1970 Gibson Electric Solid Bodies Catalogue
SG Custom, Standard, Special, Junior, Melody Maker-D, Melody Maker-12

Catalogue Index

1970 Gibson Les Paul catalogue

1970 electric solid bodies catalogue The solid body guitars manufactured by Gibson in 1970 are shown here, with the exception of the Les Pauls, which had their own Les Paul catalogue. Models shown are the SG Custom, SG standard, SG Special, SG Junior, Melody maker D and Melody maker 12

1970 was a fantastic year for the Gibson SG, shipping 12914 instruments. In total more SG guitars were sold than in any other single year in the period 1961-1979, selling a third more than the next best year 1965 (8871 units). Most of these sales came from two models, the Standard (6677 - double the previous years sales) and the Special (4982). Perhaps it was the influence of popular bands of the time (Clapton with his SG standard, and the remarkable performances of the Who and Santana at Woodstock the previous year - both SG Special users). Walnut, a new colour option announced in 1969 became available, and almost 60% of the Specials were shipped in this colour. It became the default colour for the Custom, which sported a fetching white pickguard, and was also available for the standard, and Junior - though shipping figures for these models are not split by colour.

1972 Gibson electric solid bodies catalogue

Despite the sales sucess of 1971, Gibson redesigned the SG in mid 1971; partially to decrease production costs (front routed control panels) and partially to improve the instrument (volute to improve neck strength). This resulted in a new Custom, and the Standard and Special renamed to Deluxe and Pro accordingly. The Junior and melody Maker models were dropped in favour of new budget models the SG100, SG200 and SG250. The very similar looking 1972 Gibson solid bodies catalogue shows details of these instruments

1970 Gibson bass catalogue	1970 Gibson Electric Acoustics catalogue
1970 Gibson Les Paul catalogue	1970 Gibson electric solid bodies catalogue
1970 Gibson thinline catalogue

The 1970 Gibson catalogue consisted of 12 separate brochures, each concentrating on a specific area. This was the first time the Gibson catalogue had been split into so many sections

Gibson Thunderbird IV Active Bass Zebra Wood

Gibson SG Supreme Bass Natural

Gibson Steve Howe Signature ES-175 Guitar Vintage Sunburst

Based on the '64 ES-175 that was Steve's first good guitar and the one to which he has returned throughout his long career, this stunning signature model features everything he loves best: maple top, back, and sides, split-parallelogram mother-of-pearl inlays on a rosewood fretboard, full body and neck binding, inlaid ebony bridge base, unique nickel T-trapeze, and 2 '57 Classic humbuckers. Independent volume and tone controls with a 3-way toggle. Deep, rich tone rings out from a full hollowbody with a deep cutaway for easy high-fret access.

Gibson Custom Shop Custom Shop CS-336 Figured Top Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst

Created by Gibson's Custom, Art, & Historic Division, it's a "tonally carved" guitar with a solid mahogany carved back-and-sides unit, a carved, bookmatched, figured maple top, and a center block that is an integral part of the top and back. The shape is a scaled-down version of the ES-335, offering the player more comfort from this highly refined version of the classic. Includes hardshell case

Available in vintage cherry, antique sunburst or tangerine burst

Gibson SG Reissue 4-String Bass Heritage Cherry Sunburst Chrome Hardware

The small, fast bass. Gibson's classic dual-pickup SG bass from the '60s is back! It has the 30-1/2" short scale of the original, as well as its slim, fast neck. Mahogany body and neck. It features a vintage-style TB Plus neck humbucker and a mini-humbucker at the bridge for wide tonal range. Includes hardshell case.

Also available in Ebony

Gibson Firebird VII Electric Guitar Red Metallic Gold Hardware

Performance, playability, and styling are the hallmarks of the Firebird VII. When first introduced in 1963, the Firebird VII was celebrated for its natural feel, fast action, and wide range of tone. With its 9-ply mahogany and walnut neck-thru-body design, 6-in-a-line banjo-style machine heads and adjustable ABR bridge with Vibrola tailpiece, this guitar became the rage. The new Firebird VII also features replicas of Gibson's high-output mini humbucker producing bright and focused output, while retaining the famous Gibson humbucker performance. The ebony fingerboard and Lyre Vibrola add to its expressive range.