Whitster
Strat-Talk Member
This is a super cool "player grade" guitar. From the front it looks exactly like a 1967-1968 Gibson SG.
It's not.
It's a Gibson SG Melody Maker. The main difference is the original pickups (since changed out) and the thickness of the body. These things are THIN front to back and thus LIGHT. I mean SUPER light.
These are unique for Melody Makers. They don't have those weird fugly mid 60's shape or the early shape (that looked like Juniors from the front). These are the SG shape and they have the SG bevels and this one has the (semi) rare FULL size headstock. MM's usually have those weird headstocks that are much smaller.
Straight up - the original pickups in these SUCK. Some of the earlier MM's had cool pickups but in the late 60's --- they suck. You'd have to be SUPER indie to like em. They also came with a WHITE pickguard. Also unique for a MM, these did not have the tone and volume knobs IN the pickguard. The MM was the cheapest guitar they made so they put the pickups AND control in the pickguard - kind of like a certain guitar that Fender makes that starts with "strat" and ends in "ocaster"! But for Gibson - that's unusual (look at a Les Paul etc.) ...
So this MM has the nonMMesque design in that respect as well as the full size headstock.
Ok, the trem? meh... I took these pics right when I first got it . I have since changed it where I thread the strings through the wraparound tailpiece (like a Junior) - which imo gives way more resonance anyway (one of the pluses of a junior) AND i got a wraparound tailpiece with the proper placement for the "G" "saddle" being unwound (unlike the vintage one).
The neck is FAT!!! It's very playable but it's chonky! no doubt. Feels awesome. It is THICKER than the body, which is ... unique.
The body... this is a special one. I've seen a few of these bad boys - none have the amazing grain this one has. LOOK AT THAT SWIRLY ONE PIECE BACK! Dig it.
These things are a bargain (or at least this one was) for a 53 yr old Gibson and the set neck, and construction are the same as all the other gibsons (SG's etc) it just uses a thinner wood blank and has those craptastic pickups.
So, this replacement pickguard? It has (I believe) late 60's early 70's Gibson Patent # pickups. This guitar has the most unique tone of any Gibson I own. I have no other guitar with Pat # pickups to compare it to - but MAN is it awesome. I am agnostic on the whole - if it sounds good unplugged that means it will sound good plugged in this - but MAN this thing is loud and sounds great unplugged. It just RINGS.
One more thing. I oiled the fretboard and it is now dark and beautiful. The guy who sold it to me should be brought up for trial for violating the Geneva Convention for the way he ignored this fretboard and let it dry out. SO much better now.
The frets are original and pretty low. This means when you fret, you FEEL the fretboard. Some people don't like this - if all you play is medium jumbo, jumbo etc. you'd be like "what is this"? but I dig it. I could always refret it to big frets but since it plays perfectly with LOW action- that's a nope and I enjoy the difference between the lower frets vs the jumbos etc. where they are so far from the fretboard.
Super cool guitar! and it ROCKS.
It's not.
It's a Gibson SG Melody Maker. The main difference is the original pickups (since changed out) and the thickness of the body. These things are THIN front to back and thus LIGHT. I mean SUPER light.
These are unique for Melody Makers. They don't have those weird fugly mid 60's shape or the early shape (that looked like Juniors from the front). These are the SG shape and they have the SG bevels and this one has the (semi) rare FULL size headstock. MM's usually have those weird headstocks that are much smaller.
Straight up - the original pickups in these SUCK. Some of the earlier MM's had cool pickups but in the late 60's --- they suck. You'd have to be SUPER indie to like em. They also came with a WHITE pickguard. Also unique for a MM, these did not have the tone and volume knobs IN the pickguard. The MM was the cheapest guitar they made so they put the pickups AND control in the pickguard - kind of like a certain guitar that Fender makes that starts with "strat" and ends in "ocaster"! But for Gibson - that's unusual (look at a Les Paul etc.) ...
So this MM has the nonMMesque design in that respect as well as the full size headstock.
Ok, the trem? meh... I took these pics right when I first got it . I have since changed it where I thread the strings through the wraparound tailpiece (like a Junior) - which imo gives way more resonance anyway (one of the pluses of a junior) AND i got a wraparound tailpiece with the proper placement for the "G" "saddle" being unwound (unlike the vintage one).
The neck is FAT!!! It's very playable but it's chonky! no doubt. Feels awesome. It is THICKER than the body, which is ... unique.
The body... this is a special one. I've seen a few of these bad boys - none have the amazing grain this one has. LOOK AT THAT SWIRLY ONE PIECE BACK! Dig it.
These things are a bargain (or at least this one was) for a 53 yr old Gibson and the set neck, and construction are the same as all the other gibsons (SG's etc) it just uses a thinner wood blank and has those craptastic pickups.
So, this replacement pickguard? It has (I believe) late 60's early 70's Gibson Patent # pickups. This guitar has the most unique tone of any Gibson I own. I have no other guitar with Pat # pickups to compare it to - but MAN is it awesome. I am agnostic on the whole - if it sounds good unplugged that means it will sound good plugged in this - but MAN this thing is loud and sounds great unplugged. It just RINGS.
One more thing. I oiled the fretboard and it is now dark and beautiful. The guy who sold it to me should be brought up for trial for violating the Geneva Convention for the way he ignored this fretboard and let it dry out. SO much better now.
The frets are original and pretty low. This means when you fret, you FEEL the fretboard. Some people don't like this - if all you play is medium jumbo, jumbo etc. you'd be like "what is this"? but I dig it. I could always refret it to big frets but since it plays perfectly with LOW action- that's a nope and I enjoy the difference between the lower frets vs the jumbos etc. where they are so far from the fretboard.
Super cool guitar! and it ROCKS.







