JamGuy Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I was really taken with the 70's SG tribute from a few years ago... the one with the mini block inlays and mini humbuckers. I was excited to see it's return this year, especially with the rosewood board that replaced the baked maple of a few years ago... not that I'm opposed to baked maple. I actually tend to like maple boards for their brightness and feel but I digress. I was pretty sure I wanted to order one of the new models but then I got sidetracked online looking at SGs and came across a "real" 70's SG (supposedly a '72). It had the smaller p/g like the original 62's, harmonica bridge, and neck binding. Despite showing LOTS of cosmetic wear, there were no neck repairs or major issues and I made an offer of $1000 on it. The guy jumped on it and so I'm the proud new papa of a '72 SG. Hopefully it works out... my other SG is an eBay purchase also... a ragged '06, '61 that I absolutely love. There's something about a well played well loved SG that gets my goat! My fingers are crossed that this one will be a keeper as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeo Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I was really taken with the 70's SG tribute from a few years ago... the one with the mini block inlays and mini humbuckers. I was excited to see it's return this year, especially with the rosewood board that replaced the baked maple of a few years ago... not that I'm opposed to baked maple. I actually tend to like maple boards for their brightness and feel but I digress. I was pretty sure I wanted to order one of the new models but then I got sidetracked online looking at SGs and came across a "real" 70's SG (supposedly a '72). It had the smaller p/g like the original 62's, harmonica bridge, and neck binding. Despite showing LOTS of cosmetic wear, there were no neck repairs or major issues and I made an offer of $1000 on it. The guy jumped on it and so I'm the proud new papa of a '72 SG. Hopefully it works out... my other SG is an eBay purchase also... a ragged '06, '61 that I absolutely love. There's something about a well played well loved SG that gets my goat! My fingers are crossed that this one will be a keeper as well! Nice. I am a big fan of the SG myself. As much as I like other stuff, the SG is just a great player. My Sg was made in 1980 and has been with me for 35 years. I'm pretty light on my gear and it's still in great shape. Large headstock small pickguard, just like mine. I have a tune-o -matic bridge on mine. The weird thing about my 1980 SG is the output jack is mounted on the side of the guitar like a Les paul. The other SG I have is a SG Classic and that has a slightly chunkier neck and the smaller head stock. Plus P90's. I actually like humbuckers better. Enjoy your new addition to the family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 My first Gibson has been a 1978 S-G Standard in Tobacco Sunburst I still own. Small pickguard, large SP-2 peghead, deeper, lower neck set, bridge pickup, harmonica bridge and tailpiece shifted towards the lower bout, and the neck pickup tightly below the fretboard in the 2nd octave position like on Les Paul guitars. The 100 kOhms tone pots badly loaded down the pickup resonances, so they had to leave for 500 KOhms ones. I love the pure tone of her tarback Super Humbuckers. I think you will love yours, too. If applicable, I strongly recommend replacement of 100 kOhms tone pots to open up the sound. Turning down 500 KOhms tone pots to about 7...6 will deliver the "old" tone then. Post pics after her delivery, please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 My first Gibson has been a 1978 S-G Standard in Tobacco Sunburst I still own. Small pickguard, large SP-2 peghead, deeper, lower neck set, bridge pickup, harmonica bridge and tailpiece shifted towards the lower bout, and the neck pickup tightly below the fretboard in the 2nd octave position like on Les Paul guitars. The 100 kOhms tone pots badly loaded down the pickup resonances, so they had to leave for 500 KOhms ones. I love the pure tone of her tarback Super Humbuckers. I think you will love yours, too. If applicable, I strongly recommend replacement of 100 kOhms tone pots to open up the sound. Turning down 500 KOhms tone pots to about 7...6 will deliver the "old" tone then. Post pics after her delivery, please! that's interesting about the 100k tone pots... I'll likely swap them out if it seems to dark tone-wise... I bet I would have blamed it on the pickups if you hadn't pointed out the pot values... thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Post pics after her delivery, please! This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 Well, I've having some trouble with Photobucket but the guitar arrived and IT'S AWESOME! It was a little dingy but I carefully removed a lot of the hardware, polished and waxed it, and it looks incredible now. It was clearly a well loved and often played guitar... lots of worming on the back and scattered nicks and dings but no cracks or repairs, great frets, and quiet electronics. As mentioned by someone else, the 100k pots are essentially useless... and go from zero to 60, but I'm so afraid of messing with its mojo that I'm going to leave it alone... it's all original and I don't want to tamper with it. I'll keep messing with Photobucket... I know how everyone loves pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 Finally! Not sure why I was having such trouble with photo bucket... anyhow, here are a few pictures of the "new" SG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Congrats, JamGuy, I think I would love this one, too. What are the rings/washers at the tailpiece posts for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 Congrats, JamGuy, I think I would love this one, too. What are the rings/washers at the tailpiece posts for? No idea... but they seem to be from the factory as many early/mid 70s SGs seem to have them. I bet someone on here knows for sure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I can't imagine "Gibson" doing that, with the tailpiece washers! And, IF they did, they'd use chrome one's, more than likely. Seems (to me) more likely a repair situation, where maybe they had to redrill the holes, for the supports, and just used oversized washers, to hide the repair. But, Who Knows?! I looked at a LOT of '70's SG's and saw only one other, with those washers. There was no explanation, why they were there, either. So...??? Edit: I did find one more, an "early '70's" SG "Deluxe." Seems to have the same washers. But, again, it doesn't say if it was "stock" or had the posts changed? Norlin era Gibson's had their oddities, but that's pretty blatant, and funky, to be "stock." Still, I suppose it is possible??? I wonder, if they're "Goof Rings" hiding a change in support posts, for the tailpieces. Some early Les Paul Deluxe's had those, to hide rough cutouts, for the mini-humbuckers...but they were plastic, of course, to match the pickup rings. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 During the 1970's Gibson obviously fooled around with the SG or S-G design several times. My 1978 pictured below has the original Les Paul pickup positionings and flange bushings for the tailpiece posts. Please note that the TP-6 tailpiece and pickup screw washers are personal mods, and the factory chamfers don't meet the standards of the Bevel Police manual... : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Well, at least your's are chrome versions...which would be more expected, from the factory. Those other's of the OP's, are really "strange," for a "Stock" supplied washer. Quite a curiosity! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 Well, at least your's are chrome versions...which would be more expected, from the factory. Those other's of the OP's, are really "strange," for a "Stock" supplied washer. Quite a curiosity! CB I did find photos of at least a few more with the black plastic washers... I don't know what they're all about but they do seem to be stock. Maybe mis-drilled at the factory and "patched"... again, hard tellin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I did find photos of at least a few more with the black plastic washers... I don't know what they're all about but they do seem to be stock. Maybe mis-drilled at the factory and "patched"... again, hard tellin'. Yeah, I've seen a few (3, so far) other's, like that. Bur, very few! So, I wonder too, what it was all about?! The '70's weren't particularly kind, to SG's, too often (for me). I think they played well enough, and sounded fine...but, there were years, in there, where cosmetically... Particularly, the years with NO "horn beveling" and little body beveling. And, the one's with the outside "plates" of multi-ply" pickguard material, that the controls rested on! I think, the first time I saw one of those versions, I THOUGHT it must be made overseas! "Gibson, wouldn't do THAT!" LOL But, obviously, they DID! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old mark Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Seems like Gibson did a little of everything in the '70's...My old SG seems to be a '71, has a horrible looking but old solid broken neck and replacement everything...I think they just looted all the old electronics out of it to sell. It had some DiMarzio's in it that I took out and replaced with a set of Gibson 490's I had laying around. It is an ODD looking guitar. Came with the big PG, but I am not sure if that was the original type. Gonna be a continuing project. DOES have a great neck, and it sounds fine to me...that old wood has a lot going for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGgypsyboy Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 I can't imagine "Gibson" doing that, with the tailpiece washers! And, IF they did, they'd use chrome one's, more than likely. Seems (to me) more likely a repair situation, where maybe they had to redrill the holes, for the supports, and just used oversized washers, to hide the repair. But, Who Knows?! I looked at a LOT of '70's SG's and saw only one other, with those washers. There was no explanation, why they were there, either. So...??? Edit: I did find one more, an "early '70's" SG "Deluxe." Seems to have the same washers. But, again, it doesn't say if it was "stock" or had the posts changed? Norlin era Gibson's had their oddities, but that's pretty blatant, and funky, to be "stock." Still, I suppose it is possible??? I wonder, if they're "Goof Rings" hiding a change in support posts, for the tailpieces. Some early Les Paul Deluxe's had those, to hide rough cutouts, for the mini-humbuckers...but they were plastic, of course, to match the pickup rings. CB [/quo Gibson did indeed use these atrocious plastic washers in the 73-75 timeframe. Look around on ebay and other sources. Plenty of them exist. Norlin logic of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 I can't imagine "Gibson" doing that, with the tailpiece washers! And, IF they did, they'd use chrome one's, more than likely. Seems (to me) more likely a repair situation, where maybe they had to redrill the holes, for the supports, and just used oversized washers, to hide the repair. But, Who Knows?! I looked at a LOT of '70's SG's and saw only one other, with those washers. There was no explanation, why they were there, either. So...??? Edit: I did find one more, an "early '70's SG "Deluxe." Seems to have the same washers. But, again, it doesn't say if it was "stock" or had the posts changed? Norlin era Gibson's had their oddities, but that's pretty blatant, and funky, to be "stock." Still, I suppose it is possible??? I wonder, if they're "Goof Rings" hiding a change in support posts, for the tailpieces. Some early Les Paul Deluxe's had those, to hide rough cutouts, for the mini-humbuckers...but they were plastic, of course, to match the pickup rings. CB Gibson did indeed use these atrocious plastic washers in the 73-75 timeframe. Look around on ebay and other sources. Plenty of them exist. Norlin logic of the time. LOL...probably one reason I avoided some/most of the Gibson's of the time! However, I do own a '76 LP Deluxe, and 1980 LP Custom. Both, of which, are excellent guitars..."Norlin era" notwithstanding. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGgypsyboy Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 LOL...probably one reason I avoided some/most of the Gibson's of the time! However, I do own a '76 LP Deluxe, and 1980 LP Custom. Both, of which, are excellent guitars..."Norlin era" notwithstanding. CB I love many of the Norlin's I've played. My friend has an SG Standard from 73' with the unbound ebony fretboard...It plays devine! Lacking much beveling and tapers, it still has a menacing SG charm and its unique because that year they placed the neck pickup right on the fretboard end and the bridge pickup about an inch from the bridge which I feel gives these specimens a unique timbre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.