Metropolis and holy crap would a combo. I don't like the '57 classic bridge pickup, it's too low output for me and too bright. It sounds great but is not meaty enough for me. I love the '57 neck pickup. It's pure classic rock. I can't explain the sound in words, it's just too damn good. I've heard people say this exact guitar was their best guitar and I have to agree. There's a custom '57 reissue Black Beauty Les Paul here and this thing blow it away in tone, with the same exact pickups. That thing is dark & lifeless compared to this SG. I could only say I dislike the bridge pickup but it can be replaced. The guitar exceeded my expectations and they were set VERY HIGH! Very inspiring to play, very happy with this purchase.

Guitar arrived with loose strings for shipping and a loose truss rod. Initial setup and truss rod tightening and it played like crap and I was going to sell it right away. After it settled, HOLY COW!

This guitar plays like only 2 other guitars I've played in my whole life, and I've played a lot at the Hollywood Vintage Shop where they have everything. The only guitars that have played this well to me were a '59 Les Paul Special which was $5900 and the most magical guitar I've ever played. There were 4 others on the wall from the same period and this particular LP was pure magic. I remember playing some other vintage Les Paul there that had similiar magic recently. I also played a red version of this guitar the same day w/ Lyre Vibrola and it didn't play nearly as well as my white SG here.

The only was I can describe it is that the playing is effortless and it has a certain MOJO where your fingers magically bounce around at lightening speeds. No guitar in my house comes close to this level of MOJO. This makes the guitar invaluble to be because I know they're not all like this. It's a keeper and this is the only reason I would consider a refinish because it's not going anywhere.
I set the action pretty darn low so i has slight buzzing which
I don't mind at all. I didn't like the way it played with the action set higher and it didn't tune as well. This finish is georgous it just doesn't fully match my personality. It's fine for now. It's definatley rare, I haven't seen this exact stop bar white version anywhere on any site, I consider myself very luck to have found it used.

No flaws whatsoever that I'm aware of, it's PERFECT.

This will be my live guitar. Hardware seems great, but I will replace the tuners. Finish is the best possible finish I could imagine, stunning.

N/A

15 years playing.
I own '57 Les Paul reissue, '91 PRS, Fender Telesonic, a fantastic '79 strat, and a custom handmade hotrod mahogany Tele.
If it was stolen or lost I would buy the exact guitar, possibly the Korina version. I love the sounds and the playability. I compared it to every SG available, including vintage ones, and feel I made the best choice for my needs and got lucky with an especially fine specimen. No other guitar in my house sounds as good, and that says A LOT about this acoustic quality of this guitar. I can't say enough about how sweet it is. For the "used" price, you can't beat it.

1961 Les Paul/SG Custom Historic reissue in classic (polaris) white with optional Maestro vibrola, gold hardware, etc. This is an NOS 2000 model with 6-digit 'low number' impressed serial number from the current 'Hysterical' Collection purchased just a few weeks ago. Pretty much the same as the regular SG Custom reissue but with the added Lyre tailpiece. If you're familiar with the breed skip the details, but has 22 fret ebony fingerboard, MOP pearl block inlays, neck & peghead binding, split diamond peghead inlay, three '57 Classic PAF reissue humbuckers, standard two volume, two tone & 3-way pickup switch*, one-piece mahogany neck, beveled mahogany body, 'historically correct' 1961 body and neck specs, etc. Came with the regular deluxe brown leatherette locking hardshell case with pimp daddy pink fuzzy liner and dust cover. Also came with an allen wrench/screwdriver combo tool for neck adjustments, and the usual hangtags/case candy. I'd been searching for one of these for a while and especially wanted one with the long Maestro vibrato so for me rates a 10 for features, looks etc.

This SG especially suits my music style and tastes as I play mostly rythym with some lead work through a Johnson JM120 Marquis amplifier. A great versatile amp in its own right, this guitar sounds best on the American 'tweed' (ie Champ) setting with a splash of reverb. In fact I find I'm only using a couple of the amps settings anymore and none of the built-in effects (save occasional vibrato) so am going to sell it in order to buy a small tube amp like the new Gibson Goldtone GA-15RV, recent Trace-Elliott Velocette (same amp with different cosmetics) or perhaps a Fender Champ 12 or '65 Deluxe Reverb reissue. My style is basically blues-based rock & alt-country or Americana. An outstanding player with its super low action (called the Fretless Wonder) which is somewhat offset by an uncommon baseball bat neck. Most every other SG I've owned or tried has the typical thin '61 profile neck whereas this one feels more like a Les Paul Standard or Custom (with the so-called '59 neck profile). Other features are 'thicker' as well but more on that later. As they're humbuckers, they're pretty quiet unless used with a high gain setting. Gibson has done a good job with their '57 Classics, nearly nailing THE sound of the older originals at a price everyone can afford. They sound great on almost all settings though can get a little muddy sometimes. The 3-way pickup selector switch* on the SG Customs works differently than regular two-pickup guitars. Down position is the bridge pickup alone, middle position is the bridge & middle pickups together, and the up position is the neck pickup alone. With this arrangement, you can't get the middle pickup alone nor can you get the middle/neck or neck/bridge pickups together. I find the middle setting (bridge & middle pickups in unison) most to my liking but am considering modifying the wiring to allow for more choices, perhaps sacrificing one of the tone controls to work as a volume for the middle pickup, wiring the other tone as a master, and wiring the switch in normal Gibson fashion. That way I can have the neck & bridge pickups together and blend the middle pickup in any manner for a total of six sounds as opposed to the stock three. I think some early Gibson models were offered with such wiring. No complaints in this category with the exception of the switching so it rates an 8.

Gibson Historic series are of course custom made and receive more attention to detail than the typical USA production models. So things like the set-up & adjustment are almost perfect though I'll need to reintonate the bridge for my choice of strings. The frets are well done and polished, the action low as can be with no string buzzing, parts/hardware fitted straight, etc. The pickups are a little high but easily adjusted, and the vibrato works and stays in tune reasonably well once the strings are broken in. Keep in mind this is for slight effect and not for dive-bombing whammy effects; just listen to The Jayhawks' Gary Louris on Hollywood Town Hall for example. There is one minor defect in the lower cutaway maybe 1/4" long that looks like a shallow scratch in the white lacquer before the clearcoat was applied (perhaps done when scraping the neck binding?). Funny though every single one of these I've seen has some sort of finish niggle, I guess no guitar is perfect. The white is consistent and a great color but isn't polished as smooth as other Gibsons I've seen, especially black LP Customs. Funny thing is I swear it smells like vanilla which goes well with the color. Now to more bitching...The neck binding has a minor ledge that results from scraping the white lacquer before applying the clearcoat. Doesn't affect playability but it is heavier on the bass side where I have to look at it when playing. The neck joint cover has "Les Paul Custom" engraved which is a little off-center to the left, a minor thing but there all the same. Gibson must use rouge for its polishing compound as there's slight traces of brown/red around the neck heel binding and fret ends. I'll have to try and buff that stuff out more. Now I expected the gold to eventually tarnish & flake off but the first day I got it a small chunk on one of the bridge saddles flaked off. That's kind of sad that the plating's that delicate. Does make me wonder though why anyone in their right mind would buy one of the $$$ aged hardware versions currently made, though that's a matter of personal opinion. Otherwise the hardware is of excellent quality and far superior to the Epiphone (and some low-end Gibson) hardware currently offered. Also within the first week I noticed the pickup selector cut out when switching to the middle position though I haven't had to open it up and investigate it yet. But altogether it looks like a million bucks and I'll enjoy the gold plating while it lasts. That won't affect my rating here but the finish and switch rate it an 8-. For their list price ($3990) and what these typically cost retail, this thing should be immaculate, jump through hoops of fire, etc.

SGs are tricky beasts. By the late 1960s Gibson had added longer & sturdier neck joints but this and the other '60s reissues have the shorter early style joint. In comparison my real 1963 Les Paul/SG Standard has a much thinner neck, thinner headstock, thinner body contours, etc. Perhaps these are built thicker to endure common SG problems like fractured headstocks and neck trauma, though I have seen at least one reissue Custom with a repaired neck joint already. BTW, I've seen more SGs with broken/repaired heads than any other Gibson model. Conversely, if you want to do the Pete Townshend thing and destruct one, they would likely break apart very well. Don't let this scare you folks, just show a little mercy and this thing will last a limetime. For me this guitar is a keeper and will probably not see any live use but then I have less expensive and more common guitars for that. But with care I'd say this guitar would be excellent for gigging yet would always recommend a backup for broken strings, etc. The finish seems pretty thick so unless you dig into it should last a long time and by the same token will probably be weatherchecked like most other Gibsons in thirty years or so. Again you already know the gold plating is going to wear away but the quality of the hardware is excellent. I don't much care for the Kluson copy tuners though as they always seem to wear out so much faster than a good set of Grovers. But they're original and look right. The strap buttons are kinda small but if you're familiar with SGs you know the placement works pretty well (upper button is at rear/neck joint). I'd add straplocks if this were a gigging guitar though. Seems pretty dependible though I'd check out that switch thoroughly with some contact cleaner before taking this one out. I won't downgrade this one on POTENTIAL problems due to its design but all the same you have to baby it more so it gets an 8.

Sold NOS, this one came with a limited lifetime warranty card. I've never had to deal with them regarding a repair as I deal mainly with vintage & used guitars. I have heard many sob stories though about how hard they are to deal with so can only hope I don't need them for anything. I have in the past contacted them via email regarding questions to other items, ordering parts, etc. They're helpful about 50% of the time which is about what I've heard their customer support is like. Keep your fingers crossed...

I've been playing about 16 years and have gone through quite a bit of gear trying to find MY sound. In the 'real world' there are Ford and Chevrolet people (incidentally I have an old convertible Mustang GT but I digress), but in this one I'm a total Gibson nut, having gotten rid of all the bolt-ons but one. I've also sold off all my Les Pauls in the last couple of years due to weight and even a reissue Gibson ES-295 which paid for this guitar. Other current gear includes a 1963 Les Paul/SG Standard (last year), ES-335 Dot reissue, 1999 Epiphone Casino reissue (imported), 1987 Fender paisley Telecaster (first year), 1973 Gibson Dove, and a prototype electric (built by me, and no its not a 'parts guitar', but a custom neck-through thinline of my own design). I'm currently looking at Les Paul/SG Juniors and Melody Maker III's and really want a 60s Gibson in pelham blue. I think the best things about SGs are their light weight and unique tone. I really wanted an SG Custom and compared this one to Historic Customs with the stop tailpiece (pretty nice players), the 1992-93 Custom Shop '67 SG Custom reissues (very underrated and affordable), and some late 1980s Customs (sorry but those just don't have it and the yellow color has to go). Again I chose this one because of the Maestro which I actually use. I wish the wiring were more versatile as I'll surely invalidate the warranty if I rewire it. Plus the middle pickup does seem to interefere with my playing a little but I suppose I'll get used to it. If it were lost, stolen or abducted by an Elvis look-alike, I'd have to cry a little as I love this one. I don't know if I'd buy another though as they're pretty uncommon with the Maestro tailpiece, and even more expensive than the already costly Historic stop tail reissues. I don't know why they can't put their Historic SG reissues in an Historic case like the Les Paul series (black with maroon liner) or better yet, a proper reissue black & yellow 'badge' case. Even the cheaper Angus Young signature model has a nicer looking case! But overall I have to give this one a 9+ as I knew exactly what I was getting and just love this guitar.

61 style SG Special with a one piece mahogany body and one piece mahogany neck, historically correct 1961 body specs and neck specs, 24 1/2" scale with 22 frets, bound rosewood fingerboard with dots, two p90 pickups with two vols, two tones, and a three way pickup selector switch, mine came with a brown hardshell case and a neat tool that has a philips head and a hex driver for trussrod adjustments, the usual Gibson hangtags. I give it a 9 cause it has all the features that I need I need in an electric guitar, minus one: a wiggle stick (but that's why I also have a Strat).

I play lead, slide and rythym on this SG through a variety of Fender amps. The SG is an outstanding lead instrument, the original 61 style neck allows access to the uppermost frets, and the wide flat neck is great for slide. The p90 pickups deliver the familiar Gibson snarl on the lead position, and the featherweight mohagany gives it an acoustic vibe on the rythym position that rivals a hollowbody guitar. I like to plug the SG straight into a Deluxe with the amp's treble on about 6-7, bass on 2-3, set the SG lead pickup tone all the way down and the volume all the way up, the rythym pickup tone all the way up and the volume all the way down. Now during a tune, I'll use the rythym p/u volume control, and the lead p/u tone control. Following this? I know, I know...but suffice it to say that I get tone ranging from open, woody hollowbody-like rythym, to snarling, aggresive lead.
The p90's are single coils, and won't buck the hum. The only thing that I'm having trouble with is getting used to the location of the volume and tone controls; they're located near the rear of the instrument. That'll take a little while to get the hang of mid-flight trimming.

The Historic LP/SG special has a very thin lacquer finish on a beautiful one piece mahoagony body and neck. The result is very pleasing to the touch, and easy on the eyes. This instrument looks like a fine piece of furniture. The single bound rosewood fingerboard has 22 medium frets of excellent quality. The nickle hardware is shiny and new. I had to adjust the trussrod slightly after switching to a slightly heavier set of strings, but the overall action and pickup adjustments were fine right out of the box. The historically correct Kluson white knob tuners are perfect for this instrument. Intonation is acceptable, and that's all it ever will be due to the wrap-around stlye bridge. Hint: above the 7th or 8th fret always play
partial chords.

I will use this along with a Strat, because...well, after all nothing does what a Strat does, does it? The SG, and Gibson electrics in general, are prone to the "Gibson neck disease", that is that the necks are prone to breaking at the headstock. I shall endeavour to always protect it from falling over. Note: don't set this on a guitar stand. The strap buttons are standard nonlocking ones, so be careful.
I'm sure that after a few years of play, even with careful maintenance, the thin lacquer finish on this instrument will look like an old Gibson finish. I think that's cool, n'est-ce pas? Qui.

I have had nothing but good results from Gibson Customer Support in the past. If you have a problem with your new Gibson, just call them. Thanks, Gibson! Now, all of you disbelievers, just e-mail me for a full length testimony. Amen.

I have been playing guitars since the early 70's, and have always loved Gibson and Fender electrics. The LP SG Special Historic RI is an incredibly versatile solid body. I love the way I can dial in lead and rythym tones and switch between them on the fly. I also love the featherweight SG for comfort. I think that this one will be with me for a long time, but if something ever happens to it I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. Thanks to Dave's Guitar Shop for accomodating me on this one. With original 1961 Lp SG Specials going for thousands of bucks, this one is worth the dough, although expensive.