GIBSON SG SPECIAL | REVIEW

Gibson SG Special

MSRP: (UK) £1299 (US) $1499

Gibson's SG range has never been as diverse. The SG Special is one of the more unique models on offer, featuring a pair of snarling P90 pickups and available in an elegant Faded Pelham Blue finish. This gorgeous guitar will turn heads for both its tones and classic style. Here's Billy Campbell with the full review.

The American-made Gibson SG Special brings back all the classic designs, specs and tones that made it a musical and cultural icon. The minimalist yet incredibly versatile SG Special has stayed relevant since its early inception, all the way to today.

This early '60s style SG Special is a lightweight, easy-to-play and inspiring guitar. Finished with Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer in Faded Pelham Blue. Featuring comfortable contours all around the thin yet balanced mahogany body, Gibson's fast-playing, slim-taper mahogany neck and bound 12" radius rosewood fingerboard features 22 medium-jumbo frets (with old school acrylic dot inlays, adding to the vintage vibe of this guitar). The Compensated Wraparound bridge is finished in chrome, with Black Top Hat knobs with Silver Reflectors, Vintage Deluxe tuning machines with White Buttons, and a vintage black 5-ply pickguard. The graph tech nut is 1.69" wide.

The two P-90 pickups are fat, with a low end that is full, yet has none of the excessive bass frequency buildup that can sometimes be found in Humbucking style pickups. The top end is biting and clear without being harsh. That translates into an almost "best of both worlds" pickup set, both aggressive yet warm. Equally at home with pristine clean tones for country or jazz sounds, as it is with a heavily overdriven amp geared towards crunchy rhythms and leads. These P90's are also fully wax potted to eliminate any unwanted microphonic feedback.

The SG Special is equipped with a 3-way toggle switch, hand-wired controls and orange drop capacitors. This is a very noticeable and beneficial feature if you prefer to rely on the guitar's volume knob for varying your level of gain and response, as opposed to channel switching.

The Gibson SG Special will ship with 10-46 gauge strings tuned to E standard and comes with a protective hardshell case and accessory pack. At a retail price of $1499 USD, the SG special is full of tonal variety and comfortable features, packaged in one of the most iconic-looking instruments of all time. Check one out at your local Gibson dealer!

For more information, please visit:

gibson.com