1979 "THE SG"

[Beerman]

Well I'm stunned. I'm a Bass Player so make allowances, but I thought a Gibson was defined by solid Mahogany (ok, and a hum(mud)bucker) . I've never really taken the maple neck Gibson's seriously. The lamenate Zoot Zoot Riot's are a joke, and a very funny one, but a walnut Gibson? What on earth does a Walnut Gibson sound like? Are we taking bass here? What defines a Gibson? Is it the wood?

[80LPC]

Rock maple has many advantages for guitar building - strength, stiffness, takes finish very well, is not a tropical hardwood and it sounds good. Some of Gibsons best sounding guitars have used maple extensively. The LP was originally to be maple body and neck - weight concerns prompted the change to mahogany.

 

With it's much slimmer body, the SG can use maple, yet not be too heavy. (If the SG design had come before the LP, I'm sure the all maple construction would have become standard).

 

Walnut is a good tonewood - maybe a bit on the dark side like mahogany, but brightened up a bit by the ebony fretboard on "The SG" models. It has a nice clean sound, but can scream with a good amp.

[GibSinCity]

The lamenate Zoot Zoot Riot's are a joke' date='[/quote']

 

Have you played one, or is your opinion based on looks alone?

The one I played actually sounded good.

Ugly as hell, but the Birch had some nice tone.

 

Maple necks?

Used on both USA & Custom Shop.

Recently they were used on the SG and Les Paul Raw Power USA models, and they also use them on Zakk Wylde & Angus VOS Custom Shop models. So it's seems more for tone, than for "upgrade".

Maybe bright and snappy isn't for you, being a bass player and all.

 

Also, my friend has a 1982 Firebrand "The SG" Deluxe in Gold Burst.

It's the Deluxe, so it's mahogany.

It sounded great before and after he replaced the stock pickups.

Back in 1985, the Velvet Brick from the bridge went into my US made Kramer.

It's still there and still sounds great.

[jameslucascalvert]

I think I'm with mal3012 on this one. The Zoot Suits are hideously ugly. Maybe they have good tone, but they are a joke in the looks department. Guitars, to me, are like women. They may be great in the sack, but if I can't stand to look at it, why should it hang around? You can find some beautiful guitars with great tone. I guess I just don't understand who the Zoot Suit SG is marketed at. Maybe a guitarist wants the attention of an ugly guitar?

[jimmiJAMM]

I think I'm with mal3012 on this one. The Zoot Suits are hideously ugly. Maybe they have good tone' date=' but they are a joke in the looks department. Guitars, to me, are like women. They may be great in the sack, but if I can't stand to look at it, why should it hang around? You can find some beautiful guitars with great tone. I guess I just don't understand who the Zoot Suit SG is marketed at. Maybe a guitarist wants the attention of an ugly guitar?[/quote']

 

Nobody understands who that guitar is marketed at. Much like the once beloved Edsel, the Zoot Suit SG is a lemon.

 

[Murph]

Rock maple has many advantages for guitar building - strength' date=' stiffness, takes finish very well, is not a tropical hardwood and it sounds good. Some of Gibsons best sounding guitars have used maple extensively. The LP was originally to be maple body and neck - weight concerns prompted the change to mahogany.

 

With it's much slimmer body, the SG can use maple, yet not be too heavy. (If the SG design had come before the LP, I'm sure the all maple construction would have become standard).

 

Walnut is a good tonewood - maybe a bit on the dark side like mahogany, but brightened up a bit by the ebony fretboard on "The SG" models. It has a nice clean sound, but can scream with a good amp. [/quote']

 

Yep.

[Prewtu]

Does anyone have one of these guitars? Walnut tone wood, ebony fretboard grover tuners. I see these for sale often for around 5 or 600 dollars. Granted they are not the prettiest looking SG's in history but the tone is really sweet. It looks like Gibson was in a big hurry and quality control was lower (aesthetically) than usual. They still dont offer up a pretty penny the way other SG's do. I have one the gold Gibson logo long gone on the headstock, but serial number remains. This one was not taken very good care of before it ended up in my hands. Seems to have been painted and stripped a couple of times, poor thing. And it has a really cool dot fret marker in the first fret. Anyway just trying to start a thread about this particular model. I am sure if some famous guy was seen using one the price would go up. Anyway it is more about the sound than collector value. Right?

[Prewtu]

Does anyone have one of these guitars? Walnut tone wood, ebony fretboard grover tuners. I see these for sale often for around 5 or 600 dollars. Granted they are not the prettiest looking SG's in history but the tone is really sweet. It looks like Gibson was in a big hurry and quality control was lower (aesthetically) than usual. They still dont offer up a pretty penny the way other SG's do. I have one the gold Gibson logo long gone on the headstock, but serial number remains. This one was not taken very good care of before it ended up in my hands. Seems to have been painted and stripped a couple of times, poor thing. And it has a really cool dot fret marker in the first fret. Anyway just trying to start a thread about this particular model. I am sure if some famous guy was seen using one the price would go up. Anyway it is more about the sound than collector value. Right?

[Prewtu]

I have a 79 that I bought used in 82. Love it and would never give it up. New to the forum. How do I post a picture to this thread of my beloved baby?

[Wild Bill 212]

My 1979 SG 'THE SG' was made of WALNUT. BODY/NECK, both Body/Neck were made by 3 pieces OF WALNUT as was obvious by the markings.IT HAS AN EBONY Fretboard. I will say THREEE things for that guitar, I LOVED 'ANGUS' more than any other guitar I ever owned, 'ANGUS' had a 'KILLER' Tone AND everywhere I took that guitar someone tried to steal it. ONE IDIOT WAS ACTUALLY VERY SORRY HE TRIED THAT **** ! The only reason I sold it was it was the new SG Standards, 2017 Model, were just too AWESOME and probably the best SG offerrings not sold from the Custom Shoppe in decades.

 

 

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ADD PHOTO'S TO THIS WEBSITE, EE-GAD MON !

[darthwader]

1979 made in Kalamazoo I think, last i went down that rabbit hole checking into it

Quote

 

Guitar Info

Your guitar was made at the 

Kalamazoo Plant, USA

March 30th, 1979

Production Number: 45

 

I absolutely love it. It's a lefty. No idea what it's worth, wish I knew just cuz. No idea if who you're talking to knows what they're talking about half the time. It doesn't look homemade like the ones in those ads. This one is more FZ /Angus/Townshend looking than that. Trapezoid inlays and darker wood. It's in really great condition, but the frets have seen better days as you get down the next toward the head.