Like the landmark Les Paul before it, the introduction of Gibson's SG line in 1961 shattered all perceptions of what a guitar could be. The name "SG Special" actually first surfaced on a Gibson guitar in late 1959, when the name was applied to the double cutaway Special with rounded horns that had previously been listed as a Les Paul since 1955. In early 1961, however, the SG Special underwent the same radical redesign as the iconic Les Paul Standards did that same year.