pictures of Gibson SG heel joints year by year

[nmcinc]

Does anyone have access to and is willing to post a series of SG heel joints from 1960 through

1968 ?

 

[PHILBERT]

Where is DANO when you need him? :rofl

I bet he has a photostitched shot of them all. I do have pics of about every year up to '69. The heel started to transition in 1966 to what I would call a "plank heel" (very ugly), and by '68 to '69 had become a "block heel", where it was like one long block of wood where the neck joined the body. I like the '61 to '65 heel. Nice and close to the body and a gentle curve that flowed with the rest of the guitar curves.

If no one has pics up, I will upload some of mine later today. It takes time to get them all together, and I have to go to work very soon.

 

[OKGuitar]

There were a few different types even within the same years. I have a few photos which i'll dig up-Here's 62-65. Sorry, they're a bit large.

 

[PHILBERT]

Here you go! It took me some time to get them all put into one picture and date them. Hope this helps!

Cheers!

 

[Kevin James]

Philbert pretty much nailed it. The only thing I disagree with is the heel he descibes as mid 66 actually showed up in 65. My own personal 65 has it and serial number and pot codes confirm it is 65. With Gibson it is entirely possible there was crossover though so it could easily be that we are both right.

Here is what I have:

Late 1960 – Early 1961

1961 – Early/Mid 1962 Smooth Heel

Early/Mid 1962 – Late 1962 Stepped Heel

1963 Stepped Heel

1963 Smooth Heel

1964 – Early Mid 1965

Mid 1965 – Early 1966

Mid 1966 –Early 1968

Late 1968 -1969

 

[PHILBERT]

Nice collection, Kevin. :salude

I love a nice golden era SG.

 

[Kevin James]

Nice collection, Kevin. :salude

I love a nice golden era SG.

Oops... I should clarify that I should have said "here is what I have pictures of". Reading back I can see how it could be confused but no, I do not own all of those. Sorry for any confusion.

I do have standards from 61, 62 (Ebony Block) and 65 and a 63 Special and 64 JR. The pictures I posted of the 62 stepped heel and the mid 65 are mine, the others are not.

 

[PHILBERT]

Oops... I should clarify that I should have said "here is what I have pictures of". Reading back I can see how it could be confused but no, I do not own all of those. Sorry for any confusion.

I do have standards from 61, 62 (Ebony Block) and 65 and a 63 Special and 64 JR. The pictures I posted of the 62 stepped heel and the mid 65 are mine, the others are not.

I meant picture collection.

Well, I have none from the golden age. :dang

My first Gibson was a late '68 SG with the block heel, but I had to sell it for food and rent back in '93. :dang

I just can't get ahead enough to get anything from that era. Prices are still too high. And I make tons more money then I did when I was mowing lawns in '75 to pay for my '68 SG. Go figure! :rolleyes

 

[Hackubus]

Excellent, excellent thread. Thank you.

 

[MIKE LEAF]

Its quite interesting how Gibson changed this feature SO many times , even in the same year. There must have been a lot of discussion going on about the heel and the whole neck joint thing.

 

[D'Mule]

I suppose they never felt as though they had perfected that joint.

 

[OKGuitar]

It's never been a good design and all their fiddling never totally fixed the problem. I think the real issue is the neck tenon being glued on only one surface. The reason 335s and LPs are so stable is the fact that the tenon makes contact on three sides and the likelihood of the neck tenon loosening in its mortise is pretty slim. On the SG, the tenon itself is extremely thin and prone breakage if the glue doesn't give up first. The solution you see on the 68 was probably the best way to handle it. there simply wasn't room inside the thin body for a proper neck tenon, so they moved it out into the neck itself while extending the body to meet it. I've only owned two from that era and both were pretty stable. Still, they are often great. You just have to be careful with them and pay attention to movement in the joint.

 

[Kris Ford]

So mid 66-mid 68 for this?

 

[MapleFlame]

Really good pics and info.

 

[PHILBERT]

This is a cool thread!

So mid 66-mid 68 for this?

What does the front look like? Big guard or small?

 

[Monroe]

Late 64/early 65:

 

[loufed52]

Pictures of my early '65 Standard when it was stripped:

Finished product:

 

[Kris Ford]

VERY Early 1965..( pot codes 137 65 04)

 

[BijouDrains]

This is a shot of my 1968 Special with a large pickguard. Judging from pics in this thread, I might deduce that mine is an early 1968 build. This guitar is 1 9/16" at the nut and has a SUPER SLIM profile. It gives Gibson's term of "60's slim taper" neck a whole new meaning.




This is of my 1965 Special with a small pickguard. This SG is also 1 9/16" at the nut but has the more traditional / customary "60's slim taper" neck as my Les Pauls have.

 

[trackerdan]

2013 SG Standard. Is it a short or long neck tenon?