Robby Krieger gets signature SG

Gibson are to honour Doors guitarist Robbyt Krieger with a signature model of his famous SG. Here’s what they have to say about it;

“During his time with The Doors, and beyond, Robby Krieger proved himself one of the most inventive guitarists in rock. His lithe, flamenco- and jazz-influenced licks and solos took the electric guitar in directions that no other popular rock artist was exploring, and constituted one of the main ingredients in a band that stood out as totally unique not only in its own time, but for all time. And throughout his career, Krieger chose a Gibson SG Standard to launch his sonic explorations. In joint celebration of this ground-breaking guitarist’s vast achievements and the 50th Anniversary of the Gibson SG, Gibson USA presents the 50th Anniversary Robby Krieger SG, an instrument painstakingly crafted in the image of the great ’60s SGs that Krieger made his own. With all the classic ingredients of the model, a pair of humbucking pickups with phase switching, and a Maestro Vibrola with vintage-style “Lyre” tailpiece, this guitar is primed to help you break on through to your own creative revolution.
To give the 50th Anniversary Robby Krieger SG the best possible tonal foundation, Gibson USA uses all Grade-A tonewoods, and crafts the instrument in the image of the finest SGs to emerge 50 years ago. Its solid mahogany has the asymmetrical “double-horned” deep double-cutaway design, which exudes tonal richness and depth, with plenty of clarity and sustain. Coupled with the SG’s characteristic beveled edge–a big part of this model’s distinctive styling–the mahogany’s light weight also enhances playing comfort, and the fine grain of the Grade-A timbers used beneath the transparent Heritage Cherry nitrocellulose finish looks superb, too. The guitar’s quarter-sawn mahogany neck is carved in a slim but rounded profile that measures .800″ at the 1st fret and .895″ at the 12th. It is glued into the body with Gibson’s acclaimed deep set-neck joint, and topped with a Grade-A rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets and vintage cream binding. And to give this SG the special treatment it deserves, the back plate covering the controls is adorned in Robby Krieger’s own musically themed artwork, while a 50th Anniversary graphic on the headstock declares the guitar’s pedigree.

To give this instrument all the tone of the originals, Gibson USA gives the 50th Anniversary Robby Krieger SG a pair of the most accurate PAF-styled humbuckers available today. The 57 Classics in the neck and bridge position are made with genuine Alnico II magnets, and wound with 42-AWG enamel-coated wire just like the originals, but are wax potted to combat microphonic squeal for high-volume playing. And for added versatility, a push-pull pot on the rhythm pickup’s tone control provides funky phase-reverse switching. A Maestro Vibrola tailpiece gives this SG supreme performance versatility, while a traditional Lyre plate tops off its accurately retro look. A Tune-o-matic bridge with allen-key height adjustment keeps your intonation true, aided by a set of Kluson-style tulip-button tuners installed at the other side of the PLEK-cut Corian nut. Add it up, and the 50th Anniversary Robby Krieger SG is a stunning trip back in time to the age of the original SG Standards, and a fitting tribute to one of the most inventive guitarists of the ’60s.”

Features

• Solid Mahogany body with high-gloss Heritage Cherry finish
• Pair of powerful Alnico II ’57 Classics pickups
• Rhythm pickup phase switching capability
• Maestro Vibrola tailpiece with vintage-style “Lyre” tailpiece
• Robby Krieger’s own musically themed artwork on back plate
• Price $2,839

Sources: Gibson and Sonic State.