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A Very Special (and Affordable) Re-creation of the First SG





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The Gibson SG made its debut in 1961. In an interesting turn of events, this coincided with a hiatus in the production of the Les Paul, which had been a staple of Gibson’s lineup since its introduction nine years earlier. The new SG design certainly turned heads with its radical body contours and distinctive “devil horns,” but here’s the kicker for trivia buffs: it bore Les Paul’s name engraved on the truss rod plate. This was a whole new instrument, however, and it would eventually be re-badged the SG (which, rather intuitively, stood for “solid guitar”) for the ’64 model year. The SG would go on to rock greatness, with vintage models (particularly the ’61) commanding lofty prices in today’s used market. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to own one of these legendary solidbody electric guitars. Crafted in collaboration with the Gibson Custom Shop, the Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard delivers the tone, playability, and looks of this coveted classic at a price any guitarist can afford. Complete with a luscious, vintage-inspired finish, fine appointments, and a vintage-style hardshell case, the Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard is must-have for all SG fans.





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1961 Epiphone Les Paul SG Standard





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Packed with performance and historically inspired details





The Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard features a sleek, 2-piece solid mahogany, double-cutaway body with exhaustively researched Custom Shop Historic beveling. It’s fitted with the famously wicked-fast SlimTaper SG 1-piece mahogany neck capped by an Indian laurel fingerboard with single-ply cream binding and iconic pearloid Trapezoid inlays. It bears a historically inspired long pickguard, an Epiphone LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge with a Stop Bar tailpiece, and Epiphone Deluxe tuners with a double-ring design. In the electronics department, a pair of Gibson BurstBucker pickups and premium parts serve up the sound that helped launch a rock revolution.





Serial 24011530082


Serial 24011530082


Epic tone from BurstBucker pickups





For colossal tone, the Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard is spec’d with genuine Gibson BurstBucker pickups. A top choice among guitarists here at Sweetwater, BurstBuckers will let you nail chimey country licks as easily as you dial in searing rock overdrive. Catnip for tube amplifiers, the BurstBuckers in the Epiphone ’61 Les Paul SG Standard deliver spot-on tone for everything from warm jazz to dirty blues to scorching fusion, and even metal. With BurstBucker 2 (neck) and BurstBucker 3 (bridge) pickups wired to premium CTS potentiometers and Mallory capacitors, you’ll have a formidable tone arsenal with nearly endless sound-shaping control at your fingertips.





Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard Features:


2-piece solid mahogany body


1-piece Mahogany SlimTaper "C"-profile neck


Indian laurel fingerboard, single-ply cream binding, pearloid Trapezoid inlays


Neck pickup: Gibson BurstBucker 2


Bridge pickup: Gibson BurstBucker 3


2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS potentiometers, Mallory capacitors


Epiphone LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge


Epiphone LockTone Stop Bar tailpiece


Black Top Hat knobs with Inserts


Epiphone Deluxe tuners, double ring


Graph Tech nut; nickel plated hardware


Hardshell case included


Serial 24011530082