Gibson Jeff Tweedy SG 61 Review

The Gibson Jeff Tweedy SG 61 is one of several impressive signature guitars unveiled by Gibson at NAMM 2012. The famous Wilco front man took the leading role in making this is a signature guitar to remember giving Gibson a precise specification based on his early ’60s SG. The resulting guitar is something that is becoming ever more popular: a vintage guitar with a modern twist.

The design, unsurprisingly, is very much that of the original, the finish perfectly captures the era in which these guitar were made with a beautiful Blue Mist finish with cream detailing. This vintage feel is emphasised by the authentic Lyre Vibrola tailpiece with tremolo. The authenticity doesn’t just stop with looks, beneath the surface a there is a mahogany neck and body and even a North American Mahogany fretboard in a slim SG profile. Unlike the original however the neck is an unpainted satin finish.

You’ll be pleased to know that pickups on the Gibson Jeff Tweedy match them of the original with Gibson ’57 Classic humbuckers meaning you get the vintage tone you know and love. The pickups are renditions of the PAF humbuckers found on the early SG guitars so you can perfectly replicate their rich, warm tone. However Jeff Tweedy was by no means a close-minded artist and experimented with various playing styles and genres from country to punk rock. So it was important to replicate this and create a versatile guitar that is capable of many tonal possibilities.

There is no opinion involved; the Gibson Jeff Tweedy SG 61 is a breathtakingly attractive guitar, fact! Whether you’re a Wilco fan or not, it doesn’t matter when it looks and sounds this good. In my opinion when guitar manufacturers create signature guitars and put a little time and effort in rather than simply creating replicas, they are a cut above the rest. Especially if you want to reproduce that vintage sound that you just can’t get with modern guitars.

Price: £1,300 GBP / $1,700 USD