Forget Amazon for guitar deals - Sweetwater has an irresistible $200 off Epiphone’s 1964 SG Reissue for all Iommi and Angus fans

Epiphone’s 1964 SG Reissue
(Image credit: Epiphone)

If, like me, you watched Tony Iommi help bring Black Sabbath’s live career to a close when he took to the stage at Back to the Beginning over the weekend and found yourself craving an SG, you’ll be pleased to learn we’re in luck – because Sweetwater has slashed $200 off Epiphone’s top-of-the-range 1964 SG Standard Reissue.

Iommi is one of the first faces that should be considered for the Mount Rushmore of SG players, though the appeal of Gibson’s famed double-cut extends far beyond the realm of heavy metal.

Angus Young helped carve out AC/DC’s world-conquering rock ‘n’ roll sound on one, Derek Trucks uses one to craft some of the finest blues slide work you’ll ever hope to hear, and Sister Rosette Tharpe formed the very foundations of rock music with an SG (then called a Les Paul) by her side.

In other words, an SG is an ultra-versatile tool to have up one’s sleeve, and the Epiphone 1964 SG Standard Reissue – which Sweetwater has reduced in a bid to draw eyes away from the best Prime Day guitar deals – is a solid option to explore.

Epiphone  1964 SG Standard Reissue
Save $200
Epiphone 1964 SG Standard Reissue: was $1,299 now $1,099 at Sweetwater Sound

At a reduced $1,099, you get a premium Epiphone that, thanks to the open book headstock, is as close as you'll be able to get to a genuine Gibson SG for a small portion of the price. Not only that, it’s styled after one of the most desirable SGs of them all, with a Maestro Vibrola and half-sized 61-style pickguard to boot.

Sure, the Vibrola might not be to everyone’s taste, and tuning issues are always a possibility, but when properly setup, they can be genuinely expansive tools to have at your disposal.

Plus, it heralds from Epiphone’s highly rated Inspired by Gibson Custom Collection, meaning it’s also been fitted with genuine Gibson USA pickups for improved tonality, and a bunch of high-end appointments that regular Epi SGs lack.

That means Gibson Custom humbuckers are joined by a Graph Tech nut, SlimTaper neck profile, mother-of-pearl trapezoid inlays and era-accurate bumblebee capacitors.

We haven’t reviewed the 1964 SG from the Inspired by Gibson Custom line, but we have got hands on with its 1963 Les Paul SG cousin – which passed with flying colors – as well as the 1959 Les Paul and 1957 Les Paul, both of which received a near-perfect score.

In other words, it's a thoroughbred axe reared from a reputable stable, and at $1,099 at Sweetwater, it’s very tempting indeed.

Visit Sweetwater to check out the deal.

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Matt Owen
News Editor, GuitarWorld.com

Matt is the GuitarWorld.com News Editor, and has been writing and editing for the site for almost five years. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 19 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. During his GW career, he’s interviewed Peter Frampton, Zakk Wylde, Tosin Abasi, Matteo Mancuso and more, and has profiled the CEOs of Guitar Center and Fender.

When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt performs with indie rock duo Esme Emerson, and has previously opened for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Keane, Japanese House and Good Neighbours.

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