Rare? SG

[Active]

Gibson SG-R1

I've already contacted Gibson about this model and they confirmed it's existence but unfortunately they have little info on it.

You can find further pictures of this model at http://www.elderly.com/items/30U-12038.htm however this particular guitar has been fitted with a scratch plate not found on the original and non standard strap point.

This page also suggests the model was renamed in 1981 as the 'SG Artist' and not 'SG Active' as I previously suggested - Sorry I can't confirm which if either is correct.

There don't appear to be many of these about - I know of two in the UK around the 1980s

 

[Six String]

Welcome to ETSG Active! :) :) :)

 

[edubfromktown]

Hi all,

I have a 1980 SG-R1. A buddy of mine purchased one new back in the day- always had a blast playing it (plugged into his old Peavey tube amp). I acquired one for myself ~10 years ago (after owning a '76 SG for more than 20 years) and its been awesome.

I noticed someone is selling a 1981 SG Artist on eBay for $3k

 

[Col Mustard]

Welcome to ETSG etub...

And arise from the dead, O Thread from 13 years ago, before I ever
joined up. You might have noticed our motto even so:

PICTURES, OR IT
NEVER HAPPENED

never mind all that about photo bucket. That's very obsolete.
Just resize them under 1 mb and you can upload them using the
"upload a file" command below.

 

[Steve D]

Well since a necro-thread has risen, here's a video I just watched (coincidentally) on the SG-R1.

 

[edubfromktown]

Well since a necro-thread has risen, here's a video I just watched (coincidentally) on the SG-R1.

Not much info out there a thread rising from the grave seemed appropriate.

Regarding the video- a partially gutted/butchered mutant guitar is somewhat different than a stock one I imagine LOL. I don't mind the heavier body all that much. Dave Grohl at one point had one of the much heavier and more unweildy RD Artists. He said "that it was like “holding a kitchen table to your chest and having it scream like a jet fighter.”

I played an SG-R1 brand new in 1980 and at that time owned a '76 SG that was hotrodded with DiMarzio pickups and a relatively worthless coil tap that the original owner had installed (sold that guitar after 25 years).

The R1 I currently own has stock electronics albeit with fancy pickup covers. In my opinion, both the brand new SG-R1 that I played way back when and my more recently acquired one have better sustain, more versatility (bass side due to heavier form factor and more tinny/trebly sound with the Moog board) as compared my old '76.

 

[rkscott7]

First of all this guitar could not sound right because stock super distortion pickups are too hot for the electronics the special pickups are supposed to be about 1/3 or about 3.1 k ohms which are a lot tamer than some 9 or 10k pickups

 

[rkscott7]

He probably is correct that the guy wired it single coil that would give it about 4.5k ohms still too hot and the originals were low output humbuckers not single coils this is not a good example of the way one that is working right sounds there are others on this site who have a correct working one including myself ask them for a sound clip.

 

[rkscott7]

He probably is right about those being wired single coil.That would make it 4.5 or 5k which is still too hot The original pickups were low output humbuckers if you want a more accurate soud of this guitar ask me or anybody else on this site who actually have one set up right.