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Features

The Gibson Logo

The most innovative and revolutionary stringed instruments of all time have carried the name Gibson — the Les Paul, the ES-335, the Explorer, the Flying V, the SG, and the Firebird. The list goes on and on. There is no mistaking the classic, hand-cut mother of pearl logo, inlayed into a pressed fiber-head veneer that is then glued to the face of the mahogany headstock. A thin coat of lacquer finishes the process. It is the most recognizable logo in all of music, representing more than a century of originality and excellence. There is simply no equal.

• The Gibson Logo
  Angled Headstock

  The angled headstock is another example of Gibson’s industry-changing way of thinking. Every Gibson headstock is carved out of the same piece of mahogany as the neck. It is not a “glued-on” headstock, and the process takes craftsmanship, time, and effort. But the rewards are worth the effort. The headstock is carefully angled at 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain.

• Angled Headstock
  Adjustable Truss Rod

  The adjustable truss rod is a Gibson innovation that revolutionized the guitar. Before this ground-breaking discovery in the early 1930s, the truss rod was used only to strengthen and stabilize the neck. By making it adjustable, the truss rod now allows a guitar to be set up using a variety of string gauges, as well as string heights. This easily accommodates any style of playing, and allows a limitless range of set-up options. And by placing it at the base of the headstock, the adjustable nut is easily accessible, even while the strings are still on the guitar.

• Adjustable Truss Rod
  ’60s Rounded Bass Neck Profile

  No guitar neck profiles are more distinguishable than the neck profiles on the Gibson models of today. The ’60s rounded bass neck profile on this SG Standard Bass is based on the more modern, slim-tapered necks most commonly associated with the Les Paul and SG models of the early 1960s. The neck is machined in Gibson’s rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. But once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest — including the final sanding — is done by hand. That means there are no two necks with the exact same dimensions. So while it still has the basic characteristics of its respective profile, each neck will be slightly different, with a distinct but traditional feel.

• 20-Fret Rosewood Fingerboard
  Nickel and Silver Alloy Fret Wire

  The fret wire on the Gibson models is a combination nickel and silver alloy (approximately 80 percent nickel and 20 percent silver) specifically designed for long life and superior wear. Gibson’s traditional “medium/jumbo” fret wire is first shaped by hand then cut to an exact 12-inch radius. After hand pressing it into the fingerboard, a machine press finishes the job to eliminate the gap between the bottom of the fret wire and the fingerboard.

• Nickel and Silver Alloy Fret Wire
  Trapezoid Inlays

  The classic trapezoid inlay is one of the most distinguishable features of many traditional Gibson models, including SG Standard Bass and many Les Paul models. A figured, swirl acrylic gives these inlays that classic “pearl” look. They are inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn’t require the use of fillers.

• Trapezoid Inlays
  Set-Neck Construction

  Like all classic Gibson guitars, the necks on the SG Standard Basses are distinguished by one of the more traditional features that have always set them apart — a glued neck joint. Gluing the neck to the body of the guitar insures a “wood-to-wood” contact, no air space in the neck cavity, and maximum contact between the neck and body, allowing the neck and body to function as a single unit. The result? Better tone, better sustain, and no loose or misaligned necks.

• Set-Neck Construction
  Solid Mahogany Body

  The slim mahogany body on the SG Standard Bass offers players a light, resonant instrument, with sweet tone and rich sustain. The mahogany goes through the same rigorous selection process as all of Gibson’s woods, and is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before it enters the factories. Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This insures all woods are dried to a level of “equilibrium,” where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight-fitting joints and no expansion, and controls the shrinkage and warping of the woods, in addition to reducing the weight. It also improves the woods’ machinability and finishing properties. Consistent moisture content means that this SG Standard Bass will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.

• Solid Mahogany Body
  Vintage-Style TB and TB Mini Humbuckers

  The pickups on the early Gibson basses of the 1960s remained unchanged for many years, undergoing only minor cosmetic modifications from time to time, but staying true to the originals’ sonic characteristics. The pickups in today’s SG Standard Bass — the vintage-style TB Plus humbucker and TB mini humbucker — are wax-potted with ceramic magnets, and capture and recreate the classic attributes of those early Gibson basses. The TB plus humbucker in the neck is a traditional hum-cancelling bass pickup with a full frequency, heavy-bottom sound, similar to pickups with a passive EQ. The EB mini humbucker in the bridge is traditionally smaller but packs a sweet punch with exceptional mid-range presence. This combination makes the SG Standard Bass a versatile instrument with a wide range of tonal possibilities. As with all Gibson pickups, every part is precisely manufactured at Gibson USA in Nashville, Tennessee, insuring tight, seamless fittings, and superior workmanship.

• Vintage-Style TB and TB Mini Humbuckers
  Three-Way Adjustable Bridge

  Gibson’s innovative three-way adjustable bridge is the standard for simplicity and functionality. It provides players with the ability to adjust and fine-tune the height of the SG Standard Bass’ strings in all directions — front, back, and side-to-side — which gives the bridge a “floating” feature, thus allowing the bass to be equipped with a variety of string gauges and multiple set-up options. The SG Reissue’s legendary resonance, tone, and sustain is the result of anchoring the bridge directly into the body at its three adjustable points, which provides a firm seating for the strings and yields a strong union between the strings and body. Readily accessible screws make setting the intonation simple. To this day, Gibson’s three-way adjustable bridge remains an industry standard. It is the epitome of form and function in bass guitar bridge design.

• Three-Way Adjustable Bridge
  Nitrocellulose Finish

  Applying a nitrocellulose finish to any Gibson guitar is one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process. A properly applied nitro finish requires extensive man hours, several evenly applied coats, and an exorbitant amount of drying time. But this fact has never swayed Gibson into changing this time-tested method, employed ever since the first guitar was swathed with lacquer back in 1894. Why? For starters, a nitro finish dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, which means there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone. A nitro finish is also a softer finish, which makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can’t do the same on a poly finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and actually gets thinner over time. It does not “seal” wood in an airtight shell — as a poly finish does — and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.

• Nitrocellulose Finish