To many vintage guitar fans, it seems inconceivable that Gibson dumped
the Sunburst Les Paul in 1960 and, during the following year, introduced
a completely new design, the one that we know now as the SG (solid
guitar). At the time, however, it made good business sense. Sales of the
Les Paul were faltering, and Gibson decided to blow a breath of fresh
air through its solidbody electric guitar line. The company described
the result as an ultra-thin, hand-contoured, double-cutaway body. The
modernistic amalgam of bevels and points and angles was a radical
departure, and this new book tells the story of all the SG models that
followed: the Junior, Special, Standard, Custom, and more. There are
interviews with and stories about Gibson personnel through the years,
and all the major SG players, including Pete Townshend, Frank Zappa,
Eric Clapton, Angus Young, George Harrison, Gary Rossington, Tony Iommi,
and Derek Trucks. In the tradition of Tony Bacon's bestselling series of
guitar books, The SG Guitar Book is three great volumes in one package:
a collection of drool-worthy pictures of the coolest guitars; a gripping
story from the earliest prototypes to the latest exploits; and a
detailed collector's database of every production SG model ever made.