Origins
In 1961, Gibson Les Paul sales were significantly lower than in previous years. The following year, the Les Paul was given a thinner, flat-topped mahogany body, and had a double cutaway which made the upper frets more accessible. The neck joint was moved by three frets to further ease access to the upper frets. The simpler body construction significantly reduced production costs, and the new Les Paul, with its slender neck profile and small heel was advertised as having the "fastest neck in the world". Although the new guitar was popular, Les Paul himself did not care for the new design, and requested the removal of his name from the new model. He remained under contract to Gibson, however, and he was photographed with the new model several times.
Gibson honored Les Paul's request, and the new model was renamed "SG", which stood for 'Solid Guitar'. Les Paul's name was officially deleted in 1961, but the SG continued to feature Les Paul nameplates and truss rod covers until the end of 1963.
Because of its popularity and vintage heritage, the body style of the SG is often copied by other manufacturers, although much less frequently than the Les Paul and the Fender Stratocaster.
Read more about this topic: Gibson SG
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