Guitar of the week #76 - Gibson SG Special T (2017 model)
Ordinarily I don't feature two same-brand guitars in a row, but I had a good reason to feature this one.
In my article all about nitro finishes, I talked about satin urethane and mentioned that Gibson has a few guitars in that particular finish. This guitar, the 2017 Gibson USA SG Special T, is one of them.
Where satin finishes on the body are concerned, I admit that Gibson really knows how to do it right - and do it at a reasonable price for a USA model as you'll see on the link.
The satin finish is naturally not a high gloss but a duller, diffused gloss. But in the way Gibson does it, it works. I personally think the "Vintage Sunburst" seen above is the best of the three (the other two are Cherry and Ebony).
This SG guitar is a really nice blend of vintage designs in a modern instrument. The entire guitar has a very cool look, almost like something you'd see in a guitar store in the early 1960s.
Does the guitar look better than the more expensive Gibson USA SG Standard with its nitro finish? To that I say there's only one thing I like better about the Standard, and that's the trapezoid neck inlays. The Special T as you see above uses blocks.
Do I mind the blocks? Not at all, but I totally admit I'm a sucker for trapezoid inlays on Gibson Les Paul and SG guitars.
However, I will say the Special T is the much better buy. You're getting a kickass guitar with the SlimTaper neck profile (typical for SG models), it totally has the right vintage look on a modern axe and it's actually more gig-ready than the Standard would be. Why? Because the satin finish can take far more punishment than nitro can and cleaning a satin finish is stupidly easy.
I do sincerely appreciate the fact the SG Special T purposely looks different from other SG models. The white pick guard treatment, gold knobs and nickel hardware all just work so well. This is a cool guitar.
And once again, the price is right here. For a USA-made Gibson, this is pretty darned good.
Published 2016 Sep 21
