vintage guitar geeks know that the original Gibson SG was designed under the supervision of Gibson ’ s famed ex-president Ted McCarty as “ the new Les Paul .” By 1960 the original Les Paul model was struggling with drooping sales numbers and Gibson was getting its ass kicked by Fender , whose wares were more basic in design and cheaper to manufacture , in turn being more affordable for working musicians . Ol ’ Ted ’ s solution to this problem was to completely revamp the LP with a flat , double-cutaway mahogany slab body , a super-thin and blazing fast neck that met the body at the last fret , and a weird-ass sideways vibrato system ( which thankfully didn ’ t stick around for long ). This new design , referred to as the SG (“ Solid Guitar ”) around the Gibson factory , was much lighter and cheaper to build than the original Les Paul , had features that appealed to Fender devotees , and also happened to sell like hotcakes . Trouble is , no one thought to consult Les Paul himself about the drastic changes to his signature model .
Naturally , when Les Paul was introduced to his new instrument , he was not particularly impressed . Les had significant input into the design of the original LP , and his vision was that it would be the ultimate expression of the electric guitar , more akin to a Stradivarius violin than Leo Fender ’ s bolted-together slabs of lumber . He found that the new Gibson Les Paul SG ’ s devil-horn cutaways interfered with his deft playing style , and the neck was entirely too flexible for his liking , as merely pulling back-and-forth on it slightly could create a natural ( and for him , unwanted ) vibrato effect . It also didn ’ t sustain enough to suit him . Given Les ’ s feelings about the new design , and the fact that his contract with Gibson was coming to an end , he asked that his name be taken off the SG ’ s headstock . Gibson complied , and by 1963 the SG bore no evidence of Les Paul ’ s association . This did not prevent it from becoming a beloved and popular instrument in its own right , however . The SG sold more than 12,000 total units over the course of its first three years of existence , compared to the roughly 1700 total LP Standards that sold between 1958 and 1960 .
In the years since its introduction the SG has forged a remarkable legacy for itself , second only to the Les Paul Standard or the Fender Stratocaster as the iconic rock guitar of choice . Its more pronounced mid-range bite , aggressive appearance , and distinctive attack have set it apart from its Gibson predecessors . There have been many notable SG wielders over the years as well , including Pete Townshend , Jimi Hendrix , Tony Iommi , Angus
Young , Frank Zappa , and Ian MacKaye , among many others . It has also been a highly influential model for competing guitar designers . The legacy of the SG can be seen throughout the electric guitar world , with elements of its unique shape and construction showing up in the lines of many major and minor manufacturers , as well as in the work of many small custom builders . Here are a handful of notable instruments that contain substantial amounts of Gibson SG in their DNA profiles .
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