Gibson SG Special Faded | ROSEWOOD | Worn Cherry | 2012

What’s special about this guitar: The SG Special Faded is a phenomenal sounding, great playing Gibson that is lightly finished, making it super light and resonant. Some of the features of the faded SG included a pre-faded nitrocellulose worn cherry finish, 490T and 490R humbuckers left uncovered and a ridiculously comfortable rounded 50s profile neck. This guitar has great looks, a great feel and an astounding sound.
 
Condition: This guitar is in great shape! There' very little light surface marks throughout the guitar; the pickguard is still with the protective plastic over it. The fingerboard and frets have hardly any play wear and a full life ahead of them. The neck is nice and straight with super comfortable action and the truss rod functions perfectly. All electronics and parts are original and in perfect working condition.
 
Here's what Gibson has to say about it: 
Since its arrival on the scene in 1961, Gibson's dual-horned, double-cutaway SG has been an iconic rock axe, and has become known for solid performance and tonal versatility that is unparalleled in the guitar world. Packing all the power and playability of the full-blown SG Standard, but at a price that puts it easily in the hands of today's hardworking guitarists, the Gibson USA SG Special Faded is easily one of the hottest bargains out there in an American-made electric guitar, and offers the best combination of features and value in the entire SG line.The SG Special Faded uses the same supreme tonewood species as its predecessor of nearly 50 years ago, carries the same rock-solid, time-tested hardware complement as the legendary SGs of the '60s, is powered by a pair of genuine Alnico humbucking pickups, and of course offers all the legendary playability that has made Gibson famous. To top it all off, it has a no-nonsense appearance that countless guitarists prefer, and its genuine nitrocellulose satin finish sports the worn look that Gibson's Faded series is known for. Add it up, and it means unbeatable value for money, in a guitar that rocks with the best of them – as great SG players like Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Frank Zappa, Derek Trucks, Tony Iommi and numerous others have proved for five decades.

The body of each SG Special Faded is crafted from solid mahogany, one of the most revered tonewoods in the history of the electric guitar, and the same wood used for the SG Standard and Special since the introduction of this classic Gibson design in 1961.
 
The SG Special Faded follows the classic lines of the SG Standard, with a flat top, contoured body edges, and deep cutaways that yield two slightly asymmetrical pointy body "horns."
 
 
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. It has long been acknowledged as a classic tonewood for rock and blues instruments in particular.
 
The SG Special Faded is finished in a Worn Cherry, which resembles the look of a long-played, road-tested guitar.
 
The SG Special Faded has a "worn" satin texture like that of a much-played vintage guitar, giving it the look and feel of an SG that has already been on the road for decades.
 
The SG Special Faded is hand-finished in grain-textured nitrocellulose in a simplified process that results in a gently road-worn appearance. Unlike many other manufacturers, who settle for a hard polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a breathable 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, so your guitar will further age gracefully as you play it.
 
The SG Special Faded is distinguished by its simpler headstock adornments, the businesslike dot inlays on its rosewood fingerboard (which is also left un-bound in keeping with its stripped-down ethos), and its elegant worn satin nitro finish. Under this thin skin, however, today's Gibson USA SG Special Faded runs neck-and-neck with the flagship of the SG family. Its solid mahogany body packs all the resonance and sustain that has helped to make SGs legendary, and it sports the beveled edge that is such a big part of this model's distinctive styling, while also enhancing playing comfort.

Two deep cutaways with sharp, slightly asymmetrical horns offer unparalleled access to the top of its 22-fret neck, which you'll scale at lightning speed thanks to the SG Special Faded's fast, comfortable, rounded '50s neck profile. Cranking all this tonewood and superb playability to the max is a pair of Gibson's most popular humbucking pickups from the Modern Classics series: a 490R in the neck position, and a 490T in the bridge. Made in the style of the hallowed PAF humbucker, with genuine Alnico II magnets, but updated to meet the demands of today's player and 21st century rock's high-volume requirements, this pairing offers everything from smooth, creamy, vocal warmth in the neck to raunchy rhythm tones and searing leads in the bridge. It all runs through Gibson's classic control configuration of independent volume and tone knobs for each pickup, and three-way toggle selector switch.

Keeping it all locked and loaded are a Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, arguably the most emulated hardware configuration on the planet, and a set of vintage style tuners with vintage pearloid buttons. To top it all off, the SG Special Faded comes to you already looking like a long-played friend in your choice of two great satin nitrocellulose finishes: Worn Cherry and Worn Brown.

Each guitar comes protected in a padded Gibson gigbag.
 
The SG Special Faded carries two of Gibson's most popular humbucking pickups, a 490T in the bridge position and a 490R in the neck, left uncovered to reflect the model's "bare bones" look. Both are updated renditions of Gibson's famous PAF humbuckers of the late '50s and early '60s, modified for improved versatility, and routed through the classic Gibson four-knob and three-way switch control section.
 
 
The SG Special Faded is crafted in classic Gibson style with a glued-in neck made from solid quarter-sawn mahogany and topped with an unbound rosewood fingerboard, minimally adorned with simple dot inlays. It has an angled headstock for superior resonance, and its rounded '50s profile and 1-11/16" wide molded nut help to make it supremely playable.
 
The hardware set on the SG Special Faded echoes that worn by SG Standards of the mid to late '60s, and includes Gibson's sustain enhancing Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, along with vintage-style tulip-button tuners and traditional aluminum strap buttons. The bridge and tailpiece are both plated in chrome for a professional and durable finish.