NGD: Gibson SG Special Faded in TV Yellow

[Dave Sloven]

I just won the ebay auction on this on tonight.  Much like my coral pink SG Junior the colour seems to put most Gibson buyers off.  SG buyers are generally very conservative colourwise; that's why most of them are sold in cherry or ebony.  This is a limited edition one made in 2007 and seems very similar to my 2006 SJ Junior in terms of its wood, finish, and neck profile.  I'm hoping that it is extremely similar as my SG Junior is my favourite guitar in the world! AU$799 plus postage ($30).

Pickups are 490R/490T, as is usual on SG Specials.

Here are the photos that were posted by the seller:











Now we wait!  Should be here in a few days, although there is Christmas of course. Maybe early next week.

This also means that I am looking to sell my Explorer, which had its first gig on the weekend (Adelaide Punx Picnic 2014).  I find it hard switching between the thin neck of the SG Junior and the '50s neck of the Explorer when playing fast riffs, so this will sort that issue out.  Not sure if the Nailbombs will go with the Explorer or I'll keep them.  I suspect those Warpigs sitting in my drawer might be perfect for this SG.

[dave_mc]

very nice :D

[Telerocker]

Nice catch, you're ending up in the sixties with a yellow and a pink SG. Look out for a seafoam green one... 

[gwEm]

love the stripped down look on that. the yellow is pretty.

[AndyR]

Nice!

I wouldn't be able to get away it, though, my missus has an irrational dislike of all things yellow - she'd even turn down a free Ferrari if you offered her a yellow one! Mine's the conservative cherry.

I'll be interested to hear about the neck - mine (2009, I think) and all the others I tried when I was buying it have very chunky necks. I get on with it fine, but I'm having a hankering for an SG with a bound 60s neck.

[littleredguitars2]

for some reason i can't see the photos on my work computer but the description of it sounds lovely. the color is one of my favorites.

sorry to hear you'll be selling the explorer! i love explorers but i understand. sometimes you just find the right type of guitar for you.

[38thBeatle]

Beautiful, congratulations.

[Dave Sloven]

I'll be interested to hear about the neck - mine (2009, I think) and all the others I tried when I was buying it have very chunky necks. I get on with it fine, but I'm having a hankering for an SG with a bound 60s neck.

The seller assures me that the neck is the same as that on my SG Junior - I sent him a couple of photos - and it certainly looks like it in the photos he has provided.

If you want a bound '60s profile neck look around for a 2011 SG Standard. Mine has a bound rosewood fingerboard and '60s profile neck.  That's the guitar that got me onto the '60s neck bandwagon.  Gibsons seem to vary year to year.  Specials also seem to differ from Standards with regard to necks.

I strongly suspect that these yellow 2007 Specials might in fact have been intended to be built for Yamano - possibly even as SG Juniors like my 2006 - and after the Yamano deal collapsed in the middle of that production run were finished as Specials instead.  Other than the routing and hardware they seem very similar.  I'm hoping that the mahogany is of a similar quality to that on my Yamano guitar (extremely resonant).  It would make sense to have switched those to Special Fadeds, especially if the bodies and necks had been prepped for the satin finish.  Apparently these were made on for export markets, and were not sold by Gibson dealers in the USA.  Seems like the ones in the USA originated in Canada.

There's one in the USA for sale but the seller is not dropping the price and it has been relisted several times.  I'm sure anyone who wants it could get it min bid.  It's the yellow paint that's the issue.  A lot of Gibson buyers look at them in terms of resale value, and they know that cherry or ebony is easier to sell.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Extremely-Rare-2007-Gibson-SG-in-worn-yellow-with-Gibson-gig-bag-/251765945578

for some reason i can't see the photos on my work computer but the description of it sounds lovely. the color is one of my favorites.

sorry to hear you'll be selling the explorer! i love explorers but i understand. sometimes you just find the right type of guitar for you.

Exactly.  The Explorer has never felt completely right in my hands.  A '60s profile SG is for me what a hardtail Strat is to you - simply perfect!

[Kiichi]

Now that is a classy classic look. Congrats mate!

[d1dsj]

Congrats! I love that colour personally and have been trying to get a Gibson double cut in TV yellow with P90's off my boss for a few years now.

[Dave Sloven]

The guitar arrived today safely and I have taken my own photos.   I used a flash, so it is hard to see the exact colour, but the colour is definitely TV Yellow, being similar to the yellow satin paint on the 2014 Melody Maker nut worn in/through. It looks darker and less glossy without the flash.  The neck certainly feels and looks like the '60s slim taper necks on my other two Gibson guitars. I think the worn finish makes it even faster.

The first thing I bought for it was a DiMarzio ClipLock strap, and then another Hercules guitar stand! Sound is good, although I detect a slight fret buzz above the seventh fret. I will wait until the neck has adjusted to the drier weather here in Adelaide (it came from Sydney) before adjusting the truss rod.  I will then give it a good go with the 490R/490T pickups in E standard tuning as a reference point, before trying out my A-pig set.

Here are the photos:

[Telerocker]

I like that colour a lot. Great catch.

[Dave Sloven]

Cheers!  I like it too.  Always wanted one in TV Yellow and the satin finish is great.  I like the new Melody Makers but their neck shape is not for me.

Also, I forgot to include a photo of the control cavity.  This baby is pre-PCB!



It's also loud and bright unplugged, which augurs well for the A-Pig.

[Dave Sloven]

The 49OT is a much better pickup than the 498T that came with my SG Standard.  Crispy and warm together ... lacks the CKP clarity of the Cold Sweat but still a very nice pickup and well matched with whatever pots are in there.  I'm think I will try the Warpig set out in this bright, resonant guitar and swap in the harness from my SG Standard.  I will also give the harness from this one a test run in the SG Standard to see if it sounds better than that one.  It could be that my volume pots are too big.  The Cold Sweat set is very crispy on the high end; it would be interesting to hear it with the smaller caps.  I never tested them with the Cold Sweats and the harness had to replace a PCB before I installed.

[AndyR]

Looks well cool.

I definitely wouldn't be allowed to play it in the living room in that colour, though!