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Angus Young SG

Classic rock doesn’t get much bigger than AC/DC, and no one wallops out the massive, bone-crunching tone like Angus Young on his Gibson SG. Young’s incendiary tone has inspired wave after wave of rock guitar heroes, and turned on countless players to the power of his seminal guitar of choice, the SG. Now the Gibson USA Angus Young SG, brings all the tone and playability of this classic double-cutaway made to Young’s own specs within reach of the hard-working rock guitarist, giving you all the punch, crunch, and sizzle that Angus achieves with his own treasured instrument.

Way back in 1961 the Gibson SG replaced the underappreciated Les Paul Standard, and while the Les Paul would surface later in the decade as a rock and blues classic, the new SG (originally named Les Paul/SG) was an instant hit in its own right. Its simple yet inspired ingredients of thin, all-mahogany body and neck and two Gibson humbucking pickups gave it a snappy attack with a muscular punch, and its slim, fast neck yielded unprecedented playability. The Gibson USA Angus Young SG not only captures the look, feel and sound of a classic SG, it also embodies some of the rare specs and qualities of Angus’s own ’68 model, known to be a stand-out example among a classic breed. It’s light, all-mahogany body yields superb resonance, while its extra slim, narrow neck provides unparalleled playability—and, topped with an upgraded ebony fingerboard with lightning-bolt inlays, it also provides a look that will help any rocker stand out from the crowd. Loaded with Gibson’s popular 57 Classic humbucking pickup in the neck and an Angus Young humbucker in the bridge for added punch and sizzle, it also packs all the firepower a gigging guitarist needs to cut it on the big stage. Each guitar comes with a snug-fitting Gibson USA hardshell case.

Body

	Species The body of each Gibson USA Angus Young SG is crafted from solid mahogany, just like the original SGs of the ’60s. This classic tone wood has yielded some of the most sought-after tones in the history of rock.
	Design The Gibson USA Angus Young SG follows the classic lines of the SG Standard. The SG has a thin, flat-topped body that both aids resonance and reduces the weight on the player’s shoulder. It’s beveled edges offer a timeless appearance, while its dual, slightly offset cutaways yield outstanding access to the neck’s upper frets.
	Average Weight The total average weight of a Gibson USA Angus Young SG body and neck together, before pickups and hardware are added, is 4.95 lbs, which ranks it among excellent examples of the SG Standard, which are known for their lightness.
	Tonal Characteristics Mahogany is a medium-dense wood with excellent resonance and superior sustain, and it offers a rich, round, warm tone, but with plenty of high-end sheen and good midrange presence. The mahogany of the Gibson USA Angus Young SG also lends a percussive snap and some added clarity to the tone of the guitar.

Finish

	Color The Gibson USA Angus Young SG has a high-gloss Ebony black finish.
	Process The Gibson USA Angus Young SG is hand-finished in nitrocellulose in a multi-step process that is carefully monitored to ensure minimum build-up, to produce a finish that breathes with the guitar and enhances natural resonance. Unlike many other manufacturers, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural vibration of the instrument for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time.
	Surface Texture The Gibson USA Angus Young SG has a high-gloss, 90-sheen nitrocellulose finish that is buffed to a mirror-like shine.

Neck and Headstock

	Species The neck of the Gibson USA Angus Young SG is constructed from one piece of solid, quarter-sawn mahogany.
	Truss Rod Gibson’s traditional truss rod, found in most all of our guitars, is highly responsive to the individual adjustments you’ll want to make to personalize and optimize string action and sustain.
	Profile The neck on the Gibson USA Angus Young SG is carved to Angus’s own requirements and models the super-slim, yet extremely comfortable profile of his own original ’68 SG Standard. It measures 0.775” thick at the 1st fret, and 0.850” thick at the 12th.
	Neck Pitch Like the original SG Standard, the neck of the Gibson USA Angus Young SG is attached at a 4-degree angle.
	Headstock Angle The Gibson USA Angus Young SG headstock is carefully angled at Gibson’s traditional 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.
	Logo The Gibson logo — one of the most globally recognized logos of all time — is inlaid in mother of pearl across the top of the headstock face of the Gibson USA Angus Young SG, and is paired with Gibson’s distinctive crown inlay in the center of the headstock.
	Tonal Characteristics The angled, classical-style peg head and mahogany neck work together to provide exceptional tonal richness and resonance from the neck, with outstanding string clarity definition from the maple.

Neck Fit

	Joint Gibson uses what is known as the Mortise & Tenon joint to bind neck to body so that the two pieces form one solid unit. This time-tested technique has been used for millennia in all the great woodworking arts — from shipbuilding to cabinetry — to create one solid wood unit from two separate sections, and has been proven to yield a stronger neck and body than if the instrument was made from a single piece of wood.
	Adhesive The adhesive used to join neck and body is Franklin Titebond 50, one of the strongest glues on the market today.
	Tolerance When fitting the neck and body together, we take advantage of our precise measuring equipment so that all angles, pitches and alignments maintain a tolerance within .005 of an inch. Not only does this help to keep your guitar in tune but it also maintains proper string alignment relative to the fingerboard.

Fingerboard

	Species The Gibson USA Angus Young SG is equipped with an ebony fingerboard, which enhances note attack and articulation. A hard, dense, dark-black exotic wood, ebony has commonly been regarded as a deluxe, upgraded option on electric guitars, and has been used by Gibson in the past on the Les Paul Custom. Ebony is also extremely hardwearing, and more resistant to humidity and climate and weather changes than many other fingerboard woods. This fingerboard caries a single-ply antique plastic binding.
	Radius The Gibson USA Angus Young SG fingerboard has the 12” radius that is preferred by the vast majority of rock players. It provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates “dead” or “choked out” notes, common occurrences on fingerboards with lesser radiuses.
	Frets The Gibson USA Angus Young SG sports 22 jumbo frets, all immaculately dressed and polished.
	Inlays The Gibson USA Angus Young SG fingerboard carries acrylic “lightning bolt” position-marker inlays, as a custom appointment requested by Angus himself.
	Tonal Characteristics Ebony is a very popular up-market fingerboard material, known for its strong, clear tone.

Nut

Material
The nut on the Gibson USA Angus Young SG is made from Corian, which is mainly composed of acrylic polymer. This popular synthetic alternative to bone offers a very durable material, delivers enhanced sustain, and holds the tolerances of the precision cuts made in the slotting process. It is installed into the top surface of the neck, butting up to the end of the fingerboard to ensure proper tone and sustain transfer, and its nut slots are cut with Gibson’s PLEK system to ensure precise fit, break angle, and string spacing.

Width
The width of the nut on the Gibson USA Angus Young SG is approximately 1.550” to reflect the width of the nut on Angus’s original ’68 SG Standard, which he has always preferred for its comfort and slimness.

Pickups

Model
The Gibson USA Angus Young SG is equipped with a Gibson 57 Classic humbucking pickup in the neck (rhythm) position and a Gibson Angus Young model humbucker in the bridge (lead) position. Gibson’s 57 Classic is acknowledged as one of the best reproductions of the original PAF humbucker available today. It is wound with 42-gauge plain-enamel coated wire and carries an alnico II magnet just like vintage PAFs. Gibson’s Angus Young is made in the image of a “vintage-modified” pickup for extra output in the bridge position. It is wound with added turns of 43-gauge wire, and uses an alnico V magnet for added punch and clarity without any sacrifice of sweetness and musicality.

Tonal Characteristics
The 57 Classic in the neck position yields warm, smooth, vocal tones with outstanding clarity and definition. The Angus Young model in the bridge position is a hotter PAF-style pickup, and it offers a meaty midrange, plenty of punching power for crunchy power-chord rhythm tones, and more than enough sizzle and cut for high-gain lead work.

Electronics

	Volume Controls The Gibson USA Angus Young SG uses an individual volume control for each pickup, which consists of a high-quality linear 300K potentiometer wired in the traditional configuration of the SG Standard.
	Tone Controls Each pickup on the Gibson USA Angus Young SG also has its own individual tone control, which consists of a high-quality non-linear 500K potentiometer, coupled with a .0223mf capacitor, for a smooth and gradual roll-off of the pickup’s treble content.
	Toggle Switch The Gibson USA Angus Young SG features one three-way toggle switch made of stainless steel with cream plastic tip and cream trim ring, which acts as the instrument’s pickup selector. In the down position, only the bridge pickup is active. In the middle position, both pickups are active. In the up position, only the neck pickup is active.
	Output Jack The guitar features a 1⁄4” output jack made by Switchcraft. Its super heavy duty construction holds your guitar cable securely in place.

Hardware

	Tuning Keys The headstock of the Gibson USA Angus Young SG is equipped with vintage-Kluson-style tuners with pearloid keystone buttons and an efficient 14:1 gear ratio. These tuners echo the look and performance of the Klusons used on original ’60s Gibson SGs.
	Bridge In 1954, Gibson revolutionized guitar hardware when it debuted the Tune-o-matic bridge, setting a standard for simplicity and functionality that has never been bettered. Included on the Gibson USA Angus Young SG, the tune-o-matic provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust and fine-tune the intonation and string height in a matter of minutes. It also yields excellent coupling between strings and body, maximizing resonance, tone, and sustain. This bridge is made from zinc then plated with chrome.
	Tailpiece Every Tune-o-matic bridge is combined with a separate “stopbar” tailpiece, which is essentially a modified version of the earlier wraparound bridge that’s designed to further enhance the connection between the strings and the body. The Gibson USA Angus Young SG’s stopbar tailpiece is made from Zamak then plated with chrome.
	Strap Buttons The Gibson USA Angus Young SG features aluminum strap buttons.

Plastics

	Control Knobs The control knobs on the Gibson USA Angus Young SG are Gibson’s black witch-hat knobs with silver inserts, found on many vintage and modern Gibson guitars.
	Pickguard The Gibson USA Angus Young SG carries a five-ply black/white/black/white/black pickguard in the style of the early-’60s SG Standard.
	Truss Rod Cover As with most Gibson guitars, the truss rod cover on the Gibson USA Angus Young SG is made from black and white vinyl plastic, and carries Angus Young’s signature.