An Exceptionally Fine and All Original 1964 Gibson SG Special

1964 Gibson SG Special

This exceptionally fine 13-inch-wide SG Special weighs just 6.20 lbs. and has a contoured solid mahogany body. One-piece mahogany neck with a nice, fat nut width of 1 11/16 inches, a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches and a very comfortable thin-medium profile. Brazilian rosewood fretboard with 22 original jumbo frets and inlaid pearl dot markers. Inlaid pearl "Gibson" headstock logo and 'bell' shaped black over white plastic truss-rod cover secured by two screws. Closed-back 'single-line' Kluson Deluxe strip tuners with white plastic oval buttons. Serial number "188753" stamped in blind on back of headstock. Two P-90 pickups with outputs of 8.24k and 7.88k. The underside of the black [plastic pickup covers are both stamped "UC 452-B / 2". Five-layer black over white plastic pickguard with five screws. Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way pickup selector switch. Black plastic bell-shaped knobs with metal tops. The potentiometers are stamped "137 6411" (CTS, March 1964). Wrap-over pre-compensated, intonation adjustable, bridge/stud tailpiece. Nickel-plated hardware. This wonderful fifty-eight year old SG Special is in exceptionally fine (9.00) condition with just some very slight fading to the body and back of neck and the bare minimum and hardly noticeable belt-buckle rash on the back. Housed in a slightly later (70's) Gibson four-latch, shaped black "faultless" hardshell case with red plush lining (9.00). A wonderful all original example.

The Les Paul Special was introduced as the TV Special in 1955 as an intermediate model between the regular Les Paul guitar and the lower-priced Junior and TV Junior instruments. The Special underwent two successive body redesigns in 1958 and 1961, while the Les Paul affiliation was discontinued in late 1962. The model was then renamed the SG Special without any apparent changes in the specifications other than the removal of Les Paul markings.