Gibson SG Classic

The 1961 Gibson issue Les Paul guitar was thinner and much lighter than the earlier models, with two sharply pointed cut-aways and a vibrato system. However, the redesign was done without Les Paul’s knowledge. When the musician saw the guitar, he asked Gibson to remove his name from the instrument and parted ways with the company. Although this separation occurred in 1960, Gibson had a surplus stock of “Les Paul” logos and truss rod covers, and so continued to use the Les Paul name until 1963. At that point, the SG guitar’s name was finally changed to “SG”, which stood simply for Solid Guitar. In addition to the SG line, Gibson continued to issue the less expensive Jr’s and Specials (and the Melody Makers) with the newer body style. These were the standard Gibson electric models until the reintroduction of the Les Paul Standard Goldtop and the Les Paul Custom guitars to the market in 1968.