Gibson US SG Special Ebony

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Gibson USA SG Special

Wicked SG attitude, in a simplified no-frills package. Thats the essence of the Gibson SG Special. Packing the same power and intensity as the SG Standard, but without all the trimmings, the SG Special has retained the heart and soul of the SG the solid mahogany body and 50s rounded neck profile and combined it with dot inlays, silk-screened logo, a pair of Gibsons hot 490 humbuckers and a deluxe gig bag. The result is a rockin powerhouse of a guitar thats built to withstand the harshest elements and priced right for todays players.

Special Finish Process

The SG Special, available in your choice of Heritage Cherry or Ebony, achieves its gorgeous, high-gloss finish from as many as 15 coats of nitrocellulose lacquer. Designed to become even more lovely as the years pass and to withstand a lifetime of play, the SG Special and the SG Standard share the same time-consuming finishing process. Over the course of many hours, American craftsmen apply each coat of paint and lacquer by hand to emphasize and protect the natural beauty of the mahogany. And unlike many of Gibsons competitors, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish, which allows the instrument to breathe and encourages natural vibration for a purer tone.

Nitrocellulose Finish

Applying a nitrocellulose finish to any Gibson guitar is one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process. A properly applied nitro finish requires extensive man hours, several evenly applied coats, and an exorbitant amount of drying time. But this fact has never swayed Gibson into changing this time-tested method, employed ever since the first Gibson guitar was swathed with lacquer back in 1894. Why For starters, a nitro finish dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, which means there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone. A nitro finish is also a softer finish, which makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you cant do the same on a poly finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and actually gets thinner over time. It does not seal wood in an airtight shellas a poly finish does and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.

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 Gibsons 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.

Gibsons 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 hadnt been heard before, and it was much harder, more rocking, and definitely louder than anything else before it. As such, this new genres 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 Specials 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 Gibsons woods, and is personally inspected and qualified by Gibsons 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.

Angled Headstock

The angled headstock is another example of Gibsons industry-changing way of thinking. Every Gibson headstock is carved out of the same piece of mahogany as the neck then fitted with Gibsons traditional wing blocks. It is not a glued-on headstock, and the process takes craftsmanship, time, and effort. But the rewards are worth the effort. The headstock is carefully angled at 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain.

Set-Neck Construction

Like all classic Gibson guitars, the necks on SG Specials are distinguished by one of the more traditional features that have always set them apart a glued neck joint. Gluing the neck to the body of the guitar ensures a wood-to-wood contact, no air space in the neck cavity, and maximum contact between the neck and body, allowing the neck and body to function as a single unit. The result Better tone, better sustain, and no loose or misaligned necks.

Tune-O-Matic Bridge

The Tune-o-matic bridge was the brainchild of legendary Gibson president Ted McCarty in 1954. At the time, it was a true revelation in intonation, and set a standard for simplicity and functionality that has never been bettered. This pioneering piece of hardware provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust and fine-tune the intonation and string height in a matter of minutes. It also yields a great union between the strings and body, which results in excellent tone and sustain. It is combined with a separate stopbar tailpiece, essentially a modified version of the earlier wraparound bridge. To this day, the Tune-o-matic remains the industry standard. It is the epitome of form and function in electric guitar bridge design, and is one of the most revered and copied pieces of guitar hardware ever developed.

Body

Neck

Electronics

Fingerboard