SG Heel Question

[OKGuitar]

I love SGs but I'm not really an SG guy. I'm learning more about them as I play and acquire more and more of them (it's my second favorite Gibson line). Recently I bought a 62 from a LPF member and it was sold as an unbroken, unrepaired, no neck reset example. It is a beautiful guitar and I paid a very fair price, assuming it is, in fact, intact and untouched. When I got it I noticed that the finish at the heel was darker than the rest of the guitar. You see this on 335s all the time-both sunbursts and reds. I always assumed they did it because the woods didn't match and it made a smoother transition from maple to mahogany. Not necessary on an SG being all mahogany. There is no obvious sign that work has been done on this SG other than the darker finish at the heel (and what looks like the same color on the tip of the bass side horn). I also have another 62, a 63, a 64 and a 65 and I compared them. None of those have a darker heel. Reds are notoriously hard to photograph accurately, so for now, I'll skip the photos. Suffice it to say that it's darker. The seller and I agree on that and I asked him if he would have a problem with me asking the question on the LPF and he said he didn't. So, SG people, is the heel darker on your unbroken, unrepaired a un-reset vintage SG? One other thing-don't go looking at a bunch of photos and put in your two cents worth please. Many, many SGs have had heel work done. I need to hear from owners and/or experts.

 

[frickengruvin1]

Not an expert here, but I do have a clean '68-no heel work ever being done. Mine is not darker.

It would speed up your reference if you made this a poll...you can always reference each posting for additional notes...Chalk one up for "not darker"....

 

[Dire Wolf]

I bought a 61 SG Special years ago and it had the discolored heel as mentioned above. The seller kept insisting it was a no break/no repair guitar. Sure enough, it had a break at the heel that was repaired. Since then, I have avoided SGs.

 

[QuirkyBurst]

My recently acquired '62 SG/LP with no repairs / issues has a very faded neck, just from use. I have seen this before, but never to quite the extent of this guitar.

Is it possible that your neck is faded just enough to make the heel appear darker? Does the back of the headstock also appear darker?

reference photo...

 

[lanman]

Darker heel = repair in my book.

I am not saying it's impossible, but this has been my experience. I have owned and handled more early SG's than most.

Re-sale will be your problem as it won't matter whether it's really broken or not. An SG guy will assume it's been repaired.

 

[keef]

I've seen a few early sixties SGs with a slightly darker heel that were perfectly fine (one was mine). Had the same worries, but upon close inspection the guitars in question had not been tampered with.

Here's a pic of my '61 Special, but unfortunately it does not show the middle/lower portion of the neck, which is lighter than the heel:

 

[lanman]

Your's looks good to me Keef. It just looks like the fade hit the body and neck more. I guess we need a couple of photos to see what is being referred to as "dark".

I was thinking "dark" in contrast to the finish as opposed to fading variances.

 

[OKGuitar]

OK Photos later today.

 

[bigsby'd]

.

 

[OKGuitar]

First photo is no flash and not terribly conclusive in my eyes but the second one which shows where the over spray hit the bass side horn kind of convinced me.

 

[kharrison]

Something looks odd there. Did you put it under a blacklight?

 

[OKGuitar]

I did but it was inconclusive to me. The edge where the color changes on the horn did not blacklight like an original finish but it really didn't show me much more than I could see with a magnifying glass and a macro lens. That edge on the horn was what set me on this course of action (and the fact that my other SGs are consistent color at the heel). The coloration of the heel is too purple to my eye but reds are very difficult to photograph digitally. The 61 Special above shows some darkness but the hue is the same meaning it's probably a grain difference or a lighting difference. I understand that the back of the neck is almost always going to be lighter on a guitar thats been played, so there will be some variation but the transition from body to heel, not to mention the cutaway, seems like something more than player wear. Here's my 63 which has the same heel configuration. I see no variation at all.
This is a different guitar so read carefully. THIS ONE IS NOT REPAIRED OR RESET

 

[lanman]

Horn aside, it is hard to come a conclusion looking at the photo of the heel color alone. I always look for "crust" in the seams of the heel as that always indicates movement. It looks like this SG has some of that. I have had a few where there never were any repairs, but a knock of the neck somewhere along the way breaks the lacquer in the crease. Sadly, although not "broken" or repaired, it still becomes an "issue".

Bottom line.....if it ain't perfect in every way, it's an issue to SG guys.

 

[loufed52]

I've owned many SGs and I've seen a few that were reset and really impossible to tell for sure if they were reset or not.

I would say that any ambiguity falls on the side of likely reset, even if you don't really believe it to be so, because every knowledgeable SG buyer will assume it to be reset.
That will affect any future resale value, fair or not.

I personally don't care if the neck has been reset as long as it was done properly and the price is right.
I'll even buy one that needs a reset if the price is right.
A proper neck reset will make the guitar better than one that looks good but might have a weak joint.

The bottom line- the price is the determining factor.

 

[Aloha_Mark]

Prices on SGs with former heel damage are heading up.

This one is for a 1962 SG Standard that sold for $6401. Two PAFs. Location is England. Auction # is 111139765477.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STUNNING-10...ul-SG-Standard-2x-PAF-ohsc-NoRs-/111139765477

I wonder if this is staying on the other side of the pond, or coming here to the states.