Dr. Von Zuko's Guitar Museum

Cool Rock n' Roll Guitars from the 1960's Forward

Gibson Guitars

1963 Gibson Les Paul SG Jr. A vintage piece of Rock and Roll History! Extremely rare only 377 made in 1963 in white nitrocellulose finish Absolutely pristine, 100% original condition, in white. Guitar Collector Market Values: - 100% original pristine condition   $10,000 to $15,000 - 100% original excellent condition   $ 5,500 to $ 8,500 - 100% original very good   $ 2,500 to $3,500	A Brief History of the Gibson SG In 1954 Gibson Guitars introduced a new version of its venerable electric solid body Les Paul guitar. Dubbed the Les Paul Junior it was offered as a lower cost student guitar.  The Les Paul Junior was a pretty basic slab body design with a standard sunburst finish and featuring one P-90 pickup with a simple wrap around stop tail piece.  The Les Paul Jr also featured Kluson 3x3 strip tuners and a simple dot inlayed finger board. With the growing popularity of TV, Gibson introduced an alternative finish called "TV Yellow" which essentially appeared as a soft white without washing out as complete glare on early black and white television.    In 1958 Gibson introduced a new Les Paul Jr model with a double cut away body style.  It retained the slab body style and the single P-90 pickup. In 1961, Gibson redesigned the Les Paul Junior again, this time with a thinner, lighter weight body featuring 2 sharp (but sculpted) cutaway horns that make the upper frets more accessible.  This body style featured a total body sculpting that gave the guitar very fluid lines and a bit more sex appeal! This new guitar design proved to be quite popular and Gibson gained a whole new group of advocates, especially in the ranks of the Rock guitarists.  The guitars namesake however, (the renowned guitarist Les Paul) didn't like the new design and asked to have his name removed from the guitar.  Gibson renamed the model the "SG" which designated "solid guitar." Although Les Paul's name was officially removed from the SG model in 1961, the plastic Les Paul nameplates (positioned between the rhythm pickup and fingerboard) were in abundance in the Gibson factory and SG models having these nameplates were built and sold by Gibson up to end of 1963. Since its initial market release in 1961, the Gibson SG has gained huge popularity among guitarists of all levels and professional, world-class artists around the world. The likes of Pete Townsend (who likely has smashed more SGs then anyone in the known universe) Frank Zappa, Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi, Angus Young, and many others.   1967 Gibson SG Jr. 1967 Gibson SG Jr. Body : Mahogany Neck : Mahogany Fingerboard : 22 Fret Rosewood Scale : 24 3/4" Inlays: Pearloid Dot Tuner : Kluson Deluxe Pickups : P-90 Pickguard :"Bat Wing" Revealed Edge Controls : 1-Volume 1-Tone Bridge : TPBR-8513 Viblora Finish Colors: Transparent Cherry Guitar Collector Market Values: - 100% original pristine condition   $2,500 to $3,000 - 100% original excellent condition   $ 1,800 to $ 2,200 - 100% original very good   $ 1,000 to $1,600
1965 Gibson SG Jr. 1965 Gibson SG Jr. Body : Mahogany Neck : Mahogany Fingerboard : 22 Fret Rosewood Scale : 24 3/4" Inlays: Pearloid Dot Tuner : Kluson Deluxe Pickups : P-90 Pickguard : Black Revealed Edge Controls : 1-Volume 1-Tone Bridge : TPBR-8513 Viblora Finish Colors: Transparent Red Guitar Collector Market Values: - 100% original pristine condition   $3,500 to $4,500 - 100% original excellent condition   $ 2,200 to $ 3,000 - 100% original very good   $ 1,200 to $1,800   1956 Gibson Les Paul Jr. 1956 Gibson Les Paul Jr. Body : Slab Mahogany Neck : Mahogany Fingerboard : 22 Fret Rosewood Scale : 24 3/4" Inlays: Pearloid Dot Tuner : Kluson Pickups : P-90 Pickguard : Controls : 1-Volume 1-Tone Bridge : Hard Tail Finish Colors: Sunbuurst Guitar Collector Market Values: - 100% original pristine condition   $8,500 to $10,000 - 100% original excellent condition   $ 6,800 to $ 8,200 - 100% original very good   $ 3,000 to $5,600
My First Rig in 1964
It was 1964 right on the heels of my 16th Birthday when my dad walked in with this sweet, sweet 1964 Gibson SG Jr.  and a lightly used 15 watt Fender Princeton amp.  Initially I was completely 'stoked' beyond belief, what a cool dad he was! Well, after a few lessons and hours upon hours spent with my 45 RPM record player (yes there was life before CDs and MP3) I decided I played well enough to form a band. I think we called that first band; The Nomads, or was it The Henchmen, or maybe The Dogs, or was it really Mike and the Mustangs?  Well, whatever it was I know we had all of those names within the course of just 18 months. Now, because I was 16 I believed that we all played really well . . . especially me!  And because I was now a 17 year old, I really did know EVERYTHING!  So of course I knew my "pristine Gibson SG Jr" was lame!  After all . . . it only had one pickup and no vibrola.  And my cherry Fender Princeton was a shrimp! How could my dad be so un-cool to buy this stuff?  So . . . in my infinite brilliance (that we all have at 17) I traded my "pristine (all ready a collectible) Gibson SG Jr" away for a piece of garbage 1970's something, Japanese slab of wood that they cleverly marketed as a guitar!	1964 Gibson SG Jr.
But heck . . . it was cool!  It had three plastic shrouded pickups, a Fender looking headstock, a zillion knobs and switches and most importantly it had a whammy bar!  In retrospect . . . It's the one time in my life I whish my big burly street cop of a dad would have kick my axx! It took me a long, long time to get an identical one back.	1964 SG Jr in white nitrocellulose finish Absolutely pristine, beautiful player. 100% original condition, in white. Guitar Collector Market Values: - 100% original pristine condition   $10,000 to $12,000 - 100% original excellent condition   $ 5,500 to $ 8,500 - 100% original very good   $ 2,500 to $3,500

Articles by: Von Zuko, all page content copyright 2008©     

Guitar Museum Index:

• Gibson SG Jr Guitar Gallery

• Electra Super Rock Guitar Gallery

• Fender Guitar Gallery
   

• 1956 Gibson Les Paul Jr.

• 1963 Gibson Les Paul SG Jr.

• 1964 Gibson SG Jr.

• 1965 Gibson SG Jr.

• 1967 Gibson SG Jr.

• Vintage Guitar Buying Tips for eBay

• Restoring a 1967 Gibson SG Jr.
   

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Vintage Guitar Buying Tips for the eBay Bidder! I have purchased a significant number of vintage and non-vintage guitars through online auctions, while most represented good win-win deals, a few were not so good.   Over time, I've learned a few very important and valuable lessons . . . some of these lessons may seem like common sense, but at times it easy to get caught up in the bidding fever and lose sight of logic.  How do you avoid being burned on your next vintage guitar purchase?  Here are a few guitar buying insights. 1.) If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.  There are fewer fools out there than you may think . . . most sellers know EXACTLY what they are selling! It is almost certain that you 'are not' going to be able to buy a $12,000 vintage guitar for $400 from some naiveté seller. 2.) If their description is vague . . . it is likely intended to cause you to believe they just don't know what a great guitar they are selling away. 3.) If the sellers photos are fuzzy . . . it is also very likely intentional.  What are they trying to hide? Finish flaws, damage, rust? 4.) No photographs of key guitar features . . like the headstock or neck joint.  Again, this is usually intentional. I once bought a "vintage 60's Gibson SG Jr." for what seemed like a fair price.  The SG Jr. was presented with photos of the body (front and back), neck joint, and even the serial number on the back of the headstock. The seller however, did not mention nor did he include a photograph of the face of the headstock . . . which was missing the all important Gibson logo.  My lesson, never assume anything! 5.) Never assume anything . . . if you can't see it, then you simply don't know what you'll be getting with the guitar. I once purchased a vintage guitar that had deep ruts in the fretboard and frets.  The seller of course did refer to this . . . but as "light play wear."  There were no close up photos of the fingerboard.  6.) Ask questions . . . Are they the guitar's original owner? Are 'all parts' original or replica parts? Do all the electronics (pots & pickups) work? Have any body or neck repairs been made? Are there extra holes drilled in the guitar? Is the serial number completely visible? Ask any and all questions you may have! 7.) Ask for more photos . . . If you're going to plunk down several hundred or several thousand dollars, the seller should be more then happy to respond to serious buyers. 8.) If the seller is reluctant to; answer your questions directly . . . or reluctant provide more photos of key areas of the guitar . . . If so then RUN, let someone else be that seller's sucker. 9.) Check out the sellers ratings as a seller! What do others who have purchased items from them have to say about the experience?  (If most of their feedback is as a buyer . . . don't assume they are also a good seller! I try to do business with "sellers" who have at least several dozen higher dollar sales under their belt (preferably guitars).  I also look for 99.5 to 100% satisfaction ratings.    10.) The most important tip of all . . . do run through a check list of all of the above tips and suggestions BEFORE you place a bid. There are great vintage guitar buys out there, just be an informed and cautious buyer.  Good guitar hunting!
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