The "SG"

gball said:
This thread has inspired me to start cleaning up the 1981 one I just got.

full


Needs a new input jack, pickguard and pickup ring screws are basically dust, pickup rings are cracked, truss rod cover screw is loose, tailpiece is scratched, needs a real once-over with Virtuoso, and most important could use a set up. Going to order parts and get started.
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That one is nice.
 
Well, I DON’T hate when this happens. Was checking out at Reverb buying the SG, and while in the checkout line I thought; I wonder if those zebra wood PRS SEs I saw at NAMM in Feb we’re on sale yet. So I leave the cart and do a quick search. When I returned this bad boy had jumped into my cart. :LOL: It arrived today. The book matching is stunning.

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Don O said:
Well, I DON’T hate when this happens. Was checking out at Reverb buying the SG, and while in the checkout line I thought; I wonder if those zebra wood PRS SEs I saw at NAMM in Feb we’re on sale yet. So I leave the cart and do a quick search. When I returned this bad boy had jumped into my cart. :LOL: It arrived today. The book matching is stunning.

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That is stunning!!!!!! Nice choice!
 
what a great thread... now I want to hear a complete review of this guitar.
I have been drooling over this thread all along. I'd love to have one of these.

This is your first SG, right? So I want to know how well it fits your style,
and I want to know whether you consider this guitar for certain songs, and what those are.

I want to know what the retro p'ups sound like to you, through your preferred signal
chain. Compare and contrast to other more modernistic guitars you play.

I want to know what they sound like when played clean, and how well they push
a tube amp toward breakup without any pedals, and which amp you use.

I want to know how heavy this walnut bird is... and how well it balances. Neck dive?

I want to know if you got the neck straight, and if the frets protrude, and if you were able
to intonate properly with the aulde harmonica bridge.

I want to know what strings you put on, and if you tune to standard or what...

Your pictures are great... let's see some more.
 
Col Mustard said:
what a great thread... now I want to hear a complete review of this guitar.
I have been drooling over this thread all along. I'd love to have one of these.

This is your first SG, right? So I want to know how well it fits your style,
and I want to know whether you consider this guitar for certain songs, and what those are.

I want to know what the retro p'ups sound like to you, through your preferred signal
chain. Compare and contrast to other more modernistic guitars you play.

I want to know what they sound like when played clean, and how well they push
a tube amp toward breakup without any pedals, and which amp you use.

I want to know how heavy this walnut bird is... and how well it balances. Neck dive?

I want to know if you got the neck straight, and if the frets protrude, and if you were able
to intonate properly with the aulde harmonica bridge.

I want to know what strings you put on, and if you tune to standard or what...

Your pictures are great... let's see some more.
Click to expand...

Col, just got back from 2 weeks in Hawaii. I’ll work on some responses this weekend. I haven’t played a guitar in 2 weeks ! Thanks for asking.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
Too early for the Shaws....wrong ink stamp....and bobbin holes. T-Top and Velvet Brick(the zebra).
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Robert Herndon said:
Looks like a set of Tim Shaw's...
Click to expand...

I do not think the Zebra Pup is a Velvet Brick for a few reasons.
First is it has a T on the Black Bobbin. I am leaning toward it really being a Zebra T Top.

Next, there is this info on the Gibson Pickup database.

Gibson Pickup Database

Gibson Pickup Database


Pickup/ Impedance/ Magnet/ Introduced/ Discontinued/ BasePlates/ Models used on

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gibson PAF/ ~ 7.2 - 9.0 K/ (Al 2/3/5)/ 1955/ 1962/ 0, 1 / 1, 2
Gibson PAT NR / ~ 7.5 - 8.3 K/ xxxxxxxxx/ 1962/ 1965/ 2/ xxx/ xxx
Gibson TTops / xxxxxx/ xxxxxxxxx/ 1965/ 1980/ xx/ xxx/ xxx
Gibson Tim Shaw/ ~7.3-7.5 K/ xxxxxxxxx/ 1980/ 1988/ xx/ xxx/ 4

Gibson MiniHB / ~ 6.0 - 6.4 K/ (Al2)/ xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxxx

Gibson Dirty Fingers / ~ 16.0 -16.6 K/ (2xCe) xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx

Gibson HB-R/ ~ 7.06 - 9.13 K / (Al5)/ 1988/ 1990/ 6/ xxx
Gibson HB-L /~ 13.39 - 15.3 K/ (Al5)/ 1988/ 1990/ 6/ xxx

Gibson '57 Classic / ~ 7.44 - 8.5 K / (Al2) / xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson '57 ClassicPlus/ ~ 8.78 - 13.8 K (Al2)/ xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx

Gibson 490R /~ 7.2 - 8.11 K/ (Al2)/ 1990/ ongoing/ 0,3, 4/ 1, 2, 4, 7
Gibson 490T /~ 7.9 - 8.53 K/ (Al2)/ 1990/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson 496R /~ 8.3 - 8.63 K/ (Ce)/ 1990/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson 498T/~12.32 - 13.64 K/ (Al5)/ 1990/ ongoing/ 0, 3, 4/ 1, 2, 4, 7
Gibson 500T ~ 14 – 15 K / (Ce)/ 1990/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx

Gibson BB Pro / ~ 7.4 K / (Al5, potted)/xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson BB Pro / ~ 8.0 K / (Al5, potted)/ xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson BB 1 / ~ 7.5 K / (Al2) / xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson BB 2 / ~ 8.0 - 8.4 K/ (Al2)/ xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson BB 3 / ~ 8.2 - 8.8 K / (Al2) / xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx

Gibson P-90R / ~ 7.7 - 8.5 K/ (Al5) / xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx
Gibson P-90T / ~ 7.8 - 9.35 K/ (Al5)/ xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx
Gibson P-100R / ~ 6.1 K / (Al5) / xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx
Gibson P-100T / ~9.4 - 16.0 K/ (Al5)/ xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx
Gibson P-94R / ~ 8.1 K / (Al5) / xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx
Gibson P-94T / ~ 9.1 K / (Al5)/ xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx

Gibson Velvet Bricks / ~13 K / (Ce?)/ 1979?/ 1983?/ xx/ xxx
(made by Schaller)

Baseplate: 0= unmarked, 1= patend applied for decal, 2= patent number decal, 3= patent embossed, 4= gibson usa embossed,
5= pafdecal,datesticker, 6= pcb-back

Models used on: 1= custom, 2= standard, 3= classic, 4= studio, 5= junior, 6= special, 7= doublecut

x= no value yet


Velvet Brick Pickups
These came stock in the Sonex 180 and the Gibson "The SG" made between the years of 1979 - 1983. Often overlooked and forgotten it is now hard to find info on these pickups because everyone confuses them with the Dirty Fingers. They are similar Zebra black and Cream open coil humbuckers with screw pole pieces onthe balck side and flat pole pieces on the Cram - but the clearest difference is that they have 3 adjustable mounting screws - two on one side and one on the other. they are also made in Germany - not the USA. I read an article once with Willem Lorenz aka Bill Lawrence that said while he was working for Gibson he had these custom sound to his specs by Schaller in West Germany. They are very Hot pickups but still very toneful. I don't know the exact output but must be at least 13K. Sort of the polar opposite of a PAF - if you like the Dirty Fingers you will love these. they are excellent pickups
 
My understanding, I owned The SG The pickups were designed by Tim Shaw but not wound by him. Tim wanted to use the proper wire but Gibson said no it was $1.00 more a pound
at that time. So Tim did the best he could. They are good sounding pickups around 7.8K
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
I do not think the Zebra Pup is a Velvet Brick for a few reasons.
First is it has a T on the Black Bobbin. I am leaning toward it really being a Zebra T Top.

Next, there is this info on the Gibson Pickup database.

Gibson Pickup Database

Gibson Pickup Database


Pickup/ Impedance/ Magnet/ Introduced/ Discontinued/ BasePlates/ Models used on

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gibson PAF/ ~ 7.2 - 9.0 K/ (Al 2/3/5)/ 1955/ 1962/ 0, 1 / 1, 2
Gibson PAT NR / ~ 7.5 - 8.3 K/ xxxxxxxxx/ 1962/ 1965/ 2/ xxx/ xxx
Gibson TTops / xxxxxx/ xxxxxxxxx/ 1965/ 1980/ xx/ xxx/ xxx
Gibson Tim Shaw/ ~7.3-7.5 K/ xxxxxxxxx/ 1980/ 1988/ xx/ xxx/ 4

Gibson MiniHB / ~ 6.0 - 6.4 K/ (Al2)/ xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxxx

Gibson Dirty Fingers / ~ 16.0 -16.6 K/ (2xCe) xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx

Gibson HB-R/ ~ 7.06 - 9.13 K / (Al5)/ 1988/ 1990/ 6/ xxx
Gibson HB-L /~ 13.39 - 15.3 K/ (Al5)/ 1988/ 1990/ 6/ xxx

Gibson '57 Classic / ~ 7.44 - 8.5 K / (Al2) / xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson '57 ClassicPlus/ ~ 8.78 - 13.8 K (Al2)/ xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx

Gibson 490R /~ 7.2 - 8.11 K/ (Al2)/ 1990/ ongoing/ 0,3, 4/ 1, 2, 4, 7
Gibson 490T /~ 7.9 - 8.53 K/ (Al2)/ 1990/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson 496R /~ 8.3 - 8.63 K/ (Ce)/ 1990/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson 498T/~12.32 - 13.64 K/ (Al5)/ 1990/ ongoing/ 0, 3, 4/ 1, 2, 4, 7
Gibson 500T ~ 14 – 15 K / (Ce)/ 1990/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx

Gibson BB Pro / ~ 7.4 K / (Al5, potted)/xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson BB Pro / ~ 8.0 K / (Al5, potted)/ xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson BB 1 / ~ 7.5 K / (Al2) / xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson BB 2 / ~ 8.0 - 8.4 K/ (Al2)/ xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx
Gibson BB 3 / ~ 8.2 - 8.8 K / (Al2) / xxxx/ ongoing/ xx/ xxx

Gibson P-90R / ~ 7.7 - 8.5 K/ (Al5) / xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx
Gibson P-90T / ~ 7.8 - 9.35 K/ (Al5)/ xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx
Gibson P-100R / ~ 6.1 K / (Al5) / xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx
Gibson P-100T / ~9.4 - 16.0 K/ (Al5)/ xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx
Gibson P-94R / ~ 8.1 K / (Al5) / xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx
Gibson P-94T / ~ 9.1 K / (Al5)/ xxxx/ xxxx/ xx/ xxx

Gibson Velvet Bricks / ~13 K / (Ce?)/ 1979?/ 1983?/ xx/ xxx
(made by Schaller)

Baseplate: 0= unmarked, 1= patend applied for decal, 2= patent number decal, 3= patent embossed, 4= gibson usa embossed,
5= pafdecal,datesticker, 6= pcb-back

Models used on: 1= custom, 2= standard, 3= classic, 4= studio, 5= junior, 6= special, 7= doublecut

x= no value yet


Velvet Brick Pickups
These came stock in the Sonex 180 and the Gibson "The SG" made between the years of 1979 - 1983. Often overlooked and forgotten it is now hard to find info on these pickups because everyone confuses them with the Dirty Fingers. They are similar Zebra black and Cream open coil humbuckers with screw pole pieces onthe balck side and flat pole pieces on the Cram - but the clearest difference is that they have 3 adjustable mounting screws - two on one side and one on the other. they are also made in Germany - not the USA. I read an article once with Willem Lorenz aka Bill Lawrence that said while he was working for Gibson he had these custom sound to his specs by Schaller in West Germany. They are very Hot pickups but still very toneful. I don't know the exact output but must be at least 13K. Sort of the polar opposite of a PAF - if you like the Dirty Fingers you will love these. they are excellent pickups
Click to expand...


Chilli, thanks for the info. I like gathering all the data I can about these older models.
 
I’ve always read that the “super humbuckers”, used in the bridge, referred to as also being known as the “velvet brick” pickups.
83A0CD5D-4A45-47E8-AA21-40EE8FC9C988.png
But hey, whatever. “Super Humbucking pickup” it is. Hot wound T-top is how I’ve always known it anyway.
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In the Tony Bacon book they talk about Shaw's return to Gibson, and how they had him working on Les Pauls, Vs, Modernes, and mostly top tier stuff for the first few years. He became involved with pickups for SGs in 1986, with the 62 reissues.
 
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