Gibson VINTAGE SG Special '64 Humbucking Pickup Conversion Cherry

The "Les Paul Model," a signature model for guitarist Les Paul released in 1952, underwent significant specification changes in the early 1960s following the end of his contract. This marked the beginning of the history of the Solid Guitar "SG" series.

This particular guitar is a late 1964 model with a 14-degree headstock angle and wide neck. It features a wrap-around tailpiece without a tremolo unit. This would be ideal for players who have converted their guitars from P-90 single-coil pickups to humbuckers.

【body】
The total weight is approximately 2.95g. The body is made of mahogany. It has now been converted to a two-humbucker setup, with the addition of pickup rings and a corresponding change in the shape of the pickguard. The cherry color retains a relatively reddish tint, and the entire guitar has been over-lacquered to repair scratches around the pickups and output jack. Currently, it shows signs of use commensurate with its age, such as weather checking, belt buckle marks, minor dents, and wear and tarnishing of the parts, giving it a vintage guitar feel while being in relatively good condition. The bridge has been replaced with a non-Gibson wraparound style bridge. Other parts such as the control knobs, switch knobs, and switch rings have also been replaced.

【neck】
The neck is made of a single piece of mahogany. The fingerboard is made of beautiful rosewood. Like the body, the back of the neck has been over-lacquered, but there is no severe damage and the serial number remains clearly visible. There is some weather checking, dents and paint chipping commensurate with its age, and slight tarnishing on the metal parts, but like the body, it has the feel of a vintage guitar while being in relatively good condition. The tuners have been replaced with Grover 102C tuners, and they function properly with consistent tension. The frets are generally low, but there are no extreme areas of wear, and playability is good. The nut width is a wide pitch of 43.0mm. It features a wide and thin neck shape.

[Electrical System]
The controls are the familiar Les Paul/SG series setup: 3-way pickup selector, front position volume, front position tone, rear position volume, and rear position tone. The pickups have been converted from P-90s to Freedom CGR (Freedom Custom Guitar Research) "FPU-HYB-01 Hybrid Humbucker". Other control parts, including potentiometers dated 1964, are original parts from that era.

Based on the rich, full-bodied tone in the mid-to-high frequencies characteristic of high-quality mahogany, this guitar boasts the rich sound pressure and crisp separation typical of humbuckers. In clean sounds, it delivers a very clear and focused tone, while in overdrive, it features a pleasant bite and a powerful, sustained sound. Combined with the light response and excellent handling characteristic of SG models, it will excel in a wide range of genres, including blues rock and classic rock.

Accessories: Replacement Gibson gold molded hard case

Weight: 2.95kg
Body Material: Mahogany 1 piece
Neck Material/Scale Length: Mahogany 1 piece/624mm (24-3/4inch)
Bridge/Tail: wrap around style, Nickel (replaced)
Fingerboard/Fret Marker/Radius: Rosewood/Pearloid dot/254.0mm (10inch)
Nut Width/Fret Width: 43.0mm/2.7mm, 22F
Neck Thickness (1F/7F/12F): 19.6mm/22.7mm/25.0mm
Pickup (Neck/Bridge): Replaced, FreedomCGR FPU-HYB-01 Hybrid Humbucker w/Nickel Cover/(10.5kΩ/10.8kΩ)
*The DC resistance value of the pickup is measured after passing through the control section.

Heartman Vintage Guitars is a specialty store for vintage guitars and basses operated by Ikebe Musical Instruments.