Gibson USA SG Special

Wicked SG attitude, in a simplified no-frills package. That’s the essence of the Gibson SG Special. Packing the same power and intensity as the SG Standard, but without all the trimmings, the SG Special has retained the heart and soul of the SG — the solid mahogany body and ‘50s rounded neck profile — and combined it with dot inlays, silk-screened logo, a pair of Gibson’s hot 490 humbuckers and a deluxe gig bag. The result is a rockin’ powerhouse of a guitar that’s built to withstand the harshest elements and priced right for today’s players.

Special Finish Process

The SG Special, available in your choice of Heritage Cherry or Ebony, achieves its gorgeous, high-gloss finish from as many as 15 coats of nitrocellulose lacquer. Designed to become even more lovely as the years pass and to withstand a lifetime of play, the SG Special and the SG Standard share the same time-consuming finishing process. Over the course of many hours, American craftsmen apply each coat of paint and lacquer by hand to emphasize and protect the natural beauty of the mahogany. And unlike many of Gibson’s competitors, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish, which allows the instrument to breathe and encourages natural vibration for a purer tone.

Highlight Features

Classic neck profile so comfortable you’ll never put it down

The most distinguishable neck of all-time. The traditional late-’50s neck profile on the SG Standard is hand-sanded by American craftsmen to give you a comfortably thick, round profile that emulates the neck shapes of the iconic late ’50s Gibson models. Without the binding that distinguishes the SG Standard’s fingerboard, the SG Special is stripped-down and ready to play.

Scorching hot uncovered pickups for modern tone

Gibson’s 490R and 49OT uncovered pickups (“R” for rhythm and “T” for treble) give you the flavor of Gibson’s original ’57 Classic pickup, but roll the output and midrange grind upward a few notches to create a pickup more suited to modern music.

Acrylic dot inlays and a silkscreened Gibson logo you’ll be proud of

The SG Special’s figured, swirl acrylic dot inlays give these classic inlays the mother-of-pearl look you lust for. In addition, the Gibson logo — the most recognizable in all of music — is silkscreened onto the headstock.

Solid mahogany body provides a lifetime of warm tone

Get this guitar in your paws and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to tone heaven. Built for a lifetime of use, the SG Special’s solid mahogany body cranks out round, open, warm tone. You’ll get tone that is somewhat soft, but extremely well-balanced, with good grind and bite. It has the potential for good depth, with full (though not super-tight) lows, velvety highs and a slightly compressed response.