A favorite of mine, the Gibson SG Standard, was introduced in 1961. Originally, due to low sales of the Gibson Les Paul, the company issued this new model of Les Paul with a new body style: thinner, with two sharp, cutaway horns, easier access to the upper frets, and the neck joint moved up about three frets. Les Paul really didn’t care for the SG himself, and so his name was removed from the model, leaving it to the simplest and stripped-down of names, the SG (solid guitar).

With a mahogany body and set neck, the SG has a deep, rich tone powered by two humbucking pickups. The control setup is very straightfoward: a three-way switch that lets you select neck only, neck and bridge combined, or bridge only activation with a one-volume and one-tone control for each respective pickup.

The guitar itself feels wonderful to play, with its shallow body and slender neck, it just feels like it molds to you and plays like a dream. With its sinister pointed horns and powerful drive, this guitar is a screamer and a rock-and-roller’s favorite (which is precisely why I love it so much). Players of note include Angus Young, Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, and Pete Townshend.