1960 Gibson SG Special

John Shults

Posted on July 16 2021

1960 Gibson SG Special, Les Paul Special

 

This clean vintage 1960 Gibson SG Special, referred to by some as a Les Paul Special, came through the shop a few years ago. It was the cleanest I can ever remember owning and is now sold to a new owner. I'm always looking for vintage Gibson electric guitars but I especially love the Les Paul Special and SG Special models. You can contact me here to sell a Gibson guitar

Get help with Gibson SG guitar dating here: How to date a Gibson SG guitar

If you're looking for more information on your vintage Gibson SG guitar, contact me here at the Vintage Guitar Appraisal page. I'd love to help correctly identify, find the proper date of manufacture, spot any repairs or modifications, and discuss what it could be worth to another guitar player or collector.

Check out a few other vintage Gibson SG Special guitars that have come through the shop:

1961 Gibson SG Special

1962 Gibson SG Special

Gibson's "SG" model name made its debut in mid 1959 with the SG Special. It was the exact same guitar as the Les Paul Special utilizing the double cutaway LP body but devoid of the "Les Paul" signature on the headstock and a pearl inlaid Gibson logo instead of the silk screen. The model remained unchanged except for a slight tweak of the neck pickup position for increased neck stability. The double cutaway/LP body style was discontinued in 1961 in favor of the SG body style as we know it today.

This 1960 Gibson SG Special in museum grade condition comes from the cousin of the original owner. We're told that Lynda purchased this guitar new and played it sparingly. She passed a few years ago and the instrument had no surviving guitar players to pass to so it was offered for sale. It's in 100% original condition with only replaced strings. It retains the original Gibson logo chipboard case, hang tag with "SG Special Red" model designation, 1/4" cable, and original Gibson string tag. It's in good playing condition and is likely one of the cleanest in existence. 

Dating this Gibson SG Special to 1960 is easy if you have the right information. The serial number is ink stamped on the back of the headstock instead of impressed like later guitars. The prefix "0" indicates that it was made in 1960. If this serial number was impressed instead of ink stamp, that would indicate that it was made in 1967. You can check out more information dating vintage Gibson electric guitars here: How to date a Gibson Les Paul guitar

 

1960 Gibson SG Special vintage electric guitar

Gibson SG Special vintage electric guitar

 

1960 Gibson SG Special headstock

 

 

Vintage Gibson SG Special in original chipboard case

Gibson SG Special guitar 1960

Control cavity, potentiometers, vintage 1960 Gibson SG Special

More Posts

1 comment

  • Tommy Bowling: October 05, 2021

    Absolutely beautiful ❤️

Leave a comment

All blog comments are checked prior to publishing