“Gibson would have been aware of the popularity of Fender vibratos and maybe considered Bigsbys to be too expensive or too closely associated with Gretsch. Either way, the company devised its own”: What this Golden Era ’63 SG tells us about Gibson design

1963 Gibson SG.

Although not as outlandish as the Explorer and Flying V, the SG’s pointy horns and sharp body contours were nevertheless radical for the era and it continues to divide opinions decades after its debut at the July 1961 NAMM Show in Chicago.

When analysing many of Gibson’s late 1950s and early ’60s designs, it’s often helpful to consider them in the context of the competition the company faced from Fender.