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Key Features
The iconic SG has been a classic ever since its arrival on the scene in 1961. In the hands of players like Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi, Carlos Santana, Robby Krieger, Derek Trucks and countless others, the SG has not only retained its legendary status for five full decades, but has also proved itself one of the most versatile electric guitars on the planet. The SG Special brings all of this great guitar's attributes to a no-nonsense package that's heavy on tone, but easy on the budget. All of the real-deal tonewoods, construction, and playability are here, along with the classic hardware complement and an upgraded set of high-output Gibson Dirty Fingers humbucking pickups.
The SG Special brings all of this great guitar's attributes to a no-nonsense package that's heavy on tone, but easy on the budget. All of the real-deal tonewoods, construction, and playability are here, along with the classic hardware complement and an upgraded set of high-output Gibson Dirty Fingers humbucking pickups.
Product Ref: 23224
Just like all great SGs of the past five decades, the SG Special has a body crafted from solid mahogany in the asymmetrical "double-horned" deep double-cutaway design. A light and supremely resonant wood, mahogany gives this guitar outstanding tonal richness and depth, with plenty of clarity and sustain. Coupled with the SG's characteristic beveled edge - a big part of this model's distinctive styling - the mahogany's light weight also enhancing playing comfort.
A solid mahogany neck is carved in a rounded '60s profile that measures .818" at the 1st fret and .963" at the 12th. It is glued into the body with Gibson's acclaimed deep set-neck joint, and topped with an unbound fingerboard made from dark Obeche, with 22 medium-jumbo frets and a Corian nut cut on the PLEK for optimum precision. The SG Special is further distinguished by its simpler gold silkscreened headstock logo, the businesslike dot inlays on the fingerboard, and the large black pickguard that is characteristic of post-1967 SGs.
In the hardware and electronics departments, the SG Special is locked and loaded in legendary style. A pairing of Tune-o-matic bridge and Stopbar tailpiece offer the solidity and sustain partnered with precision intonation adjustment that have made this equipment the industry standard since Gibson president Ted McCarty conceived them in the mid '50s. At the headstock end, a set of vintage-style Tone Pros tuners with white plastic buttons offer efficient performance while following through on the '60s styling. And to ram all this tonal goodness home, the SG Special carries a pair of classic high-output Dirty Fingers humbuckers.
One of Gibson's two hottest pickups, the Dirty Fingers, was a popular hard-rockin' upgrade back in the '80s, and returned to the fold initially as the choice of Blink-182 guitars Tom DeLonge for his first Signature model guitar. Noted for its huge, bold sound and incredible power, this ceramic-magnet pickup nevertheless offers surprising clarity for a design of its type, and provides a fast track to big-rock distortion tones for wailing leads and crunching, thumping rhythm work. Unlike most Gibson humbuckers, the Dirty Fingers features adjustable steel pole pieces on both coils, rather than just on one, for perfect string balance.
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