Hands down, the SG Special Faded is the best combination of features and value in Gibson’s iconic SG line-up. You still get the dynamic, slim mahogany body and hair-trigger quick neck that have made the SG legendary, but without all the non-essentials. The ultra-affordable price tag on this guitar is owed to fewer coats of finish than can be found on the traditional SG Standard and SG Special. This stripped-down finishing process means that not only will you enjoy more resonance but you’ll be the proud owner of an SG that looks straight out of the ’60s. The SG Special Faded is uncivilized. It’s fierce. And it’s got to hang in your guitar rack.
Faded Finish Process
The SG Special Faded, available in either Worn Brown or Worn Cherry, undergoes a simplified finishing process for increased resonance and the look of a well-loved road-worn guitar. Applied by hand, the Faded finishes mimic the much-desired aged finish that a Gibson from the ’50s or ’60s might have today. By using stain instead of paint and fewer coats of sealant, Gibson's luthiers have cut down on the extremely time-consuming finishing process to bring you our most affordable SG, without skimping on materials.
Classic neck profile so comfortable you’ll never put it down
The most distinguishable neck of all-time. The traditional late-’50s neck profile on the SG Standard is hand-sanded by American craftsmen to give you a comfortably thick, round profile that emulates the neck shapes of the iconic late ’50s Gibson models. Without the binding that distinguishes the SG Standard’s fingerboard, the SG Special is stripped-down and ready to play.
Scorching hot uncovered pickups for modern tone
Gibson’s 490R and 49OT uncovered pickups (“R” for rhythm and “T” for treble) give you the flavor of Gibson’s original ’57 Classic pickup, but roll the output and midrange grind upward a few notches to create a pickup more suited to modern music.
Acrylic dot inlays and a silkscreened Gibson logo you’ll be proud of
The SG Special’s figured, swirl acrylic dot inlays give these classic inlays the mother-of-pearl look you lust for. In addition, the Gibson logo — the most recognizable in all of music — is silkscreened onto the headstock.
Solid mahogany body provides a lifetime of warm tone
Get this guitar in your paws and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to tone heaven. Built for a lifetime of use, the SG Special’s solid mahogany body cranks out round, open, warm tone. You’ll get tone that is somewhat soft, but extremely well-balanced, with good grind and bite. It has the potential for good depth, with full (though not super-tight) lows, velvety highs and a slightly compressed response.
'50s Rounded Neck Profile
No guitar neck profiles are more distinguishable than the neck profiles employed on the Gibson models of today. The more traditional '50s neck profile on the SG Special is the thicker, rounder profile, emulating the neck shapes found on the iconic 1958 and 1959 Les Paul Standards. The neck is machined in Gibson's rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. But once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest--including the final sanding--is done by hand. That means there are no two necks with the exact same dimensions. So while it still has the basic characteristics of its respective profile, each neck will be slightly different, with a distinct but traditional feel.
Dot Inlays
Over the years, the classic dot inlay has been one of the more traditional features of many Gibson models, including the SG. A figured, swirl acrylic gives these inlays that classic "pearl" look. They are inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn't require the use of fillers.
Gibson's 490 (R) Rhythm and (T) Treble Pickup
The mid to late 1960s saw the emergence of a very different type of music coming from the clubs of England. It was an interpretation of the blues that hadn't been heard before, and it was much harder, more rocking, and definitely louder than anything else before it. As such, this new genre's players were demanding more powerful amplifiers with increased volume outputs to satisfy their sonic explorations. This led to a call for a more versatile pickup that could split coils through a push/pull knob, and prevent microphonic feedback from occurring when the volumes were turned up to maximum levels. Gibson answered this call with the introduction of the revolutionary 490T and 490R pickups ("T" for treble, and "R" for rhythm). The 490R is a humbucker with the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The 490T bridge pickup is calibrated to match the 490R, with pole pieces aligned a little further apart to accommodate the spacing of the strings at the bridge, which is different than the spacing of the strings at the neck.
Solid Mahogany Body
Probably the most central of all the SG Special's features is its solid mahogany body--lightweight, strong, with a thick, warm tone. The mahogany goes through the same rigorous selection process as all of Gibson's woods, and is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before it enters the Gibson factories. Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This ensures all woods are dried to a level of "equilibrium," where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight-fitting joints and no expansion, in addition to reducing the weight. It also helps with improving the woods' machinability and finishing properties. Consistent moisture content means that a Gibson guitar will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.
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