The Gibson SG made its debut in 1961. In an interesting turn of events, this coincided with a hiatus in the production of the Les Paul, which had been a staple of Gibson’s lineup since its introduction nine years earlier. The new SG design certainly turned heads with its radical body contours and distinctive “devil horns,” but here’s the kicker for trivia buffs: it bore Les Paul’s name engraved on the truss rod plate. This was a whole new instrument, however, and it would eventually be re-badged the SG (which, rather intuitively, stood for “solid guitar”) for the ’64 model year. The SG would go on to rock greatness, with vintage models (particularly the ’61) commanding lofty prices in today’s used market. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to own one of these legendary solidbody electric guitars. Crafted in collaboration with the Gibson Custom Shop, the Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard delivers the tone, playability, and looks of this coveted classic at a price any guitarist can afford. Complete with a luscious, vintage-inspired finish, fine appointments, and a vintage-style hardshell case, the Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard is must-have for all SG fans.

Packed with performance and historically inspired details

The Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard features a sleek, 2-piece solid mahogany, double-cutaway body with exhaustively researched Custom Shop Historic beveling. It’s fitted with the famously wicked-fast SlimTaper SG 1-piece mahogany neck capped by an Indian laurel fingerboard with single-ply cream binding and iconic pearloid Trapezoid inlays. It bears a historically inspired long pickguard, an Epiphone LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge with a Stop Bar tailpiece, and Epiphone Deluxe tuners with a double-ring design. In the electronics department, a pair of Gibson BurstBucker pickups and premium parts serve up the sound that helped launch a rock revolution.

Epic tone from BurstBucker pickups

For colossal tone, the Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard is spec’d with genuine Gibson BurstBucker pickups. A top choice among guitarists here at Music Experience, BurstBuckers will let you nail chimey country licks as easily as you dial in searing rock overdrive. Catnip for tube amplifiers, the BurstBuckers in the Epiphone ’61 Les Paul SG Standard deliver spot-on tone for everything from warm jazz to dirty blues to scorching fusion, and even metal. With BurstBucker 2 (neck) and BurstBucker 3 (bridge) pickups wired to premium CTS potentiometers and Mallory capacitors, you’ll have a formidable tone arsenal with nearly endless sound-shaping control at your fingertips.

What Epiphone Says...

Made in partnership with the Gibson Custom Shop, this Inspired by Gibson™ model is Epiphone’s impressive recreation of one of the most important and popular guitar designs of all time. The Epiphone 1961 Les Paul™ SG™ Standard pays tribute to the legendary original - the very first SG. In 1961, the original shape of the Les Paul model went on hiatus, replaced by an all-new design that is known today as the SG or “solid guitar.” Featuring a two-piece solid mahogany, double-cutaway body with Custom Shop Historic bevels, it also has the one-piece mahogany, fast-playing SlimTaper™ C-shaped neck profile of those legendary early Les Paul SG models. It also has a historically inspired long pickguard and comes equipped with a pair of Gibson™ BurstBucker™ humbucking pickups wired to CTS® potentiometers and Mallory™ capacitors, a Graph Tech® nut, and Switchcraft® output jack and toggle switch. The Epiphone Deluxe tuners feature a historically inspired double ring design. It is available in Aged Sixties Cherry and Aged Classic White. Of course, all of the legendary SG styling and cosmetic touches are here too, and a vintage-style hardshell case is also included.