SOLD 1965 Gibson SG Jr.

HandwrittenHero

Right, been considering this and decided to list.

Gibson SG Jr. Serial number dates it to 1965, which was a transitional year. It's got the wider nut width same as a 1964 and the thicker neck profile closer to a 1964. Not to say it's a baseball bat, it's basically not the thinner SG neck from earlier in the decade or later. To my understanding as well, it was also partway through 1965 Gibson shifted from Brazilian Rosewood to Indian. I'm not going to say categorically the rosewood here is or isn't one or the other because truthfully I don't know either way for certain.  Whatever the mahogany and rosewood is, it's certainly old and got the qualities for it. I did a quick bathroom scale job and 6 1/2 lbs is the difference between me on the scales and me holding the guitar on them. Rings nice and loud unplugged. Plugged in it's all golden age Gibson Jr. Raw, pure, p90 rock and roll.

Some non-original parts on it. The tuners are replacements and you can see holes on the back of the headstock from a previous set. The bridge is aftermarket. I don't have the original tuners or bridge. My understanding is everything else is original, including the pickup and the frets, which are low but still have life. Everything that should work does i.e. pots turn smoothly and have proper range, nothing crackles, action is set up nice and low with 9.5s. Not that it's a big deal either way, but it was bought from Mark at Guitars4You last year, set up by Mark. It's been given a look over by my own guitar tech as well, mainly as it gave me a 2nd pair of eyes on the frets for how much life on them - the answer being no need to work on them soon.

It's got some dents, bumps, checking on the finish. It's a 55 year old guitar, it's earned them! It's not got any breaks though. I've tried to photograph as much as I can, if there's any that warrant a closer look just ask. I'm not a professional photographer so no substitute for looking in person though. None of them impact the playability or would give me any concern that they do or will need a repair.

I'm in Sheffield, I can travel within reason and happy to accommodate anyone coming over to give it a try. Can set you up with a small Marshall or tweed amp, or bring your own small amp. Handing it over to a courier is a no from me though. Case included in sale, a non-original and fairly run of the mill Gibson case (brown exterior, pink fluffy interior, garden variety)

Price - I'd be looking somewhere £2800. Happy to chat, not looking for trades.

Album of some pictures -

https://imgur.com/gallery/GicF1Q8

HandwrittenHero

Bennyboy-UK

Absolutely LOVE it!

hoops

Beautiful!

glitterjet

PM sent

guitars4you

I recall this SG and selling it to @HandwrittenHero - When I acquired it, the tuners + bridge were already gone - So you can't make it original again, but I wanted to put back some 'vintage integrity' - I can't recall if the bridge is a Mojo Axe or Faber but it has the modern plain 3rd intonation ridge - Good player + Affordable vintage that you could still gig with - Good luck with the sale

richardhomer

A friend of mine used to own a ‘61 Les Paul/SG Junior which looked pretty much the same as this. One of the very best sounding electric guitars I’ve ever played.

This looks a beauty - good luck with the sale.

HandwrittenHero

Thanks all, @guitars4you yep thanks for adding the further details. Just to expand on it as well, you see a lot of jrs with bridge swaps either to replace a vibrola or because the original stop tail was for a wound G and as a result intonation doesn’t play ball. Tuners is a common mod both because people like grovers and because the originals don’t always live to old age! I’ve also seen people ‘borrow’ a set from such as a melody maker. Other mods that are common are similar to what people have done to poor and unfortunate SG specials - routing for humbuckers etc. For the same reason people love 59 conversions of goldtops. None of that here though.

I have had a few messages about posting, not looking to currently but will update if that changes.

Philly_Q

HandwrittenHero said:

Thanks all, @guitars4you yep thanks for adding the further details. Just to expand on it as well, you see a lot of jrs with bridge swaps either to replace a vibrola or because the original stop tail was for a wound G and as a result intonation doesn’t play ball. Tuners is a common mod both because people like grovers and because the originals don’t always live to old age! I’ve also seen people ‘borrow’ a set from such as a melody maker. Other mods that are common are similar to what people have done to poor and unfortunate SG specials - routing for humbuckers etc. For the same reason people love 59 conversions of goldtops. None of that here though.

I've got a '65 Melody Maker which has had similar mods, but thankfully nobody did anything permanent to it - apart from maybe some screw holes. 

When I bought it it had Kluson-style tuners, but individual ones with metal buttons rather than three-on-a-strip.  They're fine.  It also had a Badass bridge which I hated - it now has an adjustable Pigtail bridge but I bought an aged Gibson lightning bar like yours (for plain G) which I will fit at some point.

I assume the pots aren't original but the pickup and scratchplate are.  It's close enough!

I'm sure you'll have no trouble selling this one, it looks fantastic.

usedtobe

That’s really nice!

HandwrittenHero

Philly_Q said:

HandwrittenHero said:

Thanks all, @guitars4you yep thanks for adding the further details. Just to expand on it as well, you see a lot of jrs with bridge swaps either to replace a vibrola or because the original stop tail was for a wound G and as a result intonation doesn’t play ball. Tuners is a common mod both because people like grovers and because the originals don’t always live to old age! I’ve also seen people ‘borrow’ a set from such as a melody maker. Other mods that are common are similar to what people have done to poor and unfortunate SG specials - routing for humbuckers etc. For the same reason people love 59 conversions of goldtops. None of that here though.

I've got a '65 Melody Maker which has had similar mods, but thankfully nobody did anything permanent to it - apart from maybe some screw holes. 

When I bought it it had Kluson-style tuners, but individual ones with metal buttons rather than three-on-a-strip.  They're fine.  It also had a Badass bridge which I hated - it now has an adjustable Pigtail bridge but I bought an aged Gibson lightning bar like yours (for plain G) which I will fit at some point.

I assume the pots aren't original but the pickup and scratchplate are.  It's close enough!

I'm sure you'll have no trouble selling this one, it looks fantastic.

Not sure if the pots was re your melody maker or this sg junior, but just since it’s handy:


Believe if I'm understanding correctly it's the 13764 then rest can't see for Solder that tells us 137 CTS pot 64 dated 64 and would have the week of 64 just under there, so original pots most likely

HandwrittenHero

The actual knobs are too clean and unworn for me to expect them to be original though

HandwrittenHero

Mark's measurements not mine (so blame him obviously ;-) ) -

6lb 6oz weight

P90 measures 7.84k

1 11/16 nut (43mm)

measures .819 depth at nut .983 at 12th fret, C profile

one piece body

bridge is mojoaxe replacement

Philly_Q

HandwrittenHero said:

Not sure if the pots was re your melody maker or this sg junior, but just since it’s handy:

Believe if I'm understanding correctly it's the 13764 then rest can't see for Solder that tells us 137 CTS pot 64 dated 64 and would have the week of 64 just under there, so original pots most likely

Oh gosh sorry, I was talking about my Melody Maker, not suggesting anything about the originality of your SG!  Apologies.

I've never really learned about reading pot codes, but on my MM I assume they're non-original just because they don't look particularly old.

HandwrittenHero

Philly_Q said:

HandwrittenHero said:

Not sure if the pots was re your melody maker or this sg junior, but just since it’s handy:

Believe if I'm understanding correctly it's the 13764 then rest can't see for Solder that tells us 137 CTS pot 64 dated 64 and would have the week of 64 just under there, so original pots most likely

Oh gosh sorry, I was talking about my Melody Maker, not suggesting anything about the originality of your SG!  Apologies.

I've never really learned about reading pot codes, but on my MM I assume they're non-original just because they don't look particularly old.

No worries, I assumed it would be yours but thought at that point anyway it would be inevitable someone would ask so may as well use it as an excuse

Also...this guitar is now sold pending payment. There's been a lot of interest in it so thanks everyone who messaged and I'll update again once the sale has completed or if the situation changes.

HandwrittenHero

Paid and collected - happy days.

Evildurka