Gibson SG Standard Faded 4 String Bass (Heritage Cherry)
During the height of Gibson’s original “Golden Era,” the company’s only bass guitar at the time — the EB0 — underwent the same radical transformation as the Les Pauls, which were being redesigned as the now classic SG. It was a bold move and it paid off, bringing Gibson basses to the forefront. Today’s SG Standard Bass recreates the classic, dual-pickup version, staying true to the design and specs of the original, including the popular 30.5-inch scale length.
Three-Way Adjustable Bridge
Gibson’s innovative three-way adjustable bridge is the standard for simplicity and functionality. It provides players with the ability to adjust and fine-tune the height of the SG Standard Bass’ strings in all directions — front, back, and side-to-side — which gives the bridge a “floating” feature, thus allowing the bass to be equipped with a variety of string gauges and multiple set-up options. The SG Reissue’s legendary resonance, tone, and sustain is the result of anchoring the bridge directly into the body at its three adjustable points, which provides a firm seating for the strings and yields a strong union between the strings and body. Readily accessible screws make setting the intonation simple. To this day, Gibson’s three-way adjustable bridge remains an industry standard. It is the epitome of form and function in bass guitar bridge design.
Set-Neck Construction
Like all classic Gibson guitars, the necks on the SG Standard Basses are distinguished by one of the more traditional features that have always set them apart — a glued neck joint. Gluing the neck to the body of the guitar insures a “wood-to-wood” contact, no air space in the neck cavity, and maximum contact between the neck and body, allowing the neck and body to function as a single unit. The result? Better tone, better sustain, and no loose or misaligned necks.
Vintage-Style TB and TB Mini Humbuckers
The pickups on the early Gibson basses of the 1960s remained unchanged for many years, undergoing only minor cosmetic modifications from time to time, but staying true to the originals’ sonic characteristics. The pickups in today’s SG Standard Bass — the vintage-style TB Plus humbucker and TB mini humbucker — are wax-potted and capture and recreate the classic attributes of those early Gibson basses. The TB plus humbucker in the neck is a traditional hum-cancelling bass pickup with a full frequency, heavy-bottom sound, similar to pickups with a passive EQ. The EB mini humbucker in the bridge is traditionally smaller but packs a sweet punch with exceptional mid-range presence. This combination makes the SG Standard Bass a versatile instrument with a wide range of tonal possibilities.
20-Fret Rosewood Fingerboard
Rosewood has always graced the fingerboards of the world’s finest stringed instruments, including many of today’s Gibsons. The fingerboard on the Gibson SG Standard Bass is constructed from the highest grade rosewood on the planet. The rosewood is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before it enters the factories to be fitted onto the neck of the SG Standard Bass. The resilience of this dense and durable wood makes these fingerboards extremely balanced and stable, and gives each note unparalleled clarity and bite.
