Can you cool cats tell me about this SG?

[Mark.B]

This is my first ever SG and I just don’t know much about them. I’m more of a modern player, always got into Charvel and Ibanez RGs but as I get older I’m appreciating classic tones and guitar types.

I got this SG and Marshall cabinet for $800. The guitar came with a set of 61 PAF pickups and a set of 57/57+ Classic pickups. I already sold the 57 set.


The pickups weren’t installed so I just left them in the case and put in some Lollar El Rayos that I had laying around.

Since it was disassembled, i figured I’d also shield everything.



I think I’ve got to either get the hardware plated or replace it with gold hardware. But I think it looks pretty sweet as is. It’s got some sort of “Creamtone” wiring harness. I’m not one for magic capacitors but it does sound really nice and the tone controls are very useful.

The action is insanely low, better than the shredders I’m used to. I’m happy with the El Rayos. The neck is FAT. I’m definitely not used to that. Can you tell me any more about this SG?

 

[Decadent Dan]

Nice, I’m guessing 2017 Standard T Pelham Blue.
The serial is probably YYxxx before they switched back to YxxxY.
First 2 numbers of serial are maybe 17?

 

[Mark.B]

Nice, I’m guessing 2017 Standard T Pelham Blue.
The serial is probably YYxxx before they switched back to YxxxY.
First 2 numbers of serial are maybe 17?

116190159 is the serial number. I do believe it’s a 2019.

 

[Decadent Dan]

116190159 is the serial number. I do believe it’s a 2019.

That’s cool, I had a ‘19 serial 12879xxxx Pelham Blue Standard with a large pick guard and it came with a bag.

 

[Gary Gretsch]

That’s cool, I had a ‘19 serial 12879xxxx Pelham Blue Standard with a large pick guard and it came with a bag.

The Crappy bag with shoulder straps. LOL

 

[Mark.B]

That’s cool, I had a ‘19 serial 12879xxxx Pelham Blue Standard with a large pick guard and it came with a bag.

Does the different pickguard imply a different model?

 

[Col Mustard]

Welcome to ETSG!

Gibson maintains a web site where if you report your serial number they'll tell you
about it, when it was made and what its original equipment was.
I hope that is still maintained after the changes in the leadership.

Rock that sucker!

 

[Mark.B]

The guy i got it from thought it is a SG 61 Reissue because of the small pickguard but someone else said it’s an SG Standard and not a 61 because the neck joint is taller:


Here’s a pic of the Creamtone harness:

Apparently, those capacitors have mojo™ in them.

 

[TheDixiePig]

$800 for the cab and the guitar? Dang that's a great deal. Guitar looks sweet too.

 

[Mark.B]

$800 for the cab and the guitar? Dang that's a great deal. Guitar looks sweet too.

Well, I just sold the second set of pickups which brings the total paid around $485.

 

[skelt101]

The guy i got it from thought it is a SG 61 Reissue because of the small pickguard but someone else said it’s an SG Standard and not a 61 because the neck joint is taller:
View attachment 51351

Someone else would be correct.

 

[Mark.B]

Someone else would be correct.

Thank you for the confirmation.

 

[Colnago]

Just curious, why shield a humbucker guitar?
Mine are all dead silent without shielding as they don’t have 60cycle hum like single coil guitars.
Nice guitar.
I have a 2017 Pelham Blue SG Standard that looks identical to that. Very cool guitar and mine does not have neck dive as many other do.
Thanks for showing us your very good deal!

 

[Col Mustard]

I've never shielded any of my humbucker guitars either.
My SGs don't make noise.
I used Nashua Tape on my P-bass project, and that worked fine.

My ES-339 is wired like a big humbucker, (the P-90s are reversed)
so when I play in the middle position (my favorite) it's silent. No shielding
necessary there, which would be a bitch unless it was done at the
factory.

 

[PermissionToLand]

You scored a heck of a deal. Not much to say, Pelham Blue was a special run from 2017-2019. Early 2019 builds still had the small pickguard. Yours was built right after the neck profile switched to the thicker '50s Rounded profile in May 2019.

SG Standard

The SG Standard was introduced in 1961, slotting above the SG Special and below the SG Custom. It has been one of the longest-lasting variants of the SG, only shortly being replaced by the SG Deluxe from mid-1971 to mid-1972. As they transitioned back from the Deluxe, there were some models with...

solidguitar.fandom.com

I think you'll come to love the thicker neck. You can still shred on them and you won't get any hand cramps down near the nut when you do rhythm playing. Lots of guys shred on Les Pauls with baseball bat necks so it won't get in your way.

I'd keep the '61 pickups in there. I love Alnico 5 humbuckers.

 

[papagayo]

It really looks like a 2017 SG Standard, Pelham Blue finish.

 

[smitty_p]

Just curious, why shield a humbucker guitar?
Mine are all dead silent without shielding as they don’t have 60cycle hum like single coil guitars.
Nice guitar.
I have a 2017 Pelham Blue SG Standard that looks identical to that. Very cool guitar and mine does not have neck dive as many other do.
Thanks for showing us your very good deal!

It's not necessarily a bad idea to shield a humbucker guitar. The humbuckers only work on environmental noise which impinges on the pickups, themselves. The electronics in the control cavity may still be exposed to and pick up environmental noise, which could then be passed on to the amplifier.

Now, in real practice is this really a problem? As you've pointed out, from your own experience you have not had a problem. So, it's not necessarily critical. But, it won't hurt anything and provides an extra measure of insurance against picking up noise.

 

[Mark.B]

It's not necessarily a bad idea to shield a humbucker guitar. The humbuckers only work on environmental noise which impinges on the pickups, themselves. The electronics in the control cavity may still be exposed to and pick up environmental noise, which could then be passed on to the amplifier.

Now, in real practice is this really a problem? As you've pointed out, from your own experience you have not had a problem. So, it's not necessarily critical. But, it won't hurt anything and provides an extra measure of insurance against picking up noise.

Yes, and also consider that I have 4-conductor pickups and while I don't yet have them wired for splitting, I'll probably do that when I take out the Creamtone harness. I generally like a master volume and a bass cut on my guitars so I usually rewire them in a non-traditional manner.

 

[smitty_p]

Yes, and also consider that I have 4-conductor pickups and while I don't yet have them wired for splitting, I'll probably do that when I take out the Creamtone harness. I generally like a master volume and a bass cut on my guitars so I usually rewire them in a non-traditional manner.

You rewire for a master volume? Sounds pretty interesting. I never experienced that until I got my Gretsch, which has a master volume in addition to the individual volume pots. I have found that to be a useful feature.

The Gretsch has four knobs - master volume, neck volume, bridge volume, and master tone. Do you rewire your guitars to do something similar?

 

[Mark.B]

You rewire for a master volume? Sounds pretty interesting. I never experienced that until I got my Gretsch, which has a master volume in addition to the individual volume pots. I have found that to be a useful feature.

The Gretsch has four knobs - master volume, neck volume, bridge volume, and master tone. Do you rewire your guitars to do something similar?

I wire the bridge volume as the master volume (pickups go to the switch first) which makes the bridge tone a master tone. Then I convert the neck tone into a bass cut. The neck volume is just there to fill the hole, it’s inactive.