Gibson The SG

1979, doesn't say "made in usa" on yhe back of the headstock but it is a real gibson with all the same features as any other "The SG" (ebony board, grovers, etc.) with a few exceptions. Under the pot cover is a chandler electronics sticker with hand signed "#1" some other hand signed numbers and the initials "R.S.", I'm assuming they did the mods which include: locking kahler, covered pickups (don't know what kind), reversed pickup selecter (back is front and front is back)or weird wiring (not standard), really flat frets, and a clear coat. Not real impressed with the trem but it seems to add some mass and I do like the fine tuners, I really don't use the bar that much, I usually break the high E (if the strings are older than 2 mos)when I go crazy and you can go a little nuts with it, always stays in tune

Sound is great! Again, it's a late 70's early 80's mod, not original so no opinion on the rating. I really like the neck position but both can crunch good though I usually play clean. I bought it with a traynor t-25 which I wish I still had. I use it with a USA fender blues jr., it pretty much sounds like an SG, pick a band using an SG and it can get that sound with ease. I'm not impressed with new SG's, I don't think I have ever picked one up that sounds as good as this one (or as heavy on the shoulder) I have always thought about putting new pu's in it but these have plenty of life in them, maybe just not as "hot" as some of the newer pu's

I think they had a nice thing goin' as this was a budget guitar in it's day, very solid. Even though mine is not original I'm going to rate it at 9, especially the ebony board, the feel of the neck is mice, kinda skinny. I wish they would have put a inlayed logo but gold is still cool. On the mod hand, the kahler trem could have been installed a little better, it looks like it is ever so slightly out of square and the electronics boggle me a little but I don't want to change them to standard wiring and mess up the sound.

I should put no opinion on this since mine is modded. I use to play it out alot, no backup, never had a problem other than one pot came loose and had to solder one wire back on. The high E breaks after a couple of months if you dive bomb too many times. I could probably address that but I never have, I only go crazy with the trem when it's time to change strings anyway. Right now it is sitting in it's case with a broken high E. Ususally use 9-42 but might put heavier strings as I have been gigging with 12-54?'s on a strat. (wound G)

n/a if anybody has info on the chandler mods, I would greatly apreciate it, thanks!

If this were ever stolen I would love to get another one as it is an ideal SG to me. The price has skyrocketed on them lately so idk if I could afford to replace it, I'm poor! I don't like the new ones, they aren't heavy enough! I don't know if that is because I'm used to this one or they new ones just aren't heavy enough. I think the weight adds some tone and the new ones sound generic to me. I did trade this once for a red rocker washburn. That lasted a week, then I begged for my SG back. I will never part with it again, I hope!

A 79 The SG I purchased new in 79. Back then I replaced the two original pick-ups with Carvin pick ups and had a middle pick up cut it - a Dimarzio blade. All three have single coil cut switches and the outer 2 have reverse phase switching. The middle pick up can be switched either on or off. The nut was changed to brass. Otherwise it is as I purchased it. All the work was done by a shop next door to Berklee College of Music in 1982. Like all The SGs it is walnut with the ebony fingerboard. I played it as my first choice in rock and jazz bands for years so it has some wear and tear. I think it looks as good as the day I bought it.

You name the sound, it makes it.

The neck probably needs a good adjustment and fret job today, I am beginning to get a little buzz here and there. Some of the screws have tarnished over time as have some of the small cut and phase switches. The body has a few dings and dents from years of use but nothing too bad. The neck is a little worn, but still in great shape. It never was a high-end finsih to begin with, but has held up extraodinarily well.

She's an old battle axe. Solid.

Never needed any

I thought about trading it for a beautiful newr PRS a few weeks ago. I don't know if the other guy would have gone trhough with it. I couldn't. Too much history with this one.

Guitar was made in 1979, #73149571, has 22 jumbo frets, 3 piece solid walnut body, uncovered humbuckers, silver Grover tuners that still work flawlessly, a matte finish that has since taken on a sheen from countless unintentional polishings while playing from shirtsleeves as well as buckle scrapes on the back and bshirt button scratches, all adding character and patina to my beautiful old friend. No accessories came w/ this guitar and for the first 3 weeks I used the cardboard triangular shape box it was shipped in as a gig bag til I could affored a decent case.

I was mostly a second guitarist lead singer with a band I played with for years, I was asked to join another band while still gigging w/ the band I founded and wrote most of the material for, the second band did alot of covers and wanted me to switch off w/ their other guitarist playing lead, the guitar the way it was set up wasn't conducive to lead playing, I took it back to the shop I bought it from and a music teacher/salesman/guitar tech that worked there did an admirable job of setting the action low and fast, he said it was incredibly easy to work on...it hasn't been adjusted since the original set up and still palys like a dream. I had to learn the solos to Renegade and Blue Collar Man by Styx, "The SG" with the solid walnut body had a inheretly natural sustain, I played it through a '79 Music Man 210 amp by Leo Fender I used a Dyna-comp compressor for extra sustain and played those solos pretty got-dam good for an old strum monkey, I think it was much more the guitar and amp then me though. The sound is as bright as Einstein, rich as Midas, and as low as a 3 dollar ho' This guitar, in the right hands, can make a multitude of tones and a wonderful palette of sounds from sensuous to growling and spitting. I love this guitar beyond words.

The factory set up was satisfactory, it didn.t take much time or effort to have it set up for more of a lead mode, I did have a problem with the first SG that came in, the bottom third piece of walnut was misaligned with the middle piece, even though I had waited a while for the original guitar I reluctantly took it back and the dealer ordered me another one and gave me a 10 dollar break on the second one as compensation for the extra 3 week wait. Everything else on the rig was pretty much standard Gibson quality, which was pretty damn good for a moderately priced guitar.

Strap buttons are small and have been upgraded, hardware is incredibly durable, the Grovers rock, the pickups get better with age, they have a nice whory whiskey voice as well as mainatining the original youthful brights. This guitar has NEVER failed me after over 25 years of gigging, my daughter dropped it twice, once when the neck hit first and hard on a ceramic tile kitchen floor and it maitained its tune and integrity and did not suffer more than a concussion. Before I had the strap locks replaced I dropped in on my toes and in pain I inadvertenly kick it across the stage, it suffered only emotional scars, If there was a place for abused guitars like Womanspace, this guitar would have been a poster child for it.I used it for 10 yuears without a backup until finally getting to a much higher paying position on my day job to afford my first American Strat, just in time to learn "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits"

Never dealt with Gibson, warranty is long gone, I do visit the Gibson website, it's like visiting cousins and uncles of my guitar.

I've been playing since I wa 8 years old, on an old Stella 6 string, I took 4 lessons and am pretty much self-taught, I ordered a good solid flight case for this guitar, didn't know there was a plush fitted case made for SGs. I would probably be in mourning if it were lost or stolen, I would probaly replace it with a reissue sixties Sg becuase my guitar collection is pretty much balanced out to suit my musical tastes. my other gear is aome digital and cassete 8 track recorders, besides some newer Fender solid state amps I have a pre-CBS Fender Princeton 15 watt tube amp in excellent shape, complete with cover , original warranty and instruction manual, a 50 dollar flea market find. I have two American Fender acoustic sisx strings, two "furrin" made Fenders, a nylon string classical and sun burst resonator that I love too. I have 2 standard American strats, a ' black finish and a a green 2002. OH, I have a nice old Fender squire strat with a Floyd Rose bridge and a cool skull and crossbones pickguard courtesy of Musicians Friend where about 95% of my gear is from. Rounding out my gear are two Rogue basses, a Hofner Violin McFarntey knock off and A black Precision style, both good cheap versitle basses for my small studio, I play them through a 50 watt Rogue bass amp with remarkable features for the price. My pride and joy even above my main workhorse SG is my Fire-glo Rickenbacker 360/12 that gives me the ultimate in jangle- jangle music pleasure. IT'S a 2002, I just had an excellent setup and string change done by Chris Clayton of Pick of the Ricks in Lindenwold NJ, A righteous dude with a great shop just full of beautiful Rics, Gretsch, and Hofner basses, as well as Vox equipment, a visit to this shop is like a visit to Guitar Disneyworld.

Manufactured in 1979, 22 jumbo frets, Gibson uncovered pickups, solid walnut body and neck, ebony fretboard, mother of pearl dot inlays, twin horns (yes, the SG is the "Bat-Guitar"), Grover silver tuners, no binding, jack socket on edge of guitar. Flat, big radius neck, easy access to higher frets. Came with shaped Gibson hard case.

This guitar has the true SG sound, bright highs, deep bass tones, play it through Marshall amps whenever I can - very beautiful and defined sounds.

Good finish and set up nicely in the factory - no complaints.

Lasted nearly 27 years, so it is a durable guitar, but there were some long periods when I didn't play any guitar at all.

Never contacted the Gibson company - so have no idea what their customer support is like.

Have been playing for about 34 years now. I think the "The SG" model is an excellent Gibson SG, as good as any other SG but without some of the frills of the standard model. Used to have a Firebrand SG as well, but the "The SG " model is a better guitar. After all this time, I appreciate the quality of the design and craft that went into making this guitar - and the wide range of sounds it is capable of. The SG is the guitar the Les Paul wants to be when it grows up.

Walnut body and neck, ebony fretboard, Gibson humbucker pickups, Grover tuners, jack socket on side of guitar, small pickguard, no binding, Gibson lettering in gold on headstock, manufactured in 1979 (or even 1980)

This particular model SG has very deep rich humbucker tones with distortion, or at the other extreme clearly defined Gibson clean tone - it will do any tone with right box - late 60s Strat to early 70s Les Paul (without the extra weight).

Set up from new was OK but who can resist adjusting somebody else's idea of good action? SGs with low action are about the easiest guitar you can find to play and learn on. Pickups were fine, uncovered seem to give a more raw sound - what you expect from an SG.

Has lasted about 27 years now so depends how you look after your guitars - but has never had damage to neck (touch wood!) durable and beautiful guitar.

Never dealt with them

Been playing for about 32 years, acoustics to electrics, use mostly transistor amps, use a lot of different pedals. In my opinion "The SG" is (and always was) a very high quality American made guitar, easily as good as any high price guitar you will find in the shops or marketplace. Try one for yourself if you get the chance.

According to the serial number, built in December , 1979. She hung in Zapf's Music in Norristown, PA for a year until my buddy Steve bought her for $500 new, with an awesome molded case ( best cases Gibson ever made were those early 80's ones!)
Steve sold it to me in late 1986 for $275 and She's been my main axe ever since.
Walnut body, ebony fretboard, dot markers, good Grover tuners( why does Gibson insist on those awful POS Kluson repros on their new guitars? They don't stay in tune!!!!!)
2 volume, two tone knobs, Gibson "Velvet Brick" humbuckers(similar to Dirty Fingers), compared to a new SG it has a shorter neck heel, no space between the fretboard and front pickup, a small pickguard, and the jack is on the edge of ther guitar, like a Les Paul.
The rating doesn't mean this thing sucks, but rather that the features are pretty standard

Big, warm, organic....I've been playing 25 years, and this guitar covers alot of sonic ground....I play Ramones to VH to 3 Doors Down, to Motorhead to Sesame Street tunes ( kids, ya know...)
Sounds more "open" and less compressed than say, an LP Custom.Noyt quite as much sustain as a Paul.

It's 26 years old and got it's first setup a year ago. It practically plays itself.

It's 26 years old and has some wear, but I don't abuse my instruments.
I use DiMarzio clipstraps on all my guitars, and have for 15 years.
I'm down to one electric right now...What backup?

Wrote em back in 1988 about the serial numbers, I also have a '54 Gibson acoustic. I wouldn't bother today...If I have an issue, Richboro Music (PA) does all my work, those guys are great, and serious tone-heads like myself...

Suprisingly, since this was considered a budget Gibson at the time, I rarely see them command more than about $400 at shows. I don't get it. Most collectors and dealers I think are total hacks who don't actually PLAY guitar.
The SG was only produced in 1979, In 1980 it became the Firebrand SG.
This thing is a part of me, so Phuck those collectors who can't deal with the magic.
For sale, $15K.

I bought this guitar new in 1977 or 78, can't remember either year very well... Still wired as per factory - 3 way switch to two humbuckers. I swapped out the bridge pickup with a Dimarzio super distortion humbucker, since it was the thing to do at the time. The guitar is virtually the same to this day (2004), except for the tone/volume pots - I lost one , and I've replaced them all with the narrow gold ones Gibson makes. The finish is a transparent cellulose or something that has worn off nicely over contact points. The dark, walnut wood looks as good as it sounds. I can't understand why there aren't more walnut guitars. The 22 fret ebony fretboard with jumbo frets is very smooth and feels rock on. This guitar is ever so slightly larger that the standard SG - a tad wider and fatter. Heavier than a standard, but still way lighter than a Paul. The sustain is really great at this density and weight. All standard, average-grade Gibson hardware, (Grover heads, Tune-O-matic bridge) which have held up perfectly through the years. Nothing fancy, no quilted finish, or shiny, mother of pearl inlays, just Gibson in gold lettering across the top (hasn't faded a bit, surprisingly), and the truss rod cover simply says "the" SG on it.

This guitar sounds great under just about any conditions. The tone is perfect for hard rockin' but also with, a decent amp produces smooth, warm jazz tones. Chucking out some Keith Richards, or hammering out overdriven AC/DC, it's got that je ne sais qoi that I yearn for!

The factory set up was fine as far as I can remember, but you will want to do some adjusting if you change you string tension. Once you get it where you want it (an easy feat with the bridge hardware), the guitar stays in tune, takes a beating, and feels soooo good! My action is really low with no buzzing, It is a dream to play.

On looks, the guitar is two-piece, solid walnut, but not bookmatched, which is noticeable, and helped make this an instrument I could afford, without adversely affecting the tone or playability. The construction is flawless. The 3-piece neck is also flawlesslly constructed. No rough edges or loose anything.

There is serious buckle wear from when I was a teenager, but this guitar is built forever! I wil pass it on when my time arrives, hopefully not before I get alot more mileage out of it!

I have never needed to contact Gibson about this axe.

I've been playing since 1976 and had this giutar most of this time. I have 4 other guitars, but this one is my favorite and brings me the most joy...(well, the Larivee D-03 depending on my mood...).

As much as I like a sweet quilted finish on a custom Les Paul, I like to think of my guitar as an old friend, an instrument, not art. I think this is the perfect axe for me.

This guitar, called "The SG", not "SG", was made in the USA in 1979, after this year i believe it was renamed "Firebrand SG" and "updated" (it was actually made into a lower class instrument). It evolved into the "Faded SG". It has 22 frets that are pretty flat, i was told that was the style back then.It has a 3 way selector(down=bridge pup, middle=both pups, up=neck pup), and a coil splitter was added for the rear pickup. It has the standard 2 tone pots, 2 volume pots, that add a lot of versitility to the guitar. Originally this guitar came with two Gibson humbuckers in the neck and bridge position, mine has been customized with an EMG Select single coil in the neck position, and I think a Seymour Duncan in the rear, i haven't removed the pickguard to check though. Both the body and the neck are Walnut, my FAVORITE. This wood is, in my opinion, the BEST sounding tone wood available. The neck is topped with an Ebony fretboard. If you have never played on Ebony before I highly recommend trying it out, it's a lot like maple but it sounds better. My guitar was repainted a light red, but it was originally a natural color. The stock bridge is a Tune-o-Matic, but it was replaced with an ABR bridge (looks the same as a Tune-o-Matic). The guitar came stock with Grover tuners, which are very good tuners, the Schaller tuners that the previous owner relaced them with are no better or worse. The neck took a little time for me to get used to. I was playing a much thinner, superstrat style neck. This neck is fatter, but it's not a log like PRS guitars. I tryed out a PRS Tremonti SE before i bought this guitar and that neck is crazy fat. After I got used to this neck it turned out to be a good change. It's a three piece neck so it resists warping better than a one piece. The finish on the neck is worn, but still there to protect. It came with a padded gigbag, and some strings, i need to invest in a hardshell though. This guitar has plenty of usefull features.

This guitar is perfect for all kinds of music. I play many different types of music but i play a lot of classic rock, metal(all kinds), reggae, and ska. For effects i use a DOD FX86 Death Metal distortion, Rouge distortion (very bad, used only occasionally for a boost), and a Dunlop Cry Baby. This goes straight into a 120 watt all-tube Peavey Butcher head that runs through a Crate 4x12. I will eventually be replacing the Peavey with a modded Marshall JCM800 or a THD Bivalve. On clean settings the guitar is pretty quiet, with heavy distortion it get's a little noisy, it's not unbearable though even using the single coil. New pickups will quiet it down i think. The EMG's i was using in my strat are near silent. The sound is so full. The Ebony and Walnut contrast each other so well. It produces a verity of sounds. Any sound you want can be obtained. There is nothing i hate about this guitar, but i will be swapping out the pickups, everything else i love.

I can't comment on the factory set-up, but all the other gibsons i've played were set-up very good. No matter how well a guitar is set-up from the factory it should be set-up again to fit the musician's tastes. I had mine set-up for very low action. Buzzing is very minimal and there are NO notes that fret out. I was told that the intonation was way off, but thats most likely an error the person that installed the ABR bridge made. There are some dings and nicks, the stuff that can be expected with a used guitar. Right now, after it was set-up, the action, and fit are perfect. I'm one of those people who like some dings and nicks, they give a uniqueness to the guitar.

This guitar will most definatley withstand live playing. I dropped it once and the drummer in my friends band dropped it once. Both times i picked it up and it was still in tune with no damage done! Since most of the hardware was replaced wih top of the line parts, it all should last. The new paint is very thin (it should be, it sounds better that way) and it will fade nicely, but i don't think it will ever require repainting as long as i own it. The strap buttons suck, they are so small and they are the reason for it falling both times. I'll be replacing them with straplocks. I can depend on it, it's a very solid guitar. I bought it because i have problems with all my other guitars and i needed something that will last. I figured if its been around since '79 and still looks and plays as good as it does, it will continue to stay that way no matter what i do to it. So far so good. I would NOT gig without a backup, not because i'm afraid of the guitar failing me, but because i'm afraid of strings breaking.

I've never had to deal with Gibson for anything. I've never had to have it repaired, only a standard set-up.

I've been playing for 9 years. I own the equipment i stated above. I also own two strat copies, one 100% stock, the other with dual EMG 81's. I also own a Squier Showmaster HH, it's fun to play but very unreliable. If this were stolen, i would go insane. This is one of those guitars that you'll see once, maybe twice in your life (in person, not on ebay). Mine is customized with everything i wanted on a guitar. It's so unique that I don't know how it would be possible to replace, when have you ever seen a single coil pickup on an SG? It would get expensive to buy a guitar like this and make all the modifications myself. The single coil that replaced the neck humbucker is my favorite mod. The pickguard was replaced to fit it too, it isnt a hack job mod. I compared it to a PRS Tremonti SE, and an Ibanez Sabre (which i like a lot, but not as much as this). The only thing it needs are straplocks, and i want new pickups but it doesn't need them.