Enter to Win a $8000 PA System!

Gibson SG Standard '61 Maestro Vibrola - Vintage Cherry

Solidbody Electric Guitar with Mahogany Body and Neck, Rosewood Fretboard, 2 Humbucking Pickups, and Vibrola Tailpiece - Vintage Cherry
$2,499.00

Earn $125 back in Bonus Bucks OR pay $105/month with 24 month financing*

Backordered - More On The Way!

This item requires extra delivery time from Gibson. Order today to reserve yours now, risk-free, or contact us for more information.

Notify me when in stock
Add to Cart
Notify me about deals

Ask An Expert

Our expertly trained Sales Engineers are ready to help!

What is a Sales Engineer?
Sweetwater Gear Exchange

Have one to sell?
Check out Sweetwater's Gear Exchange!
Learn More

Most Popular Accessories & Related Items

Gibson SG Standard '61 Maestro Vibrola - Vintage Cherry
Backordered - More On The Way! Notify me
$2,499.00
Add to Cart
Add to list
Back to navigation

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

SG Standard ’61

Immortalized by Santana at Woodstock and smashed onstage by Townshend, the Gibson SG is a rock icon. Gibson’s Nashville-made SG Standard ’61 takes you back to the first model year of the legendary solidbody electric guitar — small pickguard, vintage cherry finish, and all. The SG Standard ’61 is spec’d with a pair of toneful humbuckers; a fast, comfortable SlimTaper neck; and a bound, Plek’d rosewood fretboard with action that’s almost nonexistent. The SG’s lightweight mahogany body delivers great sustain and no pain, even if you play all night. And the worn nitro finish looks and feels great while enhancing the tone of this legendary rock machine. Own your piece of rock history: the Gibson SG Standard ’61.

Burstbucker pickups deliver timeless humbucker tone

When it comes to capturing that classic Gibson tone, nothing beats the sound of 60s Burstbucker pickups. You’ll love the tight low end, complex midrange, and sweet highs you’ll get out of these pickups — it’s everything you expect when you pick up a Gibson! That’s because 60s Burstbucker pickups were designed to re-create the sound of original 1960s-era humbuckers to perfection. So if you want the iconic tone of a classic Gibson SG, the SG Standard ’61 is the guitar for you.

SlimTaper neck carve and Plek’d frets for optimized playability

Comfort and playability were two of Gibson’s primary concerns when they were designing the SG Standard ’61. You’ll be delighted by how comfortably this guitar’s fast, early-’60s SlimTaper neck profile fits your hand. For your playing pleasure, the rosewood fingerboard is buffed to silky smoothness and bound so that no fret ends impede your dexterity. The frets are dressed to perfection using a Plek Pro machine for optimized playability. Typically reserved for top-dollar custom guitars, this process levels the frets with pinpoint precision, providing you with the most playable fretboard you’re likely to own.

Nitro finish for the look and feel of a classic

The SG Standard ’61 wears a gorgeous gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Nitro finishes — standard back in the day — are significantly thinner than today’s polyurethane finishes, allowing the guitar to “breathe.” Nitro finishes not only look vintage-y wonderful, but they also enhance the instrument’s tonal qualities. This guitar has the look (and feel) of a lovingly cared-for classic — one that will only improve with age.

Gibson SG Standard ’61 Solidbody Electric Guitar Features:

  • Comfortable, lightweight, iconic doubled-horned mahogany body
  • Fast mahogany SlimTaper neck with rosewood fingerboard and 22 frets
  • Plek’d frets for effortless playability
  • 24.75-inch scale length; 1.695-inch-wide Tektoid nut
  • Pickups: 60s Burstbucker (neck), 60s Burstbucker (bridge)
  • Aluminum Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge
  • Maestro Vibrola tailpiece
  • Classic black top hat knobs
  • Vintage Deluxe tuners with keystone buttons
  • Nickel-plated hardware
  • 2 volume, 2 tone controls; 3-way toggle pickup selector

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online guitar buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.

Additional Media

Warranty Info

Sweetwater's FREE 2-Year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty

Extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

  • Save money with FREE parts and labor
  • Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time
  • Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department
Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage

Free 2-year Warranty

Sweetwater's 2-year Total Confidence Coverage™ Warranty gives you extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage
Tools Icon

Save money with free parts & labor!

Fast Icon

Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time.

Award Icon

Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department.

Back to navigation

Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Solidbody
  • Body Shape SG Standard '61
  • Body Material Mahogany
  • Body Finish Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
  • Color Vintage Cherry
  • Neck
  • Neck Material Mahogany
  • Neck Shape Slim Taper
  • Neck Joint Set Neck
  • Radius 12"
  • Fingerboard Material Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Inlay Acrylic Trapezoids
  • Number of Frets 22, Medium Jumbo
  • Scale Length 24.75"
  • Nut Width 1.695"
  • Nut Material GraphTech
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic with Maestro Vibrola
  • Tuners Vintage Deluxe
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup Gibson 60s Burstbucker Humbucker
  • Bridge Pickup Gibson 60s Burstbucker Humbucker
  • Controls 2 x volume, 2 x tone
  • Switching 3-way toggle pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings Gibson, .010-.046
  • Case/Gig Bag Hardshell Case
  • Manufacturer Part Number: SG61V00VENH1

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

Back to navigation

Customer Reviews

Write your review
Rated 5/5

Not a Gibson guy, but if you are, this is really good

I've been a Tele player for my whole life, and I've honestly avoided buying Gibsons for many years due to the poor quality over the last 2-3 decades. However, if you are a fan of what Gibson used to be, this is a truly fantastic guitar. They've really gone back to their roots with the new CEO in place and they left Henry's "RoboTuning" era behind. I will say, I wasn't super impressed by the stock pickups, they're a little muddy for me, but that's just my preference, so I wired it up with some '57 Classics, and some bumblebee caps, and it's by far the best modern SG I've ever played. Granted, I already sold it, as I bought an American Original 60's Tele that won my heart over, but nonetheless, if you're a Gibson or SG fan, look no further, this is a good one. The neck is great, the build quality is good, and…..IT STAYS IN TUNE!!!
Music background: Couple decades of playing, building and repairing guitars for a living
Rated 5/5

Amazing guitar

Gibson quality is back. Guitar is perfect from finish to playability! Sweetwater is also great. Will never consider ordering from any other online music store.
Rated 5/5

Gibson SG 61'

A beautiful guitar, incredible quality and sound. thank you sweetwater and my sales engineer keith Owen for letting me get this gibson.
Rated 5/5

Great Guitar nice work Gibson!

actually this re-issue is more like the 63 to 65 SG Standard, which I daresay is the most popular incarnation of this guitar with vintage blues rock players like me. I was pleased Gibson was making this specific model at this price Great job on frets, accurate body contours, nice nitrocellulose finish, really looks like a Jonathan Apple, just like the original ones, and as noted by a Sweetwater rep on the phone, it smells really good! The pickups sound and behave just like the original ones I've played. I did a set up on it with my favorite VR-10 strings and it is settling in wonderfully and stays in tune, maestro performs smoothly and arm stays tight. I added more vintage correct knobs, the script didn't look right on the factory ones, and had to add knob pointers! I changed the wiring to 50s style and this thing is a humdinger I really like it!
Music background: Former Major Label Recording Artist and ne’er-do-well
Rated 5/5

Absolutely Amazing

My first SG; I also play a Gibson Les Paul Traditional, HSS Fender Strat, and Fender Tele Ultra Luxe. This SG is my favorite. It's tonal range is wonderful on clean or distorted channels. It can go from country, jazz, blues, rock, to metal. And the best part about it is the feel; it just wants you to play it and write music with it. This SG also stays well in tune even with the usage of the Vibrola (which slowly grew on me and I now think is awesome). It's growl can reach that of a Les Paul at a much more comfortable weight and overall playing ability up and down the neck, and I write this knowing I love Les Pauls as well. The SG gives you a brighter tone, but with that signature darkness and depth of a Gibson when compared to some other types of guitars. Laslty, of my electric guitars, this SG handles effects pedals the best (I play through an Orange Rockerverb 50 amp). The SG with reverb and delay is a whole new level of ambiance and layered soundscapes. You won't regret this SG if you do decide to purchase it. Peace and love!

From rockers to jazz cats, there are generations of guitarists right here at Sweetwater who swear by Gibson guitars. Not only do they make many of the most iconic solidbody electric guitars of all time - the Les Paul, the SG, the Flying V - but they also produce classic hollowbody and semi-hollowbody models and some of the most iconic acoustic guitars on the planet. We play them all! Our close relationship with Gibson often allows us to stock exclusive models and rare finds, and we're always happy to turn players and collectors on to the gems in the Sweetwater Guitar Gallery. We also have access to all the latest Gibson hardware, and the Sweetwater Guitar Repair Shop has upgraded countless guitars with their top-of-the-line humbuckers, classic P-90s, and more.

Close Close $8,000 PA System Giveaway -- input your email address below to enter or click here to learn more.

See giveaway details & rules or check out our past winners!

Success!

Your email, test has been entered to win this giveaway. Good Luck!