Classic rock doesn’t get much bigger than AC/DC, and no one wallops out the massive, bone-crunching tone like Angus Young on his Gibson SG. Young’s incendiary tone has inspired wave after wave of rock guitar heroes, and turned on countless players to the power of his seminal guitar of choice, the SG. Now the Gibson SG USA Angus Young SG puts all the tone and playability of this classic double-cutaway into a signature model made to Young’s own specs. The result is an instrument with all the punch, crunch and sizzle that Angus achieves with his treasured Gibson SG, in a guitar that’s still well within reach of the workaday rocker.
Its simple yet inspired ingredients of thin, all-mahogany body and neck and two Gibson humbucking pickups gave it a snappy attack with a muscular punch, while its slim, fast neck yielded unprecedented playability.
The Gibson USA Angus Young SG not only captures the look, feel and sound of a great SG, it also embodies some of the rare specs and qualities of Angus’s own ’68 model, known to be a stand-out example among a classic breed.
The light bulb. Television and radio. The microwave oven. Gibson’s SG Standard – all inspirations of genius that transformed the way we live. Gibson’s redesign of the Les Paul in 1960 was a bold move. But it paid off big time.
When it first hit the scene back in 1961, the Gibson SG (short for Solid Guitar) was the most radical design the electric guitar world had witnessed so far, and it still makes a bold statement today.
The diverse list of guitar stars that have taken variations of the SG to heart includes Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Robbie Krieger, Earl Hooker, George Harrison, John Cipollina, Pete Townshend, Carlos Santana, Tony Iommi, Pete Ham, Mick Taylor, Peter Frampton, Terry Kath, Jerry Garcia, Duane Allman, Glen Buxton, Michael Bruce, Jimmy Page, Frank Zappa, John McLaughlin, Mick Box, Buck Dharma, Gary Rossington, Todd Rundgren, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Frank Marino, Link Wray, Angus Young, Rod Price, Barry Goudreau, Don Felder, David St. Hubbins, Johnny Marr, Derek Trucks, Jeff Tweedy, The Edge, Gary Louris, Deryck Whibley, Rivers Cuomo, Andrew Stockdale and Kirk Douglas.
Go for the classic look of Heritage Cherry, or opt for more contemporary Ebony Black and the Gibson USA SG Standard not only looks great, but it gives you all the goods to get the job done. Both finishes are also available in left-handed models.
It’s more than just a coincidence that mahogany is one of the most prized woods for electric guitar design, and the Gibson USA SG Standard is arguably the most classic example of the use of this fine tonewood in an instrument that’s both nuanced and powerful. Unlike thicker mahogany/maple designs, the SG Standard’s thinner solid-mahogany body offers a considerable reduction on weight, while presenting a warm, rich resonance with lots of harmonic depth and sparkle.
The guitar’s solid mahogany neck is carved to a rounded profile similar to SGs from the mid ’60s, for superb in-the-hand comfort and outstanding playability, while it’s glued in deep-set, long-tenon neck/body joint and 17-degree back angled headstock team up to provide a transference of neck resonance into the body that’s far superior to other neck designs. Of course, a pair of Alnico-loaded humbuckers was always a big part of the SG’s magic, and today’s SG Standard brings it on in spades.
Sum it all up, and it’s a guitar of unrivaled versatility and stunning looks – and a rock beast to be reckoned with. All this, and your SG Standard comes protected in a formfitting Gibson hardshell case, and is covered by Gibson’s famous Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 customer service. It could just be the bargain of the decade… or the past four. Check one out now at your authorized Gibson dealer.
