Guitar of the Week

1961 Gibson SG Les Paul Standard 

In 1961 Gibson introduced the world to the highly successful SG Les Paul Standard model. The SG was made of a scalloped mahogany body with double pointed cutaways and it was equipped with two P.A.F. humbucker pickups. In addition to it's superior design, the SG had a beautiful cherry red finish, a three layer black beveled small pickguard, pearloid trapezoid fingerboard inlays, crown peghead inlay, and nickel plated parts. Several models were introduced with the "Maestro", "Lyre Vibrola" and Bigsby vibrato (tremolo arm) tailpeices throughout the 1960's.

Considered by many guitar aficionados as the single best designed guitar ever built because of its narrow body and long and sleek neck, the SG captured the interest of many great guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Tommy Iommi, Angus Young and Derek Trucks.

The SG was discontinued is 1970 but later replaced in 1971 by the SG Deluxe.

 

Guitar of the Week

1954 Fender Stratocaster

First introduced in March of 1954, the Fender Stratocaster may well be the most popular and copied guitar design ever. Designed with a classic double cutaway body and a very crude sunburst finish, the Stratocaster was made of ash and came with three single coil pickups, a jack angled into the top, a tremolo standard (but available without a tremolo on special order), three knobs (volume, tone, tone), and gold plated parts optional till 1967. It's beautifully crafted neck is made of maple and has black dot position markers and the truss rod is marked with a walnut "skunk stripe" down the back of the neck. Initially the volume and tone pots came in 100k ohms but changed to 250k ohms in late June of 1954; it should be noted that this important upgrade is one of the many important technical features that create it's rich, creamy,  legendary tone.

Their are a number of great guitarists who play the Stratocaster such as Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Holly, and the list continues.

Guitar of the Week

  Gibson Flying V Electric Solidbody


I can still vividly remember the first time I saw a Flying V at a nearby music store in my hometown of Hudson, New Hampshire. It was love at first sight. My affinity for it was not for its playability but for the visual pleasure it conveyed to me. It was cool, hardcore, and my favorite artists like Jimmy Hendrix, Albert King, Kirk Hammett, Kim Simmonds, and Rick Nielsen all played the "V" at some point in their careers.

First introduced in 1958, the Flying V had a Korina (African Limba wood) body with a natural finish, two P.A.F. humbucker pickups, with strings anchored through the body (V-shaped plate guides the strings), with a white or black pickguard, triangular peghead with a rounded top, and finished with gold plated parts. It's reported that only two batches of forty instruments (80 total) were made in 1958.

Unfortunately, in 1963 the Flying V was discontinued, but was later re-introduced in a different form in 1966. Then in 1981 to 1984 the 1958 model was reissued as the Heritage (I first saw it in 1982). The success of the "V" still continues today as guitarists worldwide are attracted to it's many qualities.

Guitar of the Week

 

Fender Esquire

Introduced in June of 1950 (but available earlier} as Fender's first electric solid-body, the Esquire was equipped with one or two pickups (one pickup was introduced first), a black pine body, a white pickguard, and steel bridge saddles. The Esquire had the standard "Telecaster" body shape (1.5" thick) that initially came with a laminated finish but later changed to butterscotch blond on a solid ash body and a black pickguard. Soon after its introduction, Fender decided to add two pickups and it became more commonly known as the "Double Esquire." 

It's reported that sixty 1950 Esquires were shipped. The Esquire only lasted in it's original form until the Broadcaster replaced it in October of 1950. However, the Esquire was re-introduced in January of 1951 as a one pickup version of the Broadcaster, with a truss rod and brass bridge saddles.

The Esquire is one of the most influential guitars ever introduced. It's tone is out of this world!

Les Paul TV Model Electric Solidbody

 

The "TV" model is essentially a Les Paul Junior with a yellowish/beige translucent finish. This model was created because on a black and white TV screen, the Les Paul Junior model in sunburst looked very dark and difficult to see. The lightness of the TV finish made the guitar stand out on the screen. This model follows the same basic specs as the Les Paul Junior model with only the color and peghead designation is different. The TV model was sold with a single P-90 pickup to give  it's small body a robust tone. The first year or so of production, the Les Paul TV model was 3/4 scale and used a maple body. By 1955 the model changed to full scale but still retained the maple body. By 1956 the body was mahogany and full scale. The late 1955 full scale mahogany version is the most desirable as the sound is much fuller with a long scale and mahogany body.