Make and Model: Gibson Double Cutaway SG Special in Cherry Red. This is a beautiful and very rare cherry 1960 Gibson (Les Paul/SG) Special Double Cutaway in beautiful all original condition. The catalog name of this guitar is technically "SG Special" since the Les Paul designation and signature was dropped from the Special and TV Model in November of 1959, but I've listed it here as Les Paul so it could be found easier. The double cutaway Specials, especially the earlier ones often have neck joint issues but Gibson modified the design halfway through production moving the neck pickup back into the body to protect the integrity of the neck joint and this is one of the later ones.

Year: 1960 with transitional slim neck profile.

Originality: All finish and parts are original to the guitar (original stop bar in the case). There is a light stress crack to the back of the headstock of the guitar which does not continue across the entire width of the neck (see photos). It was there when I bought the guitar from the very well respected Mandolin Brothers on Staten Island, New York 25 years ago and has been entirely stable since. There is also a crack to the wood near the treble tone-pot which is also in the photos.

Condition: Very good! There is light fading/checking of the Cherry Red finish throughout as expected.

Playability: Excellent! The neck is straight and the truss rod works as intended. It has a beautiful Brazilian rosewood fretboard and there is wear to the original frets but not enough to affect its playability. All original nibs are still present. The original electronics are clean and operate as intended.

Case: The guitar comes with an excellent fitted Gibson protector ‘chainsaw’ case which I’ve always assumed was period.

Notes: Purchased, by me from the very respectable ‘ Mandolin Brothers’ on Staten Island NY. Is has been one of my most prized possessions and has been treated as such and therefore still in beautiful condition. The only modification I have made is to remove the stop tailpiece and use a compensated one. The original is still in case, as is my receipt from MB.

Doublecut design notes

For many years after 1960 no Les Paul Doublecut guitars were produced by Gibson, and when Gibson did start making doublecut Les Pauls again, they were Custom Shop re-issues closely following this Les Paul/SG Special flat-top design, with P-90 pickups rather than humbuckers. In the interim, during the 1970s, a small boutique USA guitar producer, Hamer, began making both flat-top and carved-top doublecutaway guitars very similar to the then-dormant Gibson designs. These Hamer versions of doublecutaway Les Pauls got widespread publicity for their use by the members of the rock band Cheap Trick and others.