2012 SG Standard comes with rosewood fingerboard or baked maple?

[crimsonfire]

I apologize if this has been discussed before. I tried searching on my own and I couldn't find a direct answer to what I wanted to know.

With all of this talk about Gibson's raid and them using different types of wood, I just wasn't sure which models were affected.

I looked at Gibson's official site and the specs for the SG Standard says that the fingerboard is rosewood. So what's the deal, are the SG Standard's still rosewood?

If baked maple is being used, is it only the 2012 models? I just recently bought a new SG from AMS (it's on the way), but it doesn't say what year it is and the spec sheet says rosewood.

 

[AndersA]

I have a 2012 standard and it's rosewood.

/AndersA

 

[crimsonfire]

When I get the guitar, is there a way to check? How do you tell the difference between rosewood and baked maple?

 

[assquatch20]

Gibson Baked Maple Fingerboard Guide

That might help you a bit.

The big thing I've noticed is the grain is more broad and wavy on the fretboard cuts for baked maple. Rosewood has a tighter, straighter grain seems like.

 

[Rowdymoon]

If it's a standard with p-90's then it is maple for sure...if it's a standard with humbuckers than it may be either or....I could be wrong but I think early models(2012) might have rosewood but I would imagine with the rosewood issue that you will see later models coming out with maple.

 

[oldrockfan]

it is usually very easy to tell rosewood from baked maple by just looking at the wood. If you have a picture of the guitar in question, post it up and I am confident we can tell you whether it is rosewood or maple. Now as for which is used, 2012 makes standards both ways and that I can confirm first hand as I have personally handled 2012 SGs at the store that have been made with both rosewood and some with baked maple.

 

[mountain2012]

When I get the guitar, is there a way to check? How do you tell the difference between rosewood and baked maple?

Baked maple is very smooth. Rosewood looks rough like there are tiny bits missing, almost like little cracks. Very easy to tell the difference.

I too had the same question whether Gibson was moving to baked maple on their SG Standards so I emailed them. Only the Standard Limited model uses baked maple. The Standards use the layered two piece rosewood fretboards still.

There was some confusion in the posts on Gibson's site as well as on the SG Standard page on Samash.com listing the Standards as having baked maple.

 

[Ric10]

Mine sn states made in January 2012 it is rosewood

 

[Col Mustard]

So.... here's some photos of my 2012 Gibson SG special. It came with
the baked maple fretboard. I like this guitar very much. And I still own it.
I don't know anything about the Standards.

I'll tell you that the baked maple fretboard is a fine and durable substitution.
Gibson had no choice in that year. Federal agents entered their facility and confiscated
lots of ebony and rosewood that Gibson had obtained on the black market, illegally.

If you buy a 2012, you get what you get. In that year, Gibson did the best they could
to keep their workers employed and their production up. I imagine they had their R&D
staff working earlier than 2012, to come up with something Gibson could use in case of
third world unpredictability as concerning the supply of tropical tone woods.

These photos were taken in like 2017, after five years of play and use. When I first bought the guitar,
the baked maple was a reddish brown... very lovely actually. But I treated my fretboard with
"Fret Doctor" oil, and it darkened up nicely. Here is what it looked like, right out of the box:

it's smooth, it's hard, and it has no crevices like rosewood does.
Mine has been a fine fretboard material since 2013, and I have NO COMPLAINTS...
So I wouldn't fuss overmuch about buying one. The baked maple fretboard guitars
seem to suffer a hit on resale value... that makes it GREAT for the buyer who wants
Gibson excellence for a lower price. That make it TERRIBLE for the collector/flipper
who wants to buy low and sell high and rip somebody off in the process.

So.... if yer a player, and you want excellence at a lower cost... these guitars are a
fine alternative. If yer a profiteer, you ought to look into vintage Fenders or something
and leave the 2012 Gibsons to real musicians. Just my humble opinion, of course.

 

[papagayo]

My 2012 SG Std Ltd Edition have an ebony fretboard.