The Gibson SG Faded guitar is a model that is made to look like it came right out of the 1960s. It is at a lower price point than some of the classics that Gibson guitars still churns off the assembly line. The reason for the lower price tag is because there are less layers of finish and stripped down goodies.
When you see the Gibson faded SG for the first time you’ll understand what I’m taking about. It truly looks like a worn out guitar that has been played for 40 years, which is kind of the trend musicians are going for these days. Now, it hasn’t been sanded down, like a few notable guitar playing legends are doing, it just has a faded and non-shiny finish.
The Gibson SG faded special has the classic 490r and 490t pickups that made the SG famous in the late 1950s but the covers have been remove which makes the tone of this guitar a little brighter in the mid and upper ranges. You definitely hear more of a grinding tone than you would in the old school covered pickups.
Rather than the standard pearl trapezoid inlays, the Gibson SG special faded has simple pearl dot inlays on a classic 50s style mahogany neck; no binding for the rosewood fretboard on this baby. Nothing but bare bones looks give it a really raw and unrefined look that you’re going to love.
It still comes with the solid and slim mahogany body of its Standard brother and still has that classic scream that Angus Young and Tony Iommi were famous for. You get your pick of faded cheery or brown and each colour looks magnificent, especially in a well lit setting. Just like its more expensive brothers, the Gibson SG faded has a set-in neck with a nice slim and smooth heel for easy access to the upper frets.
After playing one for several weeks as a loner, I purchased one of the guitars because of the vintage look to them. I really love the stock pickups without the covers as I like to play higher gain music and these pickups really accommodate that. The reduced price of the Gibson SG faded should be attractive to any entry level guitarists who are on a budget but have always wanted to own a USA made SG. The quality is top of the line and if you can do without a few cosmetic features as discussed above then I really think you’ll be more than happy with this guitar. There are many other guitar instruments that will match the SG faded in price but they are no match for the quality of a USA made Gibson.