Overview
Brand name:
Product:
- electric guitars
Series name:
Dates of manufacture:
The GIBSON SG LES PAUL CUSTOM was originally introduced as the latest in the Les-Paul series of Gibson guitars in 1960, in response to the flagging sales of their single cut-away Les-Paul Standard. The Les-Paul name was dropped from this guitar (apparently Les Paul didn't like the guitar), the model officially renamed the SG Standard in 1963. The first years of SG production (1961 to the end of 1963) have Les Paul logos on their headstocks or in the area below the fingerboard. In each of its first three years of availability, the SG model sold more than 6,000 units—swamping the total of approximately 1,700 Les Paul Standards sold between 1958 and ’60.
The GIBSON SG LES PAUL CUSTOM had two humbucking pickups each with its own volume and tone controls, and 3-position selector switch. Mahogany neck and double sharp cutaway mahogany body, tune-o-matic bridge, 24 3/4” scale length. The bridge was tune-o-matic bridge with a side-pull vibrato, blackface peghead with pearl logo inlay. Hardware was nickel and the guitar came in a cherry finish.
Specifications (20)
Body
Body material | mahogany body |
Body shape features | double cutaway |
Body style | SG body style |
Pickguard material | white pickguard |
Hardware
Bridge | Gibson vibrato, tune-o-matic bridge |
Hardware color | gold hardware, gold-plated hardware |
Tailpiece | ebony tailpiece |
Fretboard
Fingerboard inlay material | pearl fingerboard inlay material |
Fingerboard material | ebony fingerboard |
Fingerboard position markers | block fingerboard position markers |
General
Finish colors | black finish, white finish |
Number of strings | 6 strings |
Neck
Neck material | mahogany neck |
Number of frets | 22 fret |
Peghead (headstock) | bound headstock |
Tuner layout | three-each-side |
Controls
Pickup selector controls | 3-way selector switch |
Tone controls | 2 tone controls |
Volume controls | 2 volume controls |
Electronics
Pickups configuration | 3 humbucker pickups |
Prices (1)
Date | Price | Condition | Name | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | $110000 | good | guitar-list | A 1961 Gibson SG Les Paul Custom (owned by Les Paul himself) was featured on the History Channel’s Pawn Stars. Les Paul’s Nephew took it in to sell - along with the papers to prove it, including a letter Les Paul wrote to Gibson containing his less than enthusiastic response to Gibson’s redesign of his signature guitar. The guitar was eventually sold on eBay for $110,000. |