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Your thoughts: current state of the market - '60s SG Standards

AlienVintage

Active member
Joined
Sep 10, 2015
Messages
334
Would love to hear your thoughts on the current state of the market for '60s SG Standards.

What are you seeing in terms of prices currently? Where have things been heading over the past year? The past few years? What are your thoughts on the market going forward?

Yes, a very broad and open-ended topic, but would love to hear the feedback from you SG guys out there.
 

KingsleyMac

New member
Joined
Jan 23, 2015
Messages
86
I think that Les Pauls pre-1960 (plus 1968) and the early ES345 & 335's have gotten too valuable for most musicians. Folks are looking for the next best thing, which in my opinion can be a '61-'65 SG Standard. With the right amp, they will sound like a killer vintage LP. If you find a well-taken-care-of early SG and set it up to your liking, she will play like butter. They are lightweight, so you shouldn't have to worry about some being heavier than others. Also, the period-correct parts aren't at super inflated prices (I'm not paying $100+ for one tone control plastic knob) as I've seen with 50's Gibsons. Of course it doesn't hurt that one of the best modern guitarist swears by them and that they are sweet-looking axes. Let's toss in there, the latest Tony Bacon book on the SG's story. It's a good time to consider picking one up before they start to reach the 20K mark. What are they worth? each guitar is different as are the specs of the year of manufacture, but I lean towards the '63-'64.
 
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ChevChelios

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2012
Messages
774
Agreed. I've seen them go up in price steadily from $8k to $12k to now - depending on condition - up to $15k in recent years.

However, I also think that 61-65 SG Juniors are still the - by far - best bang for the buck. Just picked up a great one (100% original except for the bridge & no breaks/repairs) for $1800. Must be the only pre-1965 Gibson solid body model that is cheaper than it's Historic Reissue :##
 

Tim's Guitars

Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Messages
81
I would agree, they are on the rise. At the peak of the market some people where asking $25K+, of course I have no idea if people were paying that sort of money for them, and that was when a wrap goldtop was asking $40K!! You can get a reasonable SG Std 61-64 for about $10K now which I think represents great value, well as much as any vintage guitar can be considered great value! :spabout

The Ebony Block versions, seem to have the most potential to be sleepers IMO, again a few years ago you would expect to pay quite a bit more for one of those than a standard tailpiece...again the prices seem to have normalized quite a bit and often you can pick up the Ebony blocks for the same sort of money as the std tailpieces.

'63-65 reverse Firebirds are also interesting at the moment, again seem to be struggling to shift and prices which are far lower than a few years ago...not sure what’s happened with them, but even the FB Is which historically stayed on the market for days when they came on are not shifting. When you think of the low production numbers etc they make interesting consideration.

All in all though, I think a number of 60s Gibson's represent good value at the moment and are on the way up.
 
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Aloha_Mark

New member
Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
495
The trem system on early 60's SG standards takes some getting used to. They just seem to have a "psychological" instability that bothers me, even if I don't use the mechanism. It begs for a true stoptail, but that requires either an intrusive or non-intrusive mod.

The prices have gotten out of whack and good examples of the standards can be upwards of $15K from vendors like Rumbleseat. Gilvis' inventory keeps diminishing each day. The smart money snapped up the last good pieces around 2011. Even player grade examples are too much money. The days of buying these for under $5K are gone.
 

Tubescreamer

New member
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Messages
6
I feel like 60s SG are probably the best vintage you can afford. Killer guitars with top quality materials below 15kusd. If you are willing to live with repaired headstocks or refin, you get 50 pct off...
when you think thar a brans new LP historic is 10kusd...for me it s a no brainer...
 

jimmi

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,077
You can find 60-64 SG/SGLP for around 5k but they will be stripped. I bought a '61 that I will eventually post a thread about that needed fretboard work and had been stripped of parts but did have no breaks or cracks at the heel. Board work will ending up costing me 1500, i had a PAF, abr and a 61 harness in a box that I put into it. I need to buy a second PAF and a pickguard and the only isdue that will be remaining is that someone put a (properly placed) stop tail on it (many consider this an upgrade for playability) for a total out lay to me of around $6k.

I saw a stripped 61 with repro parts for $5500 last year (would have bought that one if I had not already started on the one I have. It isnt a bad way to go if you dont have all the cash up front and you have the pleasure of restoring one.
 

Cream Fan

Active member
Joined
May 1, 2003
Messages
2,695
For those who are daunted by the Side-to-Side Vibrola, you can install a VibroStop. It essentially converts the Vibrola into a stop tailpiece, but looks absolutely stock, you just can't move the arm anymore. I installed one on my SG and the result was amazing. Better sustain, better tone and no tuning issues. I used to have to retune the guitar every time I removed it from the case. It was even worse if I took the guitar outside the house to go jam or try out amps. I used to think I had an unstable neck. Not so, it was the stock Vibrola that was unstable. Here is a photo to illustrate the VibroStop. It is NOT my SG.

<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/user/campstalag/media/VibroStop.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u238/campstalag/VibroStop.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo VibroStop.jpg"/></a>
 
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