This 1961 Gibson SG Sounds So Sweet! Mason Stoops Unleashes the Tone

Get enveloped in the sound of a vintage 1961 Gibson SG Standard—released the very same year Gibson president Ted McCarty introduced the model.

1961 Gibson Les Paul SG Typical Specs

• Mahogany, double-cutaway body
• Slim mahogany neck
• Bound rosewood fingerboard
• 22 medium-jumbo frets
• Two PAF humbuckers

Mason Stoops on Why It Says "Les Paul" on the Headstock

“Everyone was into this guitar—except Les Paul. It was originally called a Les Paul because Gibson had a deal with him for having a signature solidbody guitar. After some back and forth, Gibson agreed to take his name off the model and sell it as a brand new guitar.

“Unfortunately, they didn’t have a name for it, and in the Gibson catalog up to that point, it was just marked as the “SG”—which stood for Solid Guitar. That ended up being the name that stuck. So, the ‘Gibson SG’ was where this guitar was going, but at that point in time, it was still technically a Les Paul.”

Continue Your Vintage Gear Expedition

• Check out our Vintage Collection
• Follow Mason Stoops Instagram
• Visit the Guitar Center YouTube Channel
• Learn the History of the Gibson SG
• Experience “More Vintage” in a story about a 1963 Gibson SG Custom