Flashman Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 Evening, completely new to forum so advanced apologies for breaching any standards and length of post... I’d be grateful for some advice please. I’ve had an SG for around 25 years. My brother in law gave it to me in around ‘96 when I started playing in a band. Did this (poorly) for a few years then life took hold and guitars have had limited play. Picked it up again recently when teaching son how to play and realise I need to know more about it. I’d also like to refurbish it if possible. Judging from online descriptions, I’m confident it is an authentic Gibson and original SG. It has the smaller scratch plate and design suggesting a ‘72 design standard I think....though I guess it could be older. Looks like the more recently produced ‘standard ‘61’ in appearance. My brother in law used it in a band in the late ‘70’s in the UK. Perhaps stupidly and ignorant of maintaining original components, I replaced the pickups with some Seymour Duncan’s in about ‘99/2000....can’t remember the model. Anyway, I can’t find a serial number anywhere on it to confirm date and model and wondered if there’s another way of doing this? I want to look at some new pickups/pots and perhaps machine heads. I also want to refurb the fretboard as there’s some lacquer on there that is cracking around 2nd fret - not even sure if there should be lacquer on an SG! and the paint job isn’t fantastic either...so I’m thinking some punk might well have painted it themselves at some point! any advice very much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 Flashman, The serial number should be embossed into the wood on the back of the headstock. That will reveal to us the year of manufacture. If that's not visible, there's a chance it was painted over at some point, in which case it would be hard to make out. Can you post a photo of the guitar from the front overall, and one (like the above) with good detail of the back of the headstock?😐 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted January 23, 2021 Author Share Posted January 23, 2021 Thanks. Yes, I read that this is where you find it, but nothing there. I’ll post a photo, but adds to my thought that some fool painted it back in the 70’s! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted January 23, 2021 Author Share Posted January 23, 2021 Here are some photos and no serial on the back of the headstock as you can see. Are you aware of anywhere else I can look for any identifying detail? The name on the face of the headstock is 'John. D. Shearer' - I have no knowledge of how this came to be on there or who this person is?! I googled it and found a photo taken of BB King in 1972 by someone called John D Shearer! https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/621285711086019956/ likely coincidence, I'll need to do some more research I guess..... I genuinely never paid any attention to this name when the SG was originally given to me 20 odd years ago, and sadly my brother in law has since passed away so I can't ask him.. The tail of the 'J' in John is painted slightly beneath the truss rod cover (two screws on mine, rather than three - three indicates potential fake from what I've read....)....so this must have been removed to painted. The calligraphy of the pained name is pretty good, so I do wonder if it was a gift to this person...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 You seem to have an early 70's guitar. Perhaps repainted as well. I am not sure. You could take off the rear pick up cavity and take a look inside. If the elcetronics are original you might be able to pull a number off of the volume pot and do a search that way. It would at least get you in the neighborhood of when it was produced. Also the bridge is the harmonica style that was very popular in the early to mid 1970s. The fact that it had square inlays on the neck without neck binding is another give away of time period as well. It may have been painted black too to cover up a neck repair. For some reason it just does not look factory but I may be wrong. I am sure others will chime in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 Thanks bigtim, appreciate that detail. I’ll take a look at the pot as you say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 I'm no expert but if that's a volute then it puts it in the 69-7x range somewhere I think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 (edited) I'm of the impression that this is not a Gibson so much as a tribute to one, constructed by an avid fan. The headstock shape, the angles on the Gibson logo around the 's', the square shapes of the fretboard inlays, none of those look right to me. John D. Shearer was a photographer, last I remember. (As you pointed out, the name on the headstock.) I don't know. Just thinking out loud. 😔 Edited January 24, 2021 by sparquelito Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 I'm not an expert, but that headstock looks all wrong, from shape to logo to the machines. rct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01GT eibach Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 I would also say the body looks off to me. Close, but something not quite right ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 It looks like it’s real but has been poorly sanded and refinished. The SG had that big headstock and weird body in the 70s. Over sand it, hit it with some Krylon, and viola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 Thanks for all the comments. I've had another look at the logo on the headstock and appreciate that the 's' does look a little 'off'....but have found a variety of examples on line and one that looks much the same. Ref the machine heads, they are Ping Deluxe, which I understood to be authentic - if they have been placed in error though, this could well be down to more poor work by the individual who gave it it's paint job. I've done some other recommended checks, one of which I mentioned around the two screw truss rod cover, the unpainted wood in the pick up cavity....and I'm not sure I see anything wrong with the inlays? That said, as I said at the start, I accept I'm very far from an expert and appreciate the advice and comments made. If it's not real, then I'd just have to accept that, it plays great and I wouldn't be parted from it - as far as I can evidence, it's at least 45 years old, as that's when my brother in law had it from. I need to remove some solder from the volume pot so I can make out the full number, but can see it starts with 137, which I think is CTS. I'll do that this week. In due course I'm going to give it that sand down and look to repaint and refurb it out fully, including the pots and humbuckers. I would like to confirm whether it is authentic first though, as I'll look to put appropriate pickups in, aligning it to its correct age and type as far as possible. The fretboard is a rosewood veneer I think, and certainly has a lacquer on it. Am I correct in saying it shouldn't have been varnished, but should be 'clean'.?..I've read that rosewood, being an reasonably oily wood should not be lacquered, but just periodically oiled? A neck repair is perhaps a reasonable shout..... Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 21 hours ago, 'Scales said: I'm no expert but if that's a volute then it puts it in the 69-7x range somewhere I think? ....and yes, there is a relatively small volute present. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, Dub-T-123 said: It looks like it’s real but has been poorly sanded and refinished. The SG had that big headstock and weird body in the 70s. Over sand it, hit it with some Krylon, and viola Ha, I was being particularly dim....you meant 'voila' right? Got the krylon bit and started wondering what viola might be, perhaps a varnish of some kind?!.....duh. Edited January 24, 2021 by Flashman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Lol yeah that was a typo sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 Ok, for anyone interested, I've removed solder from the pots and they are CTS 137320 - which from what I read means May '73. With that, I Iooked at some online images of confirmed '73/74 SG's and am reasonably content now. The body is the same, even looked at the rear pot cavity - and it has the same irregularities of shape (if that isn't a contradiction!), something I'd be surprised would be replicated to the same degree. The blank bell truss rod cover - 2 ply b/w, lack of neck binding, small volute (present from 69 from what I've read), Indian rosewood fretboard with mother of pearl small block inlays. I've found examples of the thinner inlayed logo on the headstock with the offset 's' and no gaps on the 'b' and 'o'. A number of other things too. I do wonder about the lack of inlayed crown on the headstock though and if it's been covered over for the name to be added - this would not have been clear with the crown in play. Once I've bottomed out the connection with the name, I'll think about sanding this off and seeing if its below - can't see a shadow of it though. Which is strange, even if copying, why go to the effort of inlaying the logo and not the crown? it may be there I guess, the paint job is thick and not good. Thanks for the help, I'm going to understate a refurb job...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lungimsam Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 Paint job thick...no holly/crown....paint thick...hmmmm...neck break repair? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted January 27, 2021 Author Share Posted January 27, 2021 Thanks, possibly..... a suggestion elsewhere is that’s it’s a ‘73 SG Special, rather than a standard. The special had the same scratch board shape and fretboard (block inlays, rosewood, unbound), but didn’t have an crown inlay. If that’s the case the mini-humbuckers must have been swapped out for full two coil humbuckers... I’d like if poss to confirm it either way so I can refurb it in line with its original design. I guess I also need to decide what sound I want too, as Ive not played a guitar with minis before... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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