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2002 gibson sg faded with crescent moon inlay's


bluesman77

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Hi guy's, I'm new to the thread, i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about these 2002 sg's with the crescent moon inlay's.. Are they that much of a rare guitar, I have a chance to buy

one for pretty reasonable price,,, I know that they have open face humbuckers, and alot of the kid's love them for crunchy stuff.. I was wondering if they would make a good blues axe??

 

Thanks

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Hello, I just posted a similar question. I have a 2003 or 2004 gibson v faded with dots. The thing that makes it unique IMO is that it has an ebony fretboard. I am trying to find out what they are worth as I haven't seen another one like it. I think the moon inlays on yours are cool. My V sounds great and I doubt i'd sell it. I got it at an unheard of price used with a gigbag. I am actually thinking of buying a hardshell case for it from Gibson. I'd like to install a vibrato like hendrix and Kravitz but i'm afraid it would devalue the guitar. I love the vintage relic look of these faded models. They have gone up in price too. The V is now over $900 new street price. If u like it, it plays well, and is in good shape get it. I don't know i'd pay the new price, but at a used price they are a bargain!!

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Hello, I just posted a similar question. I have a 2003 or 2004 gibson v faded with dots. The thing that makes it unique IMO is that it has an ebony fretboard. I am trying to find out what they are worth as I haven't seen another one like it. I think the moon inlays on yours are cool. My V sounds great and I doubt i'd sell it. I got it at an unheard of price used with a gigbag. I am actually thinking of buying a hardshell case for it from Gibson. I'd like to install a vibrato like hendrix and Kravitz but i'm afraid it would devalue the guitar. I love the vintage relic look of these faded models. They have gone up in price too. The V is now over $900 new street price. If u like it, it plays well, and is in good shape get it. I don't know i'd pay the new price, but at a used price they are a bargain!!

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Guest rogerb

Welcome to the Gibson forum. That is the SG faded model, when introduced Gibson put the crescent moon inlays on the fingerboard but changed to dot inlay about a year later. No production number available on those models.

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I got one not too long ago and really like it. There seem to be a couple of ebay sellers trying to capitalize on the rarity, but it seems like they aren't really higher value than other fadeds. Very versatile - should be fine for blues.

 

Here's a coupls pics:

IMG_3288.jpg

IMG_3291.jpg

IMG_3289.jpg

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Guest BentonC

Cool guitar for sure- I think you don't see quite as many of those because they are a bit more rare, and the folks who get them tend to hang on to them.

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Cool guitar for sure- I think you don't see quite as many of those because they are a bit more rare, and the folks who get them tend to hang on to them.

 

Yes indeed. Bought mine new in '02 (made in April '02), red with moon inlays just like the pics above (with the exception that the original knobs are chrome insert top hats). My only alteration has been to slip on some chrome Gibson pickup covers. Absolutely love the moon inlays, which mimic the shape of the body horns. The ebony fretboard is smooth & fast, and also note that these early versions have a true ABR bridge.

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Thanks everybody. I bought the guitar on ebay a few months ago. It was described as perfect, mint, flawless and is not, but is well worth what I paid and in pretty good shape for its age. I cleaned it, replaced the G string tuner, put on the speed knobs and it's just a great player. I'm so glad I kept it! The speed knobs were temporary. I have a set of chrome insert top hats, but haven't put them on.

 

Here's a shot of the back that shows some of the worming:

IMG_3165.jpg

 

The back and the edges are the worst parts, but the faded finish hides marks well and I grin like an idiot every time I play it.

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  • 1 year later...

Thanks everybody. I bought the guitar on ebay a few months ago. It was described as perfect, mint, flawless and is not, but is well worth what I paid and in pretty good shape for its age. I cleaned it, replaced the G string tuner, put on the speed knobs and it's just a great player. I'm so glad I kept it! The speed knobs were temporary. I have a set of chrome insert top hats, but haven't put them on.

 

Here's a shot of the back that shows some of the worming:

IMG_3165.jpg

 

The back and the edges are the worst parts, but the faded finish hides marks well and I grin like an idiot every time I play it.

 

 

whats the neck profile on this??

50's or 60's???

 

thanks

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Hi guy's, I'm new to the thread, i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about these 2002 sg's with the crescent moon inlay's.. Are they that much of a rare guitar, I have a chance to buy

one for pretty reasonable price,,, I know that they have open face humbuckers, and alot of the kid's love them for crunchy stuff.. I was wondering if they would make a good blues axe??

 

Thanks

 

My SG is a Faded 2002 or 2003 model, it is a collectors item because of the ebony fingerboard with the half moon inlays. I have never owned a guitar so true, not a single high or low fret, no strange over/under tones, perfect, plus it stays in tune almost better than any other guitar I have ever owned, and I have been playing electric guitars since 1964. It is completely stock except for the fine tuning tailpiece, but I still have the original tailpiece in the case. The guitar sounds and plays excellently. This SG has a rock solidly stable neck, unlike other SG models I have owned in the past, this one stays in tune and rarely needs any tuning once the new strings have settled in. The value here in the Phoenix area for a ebony fingerboard half moon inlay model, is around five hundred bucks a little beat up, and a fine one should be listed at $850 or so. Mine also has a third party hard shell case for the instrument as well as the original gig bag that came with it. For a player who wants playing excellence at least from my experience, this guitar is ideal.

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  • 1 year later...

Ever since Frank Zappa's Roxy & Elsewhere album, I always wanted one and the "faded" price put it within reach.

 

First of all, blues is HOW and WHAT you play, not necessarily a tone.

If you are interested in a certain tone or player's style, you would need to describe that for anybody to make a comparison or opinion. Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan...all different tone & styles. A lot can be said about amps, speakers, etc., so asking if it is good for playing blues is nefarious at best.

 

Yes - Ebony fretboard and limited edition crescent moon inlays.

 

I got mine for $579 new, but had sent the first two back and kept the third one. (Made in 2002)

There were various flaws and fast production boo-boos like finish, scratches, electrical on the first two, but the third one passed the hurdles for what I deemed an affordable 'beat-em-up' jam night axe.

 

Same specs as any other SG without the fine finish, appointments, binding or inlays.

It did come with a pickguard as the newer model faded guitars no longer do, but without covers on the pickups.

 

A very bright and 'ringy' guitar when played without an amp.

Some people say the frets can stick out from the edge of the unbound neck and rub against your hand but I have found no problem with this. If your guitar has dried out in low humidity or desert dry conditions, the fretwires might protrude out from the neck/fretboard any guitar if the wood dries and shrinks.

 

Really dig the crescent moon inlays...did I mention that? (lol)

It was a nice surprise to find out it was a limited run.

 

Since then I have acquired a proper Gibson SG case, replaced the tuners with heavy Grovers, added a TP-6 fine tuning tailpiece and most recently swapped the pups out for '57 Classic and a Classic Plus at the bridge.

 

Before, the sound of the stock 498's were a little hollow and ratty. The only amp I found it to be really compatible with was a Tweed Blues Junior. It really liked that amp, but was seemingly a one-trick pony.

Now, with the 57' Classics in it, I find I can take it onstage and it will do more styles with a fuller, meatier tone especially on that neck pickup. Now, a workhorse of many colors!

 

Nice & light, and even though it is the same scale length, the guitar seems "neck-heavy" or feels like it is "sticking out" more because of where it joins to the body. One must be mindful not to slide up a couple of frets when getting acclimated to the ergonomics of an SG -lol.

 

The neck is somewhat wider than most Gibson electric guitars. This is good for some things, and a little more challenging for others. Plenty of room between the strings for clean fingering as well as digging in quite hard while remaining articulate tonally.

 

I still find the 'jack-on-the-front' design really weird if not awkward & cheap, but using a cable with an angled plug will only rub wear spots, and sometimes wonder what it would be like to have an SG with a carved maple top like a Les Paul. I remember Sigma made an SG copy that seemed to be more molded & thicker, not to give the impression I don't dig the flat-top slab or the reduced weight! Compared to the CS-356 or the Les Paul Custom, it's quite light and fun playing.

 

These were some of the last series where the faded finish actually looks kind of nice, cheap albeit, but nice.

The newer model faded finishes look as though horrid white-wash or watery-stain was applied by a blind chimpanzee. The new faded finish looks more 'cheap' than 'faded.'

 

As of January 2014 I have seen "The Crescent Moon SG's" on eBay selling for $550-$585 -some with a hard case.

I expect the price of them to rise significantly in the future adding at least an extra two hundred dollars for the collector's appeal of ebony fretboard and crescent moon inlays limited run...probably ten years down the road.

I just found out the Tim Shaw pickups in my '82 LP are selling for $400 on eBay...yeah, hard to believe it myself.

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  • 1 year later...

Hello, I just posted a similar question. I have a 2003 or 2004 gibson v faded with dots. The thing that makes it unique IMO is that it has an ebony fretboard. I am trying to find out what they are worth as I haven't seen another one like it. I think the moon inlays on yours are cool. My V sounds great and I doubt i'd sell it. I got it at an unheard of price used with a gigbag. I am actually thinking of buying a hardshell case for it from Gibson. I'd like to install a vibrato like hendrix and Kravitz but i'm afraid it would devalue the guitar. I love the vintage relic look of these faded models. They have gone up in price too. The V is now over $900 new street price. If u like it, it plays well, and is in good shape get it. I don't know i'd pay the new price, but at a used price they are a bargain!!

Put a Bigsby B5 Vibramate Vibrato system on it. They retail for about $145-$180 and worth every penny. You won't have to drill holes in that beast, nor will you have to deface and devaluate it in any manner. Plus, you can remove it and reinstall the original bridge that came with the axe anytime you desire, and you'll never even notice the difference. This vibrato system will also improve both sustain and playability. The crescent moon, ebony fret board versions are very rare and limited, and can command prices up to $1500 in good shape.
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  • 4 years later...

82093744_10157406943548515_7588817697152958464_n.thumb.jpg.833e516d56a70f7482fb93c8ed479594.jpgJust found this thread on the Gibson SG faded w/crescent inlays.   Thought I'd add my 2 cents worth into the coversation.  Last month I bought a used Gibson 2002 SG faded, two humbuckers, crescent moon inlays with case.  It was in excellent/near mint condition (only one small scrape on body near where the neck joins (can't see it with neck strap on).  Anyway, the neck has a 60'ish profile, ebony fretboard,  low profile, plays super smooth, very fast neck (reminds me of my '64 & '66 Mosrite guitars).  Very pleased with this cash purchase of $400 (was a stress sell, seller needed cash for monthly expenses).  

Edited by ViperQQ
Added photo and removed comment (uncertainity on uploading photo)
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  • 5 weeks later...

"...Gibson 2002 SG faded, two humbuckers, crescent moon inlays with case."

I stand corrected.  Thought these were humbuckers.  Called Gibson sales/tech (to see if P90's would fit if I upgraded.  He confirmed my S/N is 2002 SG model, with AMR-1 bridge, and crescent moon inlays.  But he said those are P90S & P90T uncovered pick-ups; adding that Gibson stopped afterwards on using (selling) uncovered P90's and replaced the crescent moon inlays with the trapezoid design we see today.   He noted that the new P90's (comes covered) would not fit mine unless I routed out sufficient space to accommodate the size; and the covers can't be removed. 

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On 2/24/2020 at 7:06 PM, ViperQQ said:

"... Thought these were humbuckers ... But he said those are P90S & P90T uncovered pick-ups ...

We are not talking about the guitar in the picture, right?  Clearly, those in the pic are uncovered humbuckers, right?   (I have a feeling I am about to be educated on something ...)

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On 2/24/2020 at 9:06 PM, ViperQQ said:

"...Gibson 2002 SG faded, two humbuckers, crescent moon inlays with case."

I stand corrected.  Thought these were humbuckers.  Called Gibson sales/tech (to see if P90's would fit if I upgraded.  He confirmed my S/N is 2002 SG model, with AMR-1 bridge, and crescent moon inlays.  But he said those are P90S & P90T uncovered pick-ups; adding that Gibson stopped afterwards on using (selling) uncovered P90's and replaced the crescent moon inlays with the trapezoid design we see today.   He noted that the new P90's (comes covered) would not fit mine unless I routed out sufficient space to accommodate the size; and the covers can't be removed. 

\

This is the one I was thinking I was in the other day.

So yeah no, that's a pair of garden variety humbuckers up there in that picture, not uncovered P90s.  At least, not any pair of uncovered P90s I've ever seen, which is a bunch.

A P90 cover is a piece of plastic that is extremely easy to change, some like white and some like black and some like creme and some like cream.  I don't know why someone from Gibson would tell you you can't remove the covers unless they have really screwed things into the floor there.

The crescent moon inlays were tried on the Goth guitars, just before this one, so these guitars are using up perfectly good boards and inlays already prepped for guitars that weren't selling, the Goth ones.

Or, I just don't understand any of this and since I'm still in my bathrobe I'm going out front and yell at somebody..

rct

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I had an '07 (I believe it was) Special Faded that I never should have sold. Well, actually it was involved in a trade (with some other gear) for my new 2013 Standard (which I love), but I should have kept the Faded as well.. Great SG.

OhD0bYm.jpg

NCvGRFG.jpg

Edited by Same Guy
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  • 7 months later...

I have a few 2002  SG faded with the ebony fretboard and the crescent moon inlays. I had sold it to a pal a few years back, during some lean times and always missed it.

He just sold it back to me!

It is a gem of a guitar, and  plays like butter. Those moon inlays are so sexy.

CD34FC86-E17B-48B1-9CB1-9E6A105B6804.jpeg

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7 hours ago, Hughsings said:

I have a few 2002  SG faded with the ebony fretboard and the crescent moon inlays. I had sold it to a pal a few years back, during some lean times and always missed it.

He just sold it back to me!

It is a gem of a guitar, and  plays like butter. Those moon inlays are so sexy.

CD34FC86-E17B-48B1-9CB1-9E6A105B6804.jpeg

What are they going for? I've got 3 I never play anymore. One has plastic on the pick guard yet.

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  • 2 months later...
On 2/24/2020 at 9:06 PM, ViperQQ said:

"...Gibson 2002 SG faded, two humbuckers, crescent moon inlays with case."

I stand corrected.  Thought these were humbuckers.  Called Gibson sales/tech (to see if P90's would fit if I upgraded.  He confirmed my S/N is 2002 SG model, with AMR-1 bridge, and crescent moon inlays.  But he said those are P90S & P90T uncovered pick-ups; adding that Gibson stopped afterwards on using (selling) uncovered P90's and replaced the crescent moon inlays with the trapezoid design we see today.   He noted that the new P90's (comes covered) would not fit mine unless I routed out sufficient space to accommodate the size; and the covers can't be removed. 

They ARE humbuckers. Gibson 490R and 490T. The rep must have either read their screen incorrectly or there was a typo.  P90 pickups are single coil, with threaded slugs into a tapped magnet below the coil. They sound different than humbucker pickups, significantly so to my ears.

Here is my 2002 Worn Cherry Faded SG, purchased new when they were first issued. I bought the Gibson USA case immediately after delivery, complete with “The Shroud of Touring”.

3686D3C0-B978-4922-B8E3-E5B40BF820DD.jpeg

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  • 1 year later...

Sono d'accordo è una chitarra molto particolare suono bellissimo estetica stupefacente. io ne possiedo una del 2002 IN MOGANO con custodia originale e senza alcun difetto ho inserito i copri pick-up della Gibson neri ma sono estraibili ho visto in giro il suo valore quelli più alti che ho trovato Vanno da €1850 a €1090 questa non sono comunque esteticamente perfetto Se trovo qualcuno che mi offre un buon prezzo potrei anche venderla

IMG_20220109_163339.jpg

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Il 20/6/2011 alle 15:32, Guest rogerb ha dichiarato:

Benvenuto nel forum Gibson. Questo è il modello SG sbiadito, quando è stato introdotto Gibson ha messo gli intarsi a mezzaluna sulla tastiera ma è cambiato in un intarsio a punti circa un anno dopo. Nessun numero di produzione disponibile su quei modelli.

A quale numero  fa riferimento? Perché la mia SG dello stesso modello ha il numero di serie

 

 

 

 

 

 

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