1971 Gibson SG-250 Cherry Sunburst

The SG-XXX series of guitars consisted of 5 models. The SG-100, SG-100 P90, SG-200, Sam Ash SG-200 and the SG-250. These instruments were made from 1971-1972 as direct replacements to the Melody Maker guitars of the 60s and were then quickly replaced by the SG-1 / 2 models.

Unique features to these instruments are a thicker maple body (approx 1 5/8″) slim maple neck with volute and a non-angled headstock with single coil pickups. They featured rosewood fretboards

Gibson SG-250 Cherry Sunburst

The SG-100 featured a single coil pickup in the neck position only. The SG-100 P90 Featured it in the bridge position. The SG-200 and 250 were the same guitars except for the 250 getting a cherry sunburst finish, but they both got two single coil pickups. The Sam Ash SG-200 got a special red headstock as well as two Patent No Ttop humbucker pickups.

The single coil pickups in these guitars are by no means fantastic. The bridge is rather thin, but does have a nice bite to it. The neck is a really fat sounding single coil and the middle position almost sounds like a humbucker with how full it gets. You select your pickups using two slider knobs. Up=on, Down= Off

In this photo – both pickups would be activate
Not a very convenient set-up

These instruments are not all that popular. They generally sell in the $700-$1100 range, but there are many better guitars one could get at that price point. This leaves them mainly for someone with a collector mind-set or for someone that just loves odd-ball quirky things. Due to the time period these were made, most will have the cool Gibson embossed pickup covers.

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