Gibson SG Special, Cherry (1967)

50s feel meets 60s tone in this unicorn of an SG Special

Once in a while a Gibson from the late 60s will show up and totally flip the script on what these guitars are "supposed" to be. This SG Special from 1967 surely seems like one of them.

This guitar won the neck jackpot in Kalamazoo the day it was put together. It's more in keeping with the neck carve and taper of a '58 Junior than anything Gibson was doing in the 60s, and boy does it make a difference in how this guitar plays, feels, and sounds.

In prime fighting shape, this '67 Special weighs in just a hair over 7lbs. It's a super resonant and lively guitar, with excellent neck and body geometry with a great neck angle that is playing a huge role in how great this guitar sounds. The original P90 pickups also have great output and complement each other so well. Clean tones are big, rich, and chimey, with a signature scooped midrange bounce in the middle position. Each pickup on its own is authoritative and powerful, but also very responsive and sensitive to volume and tone changes. We'll let the pictures do most of the talking here, but we have to quickly address the condition of this guitar. So clean! SGs seem to be a model that invites heavy play wear more often than not, yet this one has made it almost 60 years with very little to show for it. The one notable finish chip on the edge of the bass side at the lower bout along with some scuffs and light scratches on the back is about all we can bring attention to it terms of noticeable wear. The Cherry finish is very strong, the hardware is exceptionally clean, and the plastics are in fantastic shape.

Priced with a Gator SG hardshell case.