1960 SG / Les Paul

As is common practice, production for a new model year begins around the fall/winter of the preceding year. Therefore, there are SG/LP builds whose serial numbers date to 1960, which were interestingly built right alongside old-design Les Pauls. These early builds had some slight differences in features, as the design was just being finalized. Most notably, there is variation in the shape of the tenon cover, a longer pickguard, the reflector knobs have a shallower dished top and the truss rod cover is blank; it did not yet have the "Les Paul" script. The serial numbers are inked on, using the 1960 format and the cases are brown Lifton style with pink interior.

Not until very late in the year do we see the first Custom and a prototype Special.

Features

Body:

• Beveled, solid Honduran Mahogany body
• Angled heel
• Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish

Neck:

• 1-pc quartersawn Honduran Mahogany
• Medium C profile
  • Average around .830" / .980"
• Set-in construction
  • 3 degree angle
  • Hot hide glue
  • Joins body at 22nd fret

• Brazilian Rosewood fretboard w/ trapezoid inlays
  • Cellulose trapezoid inlays
  • 12" radius
• Medium Open Book headstock w/ Holly veneer
  • Inlaid Mother of Pearl Gibson logo
  • Inlaid Mother of Pearl crown
  • 17^o pitch
• 22 frets
• 24 ⁵/₈" scale
• 1 ¹¹/₁₆" nut width

Binding:

• Single-ply, neck
• Fret-edge binding
• Thinner style
• Tortoise cellulose dot markers

Electronics:

• Two covered "PAF" humbuckers
  • Long AlNiCo II magnets
  • ~8K Ohms DCR
• 3-way switch
• 2 Vol, 2 Tone
  • Centralab 500K pots
  • Ceramic "disk" capacitors

Hardware:

• Nickel hardware
• Kluson Deluxe tuning machines
  • 1:12 ratio
  • Green Keystone buttons
  • Single line, double ring
• 5-ply "Angel Wing" pickguard
  • Wide bevel angle
  • Longer shape w/ 5 screws
• Bell shaped truss rod cover
  • 2-ply, wide bevel angle
    • Blank
• Black Reflector knobs w/ pointers
  • Shallower dish
• ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • Domed bottom
    • Allows bridge to rock with vibrola use
  • "ABR-1" stamping underneath
  • No retaining wire
• Sideways vibrola

Finishes:

• Cherry

Known Examples

0 8749

Earliest known serial number. Rectangular tenon cover. Sold through “Gibson Certified Vintage” program in 2024.

0 8765

Oversized tenon cover. Questions exist regarding authenticity due to involvement of dealer known for forgery. May require further study.