Up for sale, a 1963 Gibson SG Custom in excellent condition and in perfect working order. A true holy grail instrument in every sense, this SG combines the inherent warmth and power of a solid mahogany body with the attack and articulation of an ebony fretboard for an ideal tonal pairing. The guitar is dynamic and soulful, and when you strike a chord the entire instrument responds with a lively spank and rumble. As per spec for early’63, the pickups consist of three original hand-wound humbuckers, one still retaining the PAF sticker, while the other two have early patent number stickers on the baseplates. The results are astounding, with incredible bark and sweet, glassy articulation in the down position, contrasting with a thick, throaty howl when all the humbuckers are engaged. The guitar weighs in at 7lbs 14oz and balances well on a strap. Currently setup with 10-46 strings, the guitar is dialed in for optimal action and intonation. The neck has a c. Lassic slender C profile that increases modestly in depth and shoulder as you move up the board. The bound ebony fretboard retains the original frets, and these are the very last of Gibson’s notably slender “banjo” frets. These frets show evidence of sparingly little use with. Faint, uniform wear on the crowns of frets 1-3, extending beneath the plain strings until fret 5, with virtually no wear further up the board. The headstock has all the hallmarks of Gibson’s top tier model, with multi-ply binding, split diamond inlay, and original nickel “waffleback” tuners. These tuners turn smoothly and hold pitch well, and while the D tuner’s arm has a slight bend, it still works as intended. This guitar has had an all too common headstock repair, and this one notable variable is what keeps this SG well under the 20k++ range it would otherwise command. The repair was well done long ago, with no evidence of overspray at the headstock joint. The joint is structurally sound and smooth to the touch, with the conventional wisdom being that a proper repair is inherently stronger than the original joint. On the wiring harness, the original CentraLab pots are all intact, dating back to the 40th week of 1961. The original output jack and a couple other wires (removed when the guitar was reconfigured for its current setup on the three-way switch) are included in the case. All of the original plastic parts are present including the amber switch tip, black spacer, multi-ply white pickguard, and reflector cap knobs. The writing has worn off the caps of the knobs, and on the pickguard, there is a light ghosting of a couple stickers which were removed long ago. Produced early in the year after Les Paul’s endorsement ended, the newly christened SG Custom model benefitted greatly by the introduction of the long frame Maestro Lyre Vibrola, which replaced the much maligned Sideways vibrato seen on most pre-63 models. The Lyre is a very elegant piece of hardware, actuating effortlessly for dives and trills and jumping back to the original pitch with ease. This vibrato works in concert with the original ABR-1 bridge. In terms of cosmetic wear, the face of the guitar is very clean, with faint horizontal lacquer checking and a few inconsequential tiny nicks. There is modest fading of the Cherry on the top of the guitar, although the lacquer is still quite vibrant and glossy with plenty of saturation. The back of the guitar has an even more vibrant Cherry appearance, due in part to some sort of protective covering which was on the back of the guitar and subsequently removed. There is a light halo of prominent lacquer checking around where this mystery material was attached and a bit of cable worming in the nitro as well. The finish is 100% original with no signs up touchup or overspray and it lights properly when scrutinized under blacklight. The neck profile is smooth and glossy with only a couple very shallow marks, and there is modest, expected patina on the original nickel hardware. With a custom color Cherry finish, original PAF and patent sticker pickups, and a long frame Lyre vibrola, this SG Custom is a truly unique instrument and as much a perfect studio tool as it is a piece of Gibson history. The original small pebble hardshell case is included. The case is clean inside and out with a plush gold interior, Gibson badge on the exterior, original handle, and working latches. Check out our shop “Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar, ” and please let us know if we can answer any questions! International orders will be declared as merchandise, and the value of merchandise will be declared as the amount paid. We cannot declare anything as a gift or for a lesser value. The item “1963 Gibson SG Custom Cherry Custom Color Vintage Electric Guitar withohc” is in sale since Monday, January 08, 2018. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Guitars & Basses\Electric Guitars”. The seller is “mmguitarbar” and is located in Seattle, Washington. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Brand: Gibson
- Model: SG Custom
- MPN: Does Not Apply
- Body Type: Solid
- Dexterity: Right-Handed
- String Configuration: 6 String
- Body Color: Cherry
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Model Year: 1963