Gibson SG

In 1961, Gibson introduced the SG as a complete redesign of the earlier Les Paul model because sales of the heavy, traditional Les Paul were declining at the time. The new design featured a thinner, lightweight mahogany body with asymmetrical double-cutaway horns to allow players easier access to the higher frets.

SG officially stands for 'Solid Guitar,' a nod to its solid-body construction that distinguished it from Gibson's hollow-body archtops. Interestingly, Gibson initially sold the guitar as the 'Les Paul' from 1961 to 1963, but changed the name to 'SG' after Les Paul requested his name be removed from the new design.

The Gibson SG is famously associated with Angus Young of AC/DC, who plays a standard SG almost exclusively on stage. It was also the primary guitar for Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, whose custom SG helped define the heavy, downtuned sound of heavy metal.

Unlike the Les Paul, which has a pickguard mounted directly onto the guitar's body, the early SG Standard featured a distinctive pickguard that extends all the way underneath the neck pickup. This 'batwing' design, introduced in the mid-1960s, covers the electronic wiring routed into the front of the guitar.