Gibson Angus Young Signature SG Electric Guitar, Ebony - Chrome Hardware

Gibson Angus Young Signature SG Electric Guitar, Ebony - Chrome Hardware Review

Gibson Angus Young Signature SG Electric Guitar, Ebony - Chrome Hardware Feature

• Mahogany neck with 22-fret ebony fingerboard and acrylic "lightning bolt" inlays
• Gibson 57 Classic (neck) and Angus Young (bridge) humbuckers with three-way toggle, independent tone/volume
• Gibson Tune-o-Matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece
• Kluson-style pearloid button tuning machines with 14:1 ratio
• Solid mahogany body with set-neck construction

Classic rock doesn't get much bigger than AC/DC, and no one wallops out the massive, bone-crunching tone like Angus Young on his Gibson SG. Young's incendiary tone has inspired wave after wave of rock guitar heroes, and turned on countless players to the power of his seminal guitar of choice, the SG. Now the Gibson USA Angus Young SG, brings all the tone and playability of this classic double-cutaway made to Young's own specs within reach of the hard-working rock guitarist, giving you all the punch, crunch, and sizzle that Angus achieves with his own treasured instrument.

Solid Mahogany Body

The body of each Gibson USA Angus Young SG is crafted from solid mahogany, just like the original SGs of the '60s. Mahogany is a medium-dense wood with excellent resonance and superior sustain, and it offers a rich, round, warm tone, but with plenty of high-end sheen and good midrange presence This classic tone wood has yielded some of the most sought-after tones in the history of rock.

Equipped with a Gibson 57 Classic humbucking pickup in the neck position and a Gibson Angus Young model humbucker in the bridge.

Gibson Tune-o-Matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece.

Kluson-style tuners with pearloid keystone buttons and an efficient 14:1 gear ratio.

The SG has a thin, flat-topped body that both aids resonance and reduces the weight on the player's shoulder. Its beveled edges offer a timeless appearance, while its dual, slightly offset cutaways yield outstanding access to the neck's upper frets.

Mahogany Neck

The neck of the Gibson USA Angus Young SG is constructed from one piece of solid, quarter-sawn mahogany. It's carved to Angus's own requirements and models the super-slim, yet extremely comfortable profile of his own original '68 SG Standard. It measures 0.775" thick at the 1st fret, and 0.850" thick at the 12th. Like the original SG Standard, the neck of the Gibson USA Angus Young SG is attached at a 4-degree angle.

Headstock Angle

The Gibson USA Angus Young SG headstock is carefully angled at Gibson's traditional 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain.

Ebony Fingerboard

The Gibson USA Angus Young SG is equipped with an ebony fingerboard, which enhances note attack and articulation. A hard, dense, dark-black exotic wood, ebony has commonly been regarded as a deluxe, upgraded option on electric guitars, and has been used by Gibson in the past on the Les Paul Custom. Ebony is also extremely hardwearing, and more resistant to humidity and climate and weather changes than many other fingerboard woods. This fingerboard caries a single-ply antique plastic binding, and sports 22 jumbo frets, all immaculately dressed and polished.

Custom Inlays

For a little extra attitude, the fretboard features acrylic "lightning bolt" position-marker inlays, as a custom appointment requested by Angus himself.

Gibson Humbuckers

The Gibson USA Angus Young SG is equipped with a Gibson 57 Classic humbucking pickup in the neck (rhythm) position and a Gibson Angus Young model humbucker in the bridge (lead) position. Gibson's 57 Classic is acknowledged as one of the best reproductions of the original PAF humbucker available today. It is wound with 42-gauge plain-enamel coated wire and carries an alnico II magnet just like vintage PAFs. It delivers warm, smooth, vocal tones with outstanding clarity and definition.

Gibson's Angus Young model is made in the image of a "vintage-modified," pickup for extra output in the bridge position. It is wound with added turns of 43-gauge wire, and uses an alnico V magnet for added punch and clarity without any sacrifice of sweetness and musicality.

You'll get a meaty midrange, plenty of power for crunchy power-chord rhythm tones, and more than enough sizzle and cut for high-gain lead work. Sound familiar?

A three-way toggle and a volume and tone for each pickup complete the electronics package.

Kluson-Style Tuners

The headstock of the Gibson USA Angus Young SG is equipped with vintage-Kluson-style tuners with pearloid keystone buttons and an efficient 14:1 gear ratio. These tuners echo the look and performance of the Klusons used on original '60s Gibson SGs.

Tune-o-Matic Bridge

In 1954, Gibson revolutionized guitar hardware when it debuted the Tune-o-matic bridge, setting a standard for simplicity and functionality that has never been bettered. Included on the Gibson USA Angus Young SG, the tune-o-matic provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust and fine-tune the intonation and string height in a matter of minutes. It also yields excellent coupling between strings and body, maximizing resonance, tone, and sustain. This bridge is made from zinc then plated with chrome.

Every Tune-o-matic bridge is combined with a separate "stopbar" tailpiece, which is essentially a modified version of the earlier wraparound bridge that's designed to further enhance the connection between the strings and the body. The Gibson USA Angus Young SG's stopbar tailpiece is made from Zamak then plated with chrome.

Nitrocellulose Finish

The Gibson USA Angus Young SG is hand-finished in nitrocellulose in a multi-step process that is carefully monitored to ensure minimum build-up, to produce a finish that breathes with the guitar and enhances natural resonance. Unlike many other manufacturers, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural vibration of the instrument for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time.

Angus Young SG Specs

• Body: Mahogany
• Hardware: Chrome
• Bridge: Tune-o-Matic
• Tailpiece: Stopbar
• Tuners: Kluson-style with pearloid keystone buttons
• Neck Pickup: Gibson '57 Classic
• Bridge Pickup: Gibson Angus Young Custom
• Controls: Three-Way Toggle, 2 Volume, 2 Tone
• Control Knobs: Black Witch-Hat
• Neck: Mahogany
• Nut: Corian
• Nut Width: Approximately 1.550"
• Fingerboard: Ebony
• Inlays: Acrylic Lightning Bolt
• Frets: 22
• Scale Length: 24 - 3/4"

New for 2010! The Gibson USA Angus Young SG not only captures the look, feel and sound of a classic SG, it also embodies some of the rare specs and qualities of Angus’s own ’68 model, known to be a stand-out example among a classic breed. It’s light, all-mahogany body yields superb resonance, while its extra slim, narrow neck provides unparalleled playability—and, topped with an upgraded ebony fingerboard with lightning-bolt inlays, it also provides a look that will help any rocker stand out from the crowd. Loaded with Gibson’s popular 57 Classic humbucking pickup in the neck and an Angus Young humbucker in the bridge for added punch and sizzle, it also packs all the firepower a gigging guitarist needs to cut it on the big stage.