Gibson SG Junior Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965)
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Item # 11846
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Gibson SG Junior Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 222832, cherry lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, molded plastic hard shell case.
This is a well used but great playing SG Junior, a super light and sleek instrument that distills the essence of Gibson's 1960's sculpted solidbody aesthetic down to the minimum. Fittings on the Junior are no frills in the extreme, with a single P-90 pickup, solid bar bridge and endless neck to play on. While classed originally as a student instrument SG Juniors have been a prime choice for many professional players for decades, especially in the hard rock zone.
This is a something of a transitional cherry SG Junior; according to the serial number it was built in 1964, but the C-profile neck has the slimmer 1 5/8" nut width generally thought to have first appeared in 1965. The neck is chunkier and somewhat flatter feeling than the 1965-9 era "skinnies" and set into the older style squared heel joint. We have found the transition of this particular feature to be inexact at best; the re-styled Epiphone solidbodies built in 1964 all have the slimmer nut and this is not the first SG from the year we have had with this feel. Later in the '60s many Gibsons inexplicably had nuts as tiny as 1 1/2" across.
This guitar features one very hot "dogear" plastic covered P-90 positioned close to the solid stud-mounted bridge, both standard fittings Gibson used throughout the '60s. The small 3-ply pickguard with the solidly body-mounted pickup are the expected 1964 spec. The original Kluson tuners have "single line" casings, also an indicator of 1964 or earlier, as is the nickel stop tailpiece. There is no vibrato, which became increasingly rare in the mid-60s; although the Vibrola was an extra-cost item. You needed a whammy to play many hits of the day so "stoptail" Juniors became less popular in this just post-surf period than they would be later on.
A grand total of 3364 of these were shipped out in 1964 at a list price of $165 (plus case) just as the guitar boom was about to peak. By late 1965 all SG's were modified with a large center body rout covered by an expanded pickguard allowing bodies in stock to be assembled into any SG or Melody Maker model and this original style disappeared for a while. This "genuine relic" Junior is a little screamer of a guitar, a fantastic and super handy rock machine but also more versatile in operation than many think (Just ask Chris Spedding!)
Overall length is 39 1/2 in. (100.3 cm.), 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a very solid player's guitar showing some general wear but no structural damage or major repair. The original cherry finish has less fade than some and retains a very strong color overall. The lacquer shows checking and numerous dings, dents and chips over the entire instrument. There is finish worn off the body edges, mostly on the bottom rim. The top shows some marks into the wood above the strings and a number of small dings and dents. The back had one spot of buckle wear below the strap pin that was lightly touched up, as have a few spots on the headstock edges. Other than that the finish is all original. The back of the neck has some fade and rub wear but only fairly minor dings.
The body just below the control cavity has a small apparent crack that did not penetrate to the cavity itself; there are no other visible structural repairs. All hardware is original except the pots and jack were replaced at some point (the pots are 1970s) while the rip-roaring P-90 pickup remains original. The pickguard has shrunk up a bit but has no splits or popped-off tips. The frets original, crowned down a bit; the nut is newer. The neck angle is better than many and the lack of a vibrato is a definite asset for the more rock-oriented player. This guitar plays great with a bright ringing sound even unplugged; when paired with a lively amp it really comes to life. It is housed in a later molded plastic HSC. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This is a well used but great playing SG Junior, a super light and sleek instrument that distills the essence of Gibson's 1960's sculpted solidbody aesthetic down to the minimum. Fittings on the Junior are no frills in the extreme, with a single P-90 pickup, solid bar bridge and endless neck to play on. While classed originally as a student instrument SG Juniors have been a prime choice for many professional players for decades, especially in the hard rock zone.
This is a something of a transitional cherry SG Junior; according to the serial number it was built in 1964, but the C-profile neck has the slimmer 1 5/8" nut width generally thought to have first appeared in 1965. The neck is chunkier and somewhat flatter feeling than the 1965-9 era "skinnies" and set into the older style squared heel joint. We have found the transition of this particular feature to be inexact at best; the re-styled Epiphone solidbodies built in 1964 all have the slimmer nut and this is not the first SG from the year we have had with this feel. Later in the '60s many Gibsons inexplicably had nuts as tiny as 1 1/2" across.
This guitar features one very hot "dogear" plastic covered P-90 positioned close to the solid stud-mounted bridge, both standard fittings Gibson used throughout the '60s. The small 3-ply pickguard with the solidly body-mounted pickup are the expected 1964 spec. The original Kluson tuners have "single line" casings, also an indicator of 1964 or earlier, as is the nickel stop tailpiece. There is no vibrato, which became increasingly rare in the mid-60s; although the Vibrola was an extra-cost item. You needed a whammy to play many hits of the day so "stoptail" Juniors became less popular in this just post-surf period than they would be later on.
A grand total of 3364 of these were shipped out in 1964 at a list price of $165 (plus case) just as the guitar boom was about to peak. By late 1965 all SG's were modified with a large center body rout covered by an expanded pickguard allowing bodies in stock to be assembled into any SG or Melody Maker model and this original style disappeared for a while. This "genuine relic" Junior is a little screamer of a guitar, a fantastic and super handy rock machine but also more versatile in operation than many think (Just ask Chris Spedding!)
Overall length is 39 1/2 in. (100.3 cm.), 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a very solid player's guitar showing some general wear but no structural damage or major repair. The original cherry finish has less fade than some and retains a very strong color overall. The lacquer shows checking and numerous dings, dents and chips over the entire instrument. There is finish worn off the body edges, mostly on the bottom rim. The top shows some marks into the wood above the strings and a number of small dings and dents. The back had one spot of buckle wear below the strap pin that was lightly touched up, as have a few spots on the headstock edges. Other than that the finish is all original. The back of the neck has some fade and rub wear but only fairly minor dings.
The body just below the control cavity has a small apparent crack that did not penetrate to the cavity itself; there are no other visible structural repairs. All hardware is original except the pots and jack were replaced at some point (the pots are 1970s) while the rip-roaring P-90 pickup remains original. The pickguard has shrunk up a bit but has no splits or popped-off tips. The frets original, crowned down a bit; the nut is newer. The neck angle is better than many and the lack of a vibrato is a definite asset for the more rock-oriented player. This guitar plays great with a bright ringing sound even unplugged; when paired with a lively amp it really comes to life. It is housed in a later molded plastic HSC. Overall Very Good + Condition.