1974 Gibson SG Special, Cherry
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
At a Glance:
Model: SG Special
Year: 1974
Finish: Cherry
Body: Mahogany
Neck: 3-piece Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood with small block inlays
Neck Profile: Slim width, medium depth C
Nut Width: 40mm
Neck Depth: 1st fret 20.6mm | 12th fret 25.3mm
Pickups: Original Pat Sticker Mini Humbuckers
Electronics: Original. CTS pots (37th week of 1974)
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Tuners: Gibson Deluxe
Hardware: Chrome
Weight: 3.08kg
Case: Original Gibson purple-lined hard case
Extras: Original Selmer price list, Gibson manual, SG Special spec sheet, period strings, Gibson capo, Gibson plectrums
Condition: Exceptionally clean, collector grade example
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.
1974 Gibson SG Special, Cherry
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
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1974 Gibson SG Special, Cherry
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Description
A superbly clean and remarkably complete example of a mid-’70s Gibson SG Special, they don't come much better than this! Finished in a vibrant deep Cherry and presented in genuinely collector-grade condition, it’s hard to imagine finding a much better preserved example. Better still, it comes with a brilliant selection of original case candy and period extras, including its original purple-lined hard case, original Selmer price list, Gibson manual, original SG Special spec sheet, three period string sets and even a Gibson capo. For anyone who appreciates originality and the sort of ephemera that so often disappears over the years, this is a very nice package indeed.
The SG Special had been reintroduced in late 1972, and by 1974 the model had settled into a distinctive spec that gives these guitars a character all of their own. This one has all the right visual cues, including the pearl Gibson logo, small volute, “Made in USA” stamp, three-piece mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard and mahogany body. The black mini humbuckers with exposed pole pieces give it a particularly cool look, especially paired with the single-ply black "angel wing" guard, black speed knobs and small block inlays. It also has a Tune-o-matic bridge rather than the earlier harmonica style, which many players will welcome from both a visual and practical standpoint.
The pickups are a pair of correct Pat sticker mini humbuckers, and electronically the guitar appears very honest throughout. The readable pot codes that aren’t obscured by solder date to the 37th week of 1974, and the solder itself appears intact, all of which is exactly what you’d hope to see on such a clean, original example. Tonally, these mid-’70s SG Specials occupy a really nice space, with the mini humbuckers offering more bite and focus than a full-size humbucker, but with more body and punch than a single coil. There’s a crisp, articulate quality to the attack, but still plenty of warmth and drive when pushed.
In the hand, the neck has a slim nut width at 40mm, though it still has a satisfying amount of depth and substance. Measuring 20.6mm at the 1st fret, thickening out to 25.3mm at the 12th, it avoids feeling too slight and instead offers a comfortable, nicely balanced shape that suits the lightweight body well. At just 3.08kg, this is an impressively light SG, which only adds to its appeal as both a player and collector’s piece.
Clean, original and complete examples of these are becoming increasingly hard to find, and this one really does tick the boxes. Between the condition, the originality, the lightweight feel and the fantastic amount of surviving case candy, it’s a superb collector’s piece and a wonderful snapshot of the SG Special in its Norlin-era form.
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At a Glance:
Model: SG Special
Year: 1974
Finish: Cherry
Body: Mahogany
Neck: 3-piece Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood with small block inlays
Neck Profile: Slim width, medium depth C
Nut Width: 40mm
Neck Depth: 1st fret 20.6mm | 12th fret 25.3mm
Pickups: Original Pat Sticker Mini Humbuckers
Electronics: Original. CTS pots (37th week of 1974)
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Tuners: Gibson Deluxe
Hardware: Chrome
Weight: 3.08kg
Case: Original Gibson purple-lined hard case
Extras: Original Selmer price list, Gibson manual, SG Special spec sheet, period strings, Gibson capo, Gibson plectrums
Condition: Exceptionally clean, collector grade example
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.