Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard

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GUITARIST APRIL 2022

EPIPHONE 1961

LES PAUL SG STANDARD

£749

WHAT IS IT? A ordable take

on Gibson’s pointy-horned

replacement to its original

solidbody single-cut

he Gibson SG, perhaps rather like

Fender’s Jazzmaster, the Rickenbacker

330 or even Gretsch’s 6120, is one of

those guitars that most of us think, “I really

should get one of those.” Yet as often than

not these fine instruments stay languishing

on the shelf in favour of another Strat, Tele

or Les Paul. Well, if Epiphone’s recent form

continues with this incarnation of the mother

brand’s pointy-horned wonder, perhaps now

might be the time for that to change.

The SG’s entry to the market was somewhat

controversial, since initially it bore Les

Paul’s moniker, but the legendary musician,

electronics genius and inventor didn’t like

the guitar. He thought it was too flimsy and

demanded Gibson remove his name. Hence

the birth of the ‘Solid Guitar’ (SG) in 1961. But

by the time of Les’s request quite a few ‘SG’

Les Pauls had been shipped and the model’s

rarity has made it sought after and collectible.

Now, the Epiphone-badged remake at just

£749, including a brown ‘Lifton’ style case,

brings the model’s many charms to the

masses at a fraction of the cost of an original,

or even a Gibson Custom Shop version.

Utilising identical electronics and hardware

to the outgoing guitar, the SG-style Les Paul’s

looks (we’ll simply call it SG from now on)

were so radically different that it was to all

intents and purposes a completely different

Words Neville Marten Photography Olly Curtis

Another new Epiphone model enters the fray,

promising the looks, sound and playability of

its USA Gibson cousin at a fraction of the price

Horns

Of Plenty

GIT483.rev_epi.indd 10GIT483.rev_epi.indd 10 17/02/2022 18:5517/02/2022 18:55

Summary of content (5 pages)

PAGE 1
EPIPHONE 1961 LES PAUL SG STANDARD £749 WHAT IS IT? Affordable take on Gibson’s pointy-horned replacement to its original solidbody single-cut Horns Of Plenty Another new Epiphone model enters the fray, promising the looks, sound and playability of its USA Gibson cousin at a fraction of the price Words Neville Marten Photography Olly Curtis T he Gibson SG, perhaps rather like Fender’s Jazzmaster, the Rickenbacker 330 or even Gretsch’s 6120, is one of those guitars that most of us think, “I really should
PAGE 2
EPIPHONE 1961 LES PAUL SG STANDARD APRIL 2022 GUITARIST GIT483.rev_epi.
PAGE 3
EPIPHONE 1961 LES PAUL SG STANDARD 1 1. The small 60s-style Epiphone headstock is far more akin to Gibson’s and so works well here 3. The SG’s control cover shows the longtime kinship between the two great companies 2. Attractively grained Indian laurel is a great rosewood alternative. Note the pearloid trapezoid inlays 4. The pickup rings’ end sections are a noticeable smidgen wider than on standard surrounds. Note the neck join 3 VIDEO DEMO 2 instrument.
PAGE 4
EPIPHONE 1961 LES PAUL SG STANDARD 4 The guitar is available in two colours: the Aged Sixties Cherry you see here and which more or less typifies the SG; and the rarer Aged Classic White, which was more often seen on Custom versions but did make its way onto Standards, too. The term ‘aged’ really just means a slightly matt look, and of course these Chinese-made guitars are finished in polyester rather than the traditional nitrocellulose of Gibsons vintage and modern.
PAGE 5
EPIPHONE 1961 LES PAUL SG STANDARD EPIPHONE 1961 LES PAUL SG STANDARD Quality hardware and electrics: Gibson Burstbuckers and Epi’s LockTone bridge and tailpiece Perfectly fretted with medium jumbo wire, it’s a completely freeing experience. If you’ve never played an SG, you might find it slightly daunting at first since the 15th fret seems to be where the 12th used to be.