One of the workhorse guitars for almost all genres, the Gibson Les Paul Standard can also be spectacularly attractive in a combination of bookmatched flame maple and sunburst.
The Gibson ES-175 cutaway came onto the scene in 1949 as a single pickup archtop with a sharp florentine cutaway and Maple laminate body construction. The most popular electric archtop at the time was the ES-150, with carved spruce top and carved Maple back. The laminate construction of the new ES-175 was not only more affordable, but also offered better feedback resistance.
The Gibson Dove Custom Acacia Amber Burst was introduced as a limited edition model, using AA grade Sitka Spruce for the top, Acacia for the back and sides, and Maple for the 3-piece neck. The fingerboard and bridge are Indian Rosewood. An L R Baggs VTS system is factory standard, and the hardware is gold plated.
The Gibson SG Standard is the successor to the Les Paul Standard, by way of Gibson’s 1961 complete redesign of the Les Paul models, and the loss of the Les Paul name that followed. There are a few small dents here and there, which have not broken the finish. Fret wear is light and the guitar plays well and is a comfortable weight – interestingly both examples weigh the same, 3.25kg or 7.15 pounds.
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Differences between the Gibson SG Special and SG Standard don’t jump out at first. The main visual elements are the same – the same wood selection, shape, and gloss lacquer finish. However, the Special has an unbound fingerboard with dot markers, gold-decal Gibson logo and ‘SG’ engraved on the truss rod cover. The SG Standard has a bound fingerboard, trapezoidal markers, Mother of Pearl Gibson logo plus the ‘Holly’ inlay on the headstock. As well, the pickups are uncovered on the Special, while the Standard pickups have metal covers.
For its initial 1954 appearance, the Gibson Les Paul Custom differed somewhat from the 1952 Les Paul models in a manner not visible to the eye. Under the black finish was a solid Mahogany body with carved top, instead of a carved Maple cap on a mahogany slab. This construction continued for most Les Paul Custom models until 1961, when the line was completely revamped into what we now call the SG. When the original Les Paul design re-emerged in 1968, the Custom received the standard Maple cap.
