Gibson Custom has announced the introduction of the new Inspired By Robby Krieger SG — a limited edition replica guitar that combines features from Doors guitarist Robby Krieger’s most cherished SGs.
Whether it’s the SG Special Krieger played when he first joined the band or the dozen or so he’s owned since, Gibson SGs have played a part in all of Krieger’s work, including such classic rock staples as “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times,” “Love Her Madly” and countless other songs that remain as relevant today as they were popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Taking the Best of the Best
The new Inspired By Robby Krieger SG from Gibson Custom blends several features from some of Krieger’s favorite SGs. Made of traditional solid mahogany, the body of the Krieger SG is typical of the thin SG bodies from the mid 1960s, complete with traditional beveled edges and the distinct dual sharp cutaway horns that give players complete access to the guitar’s full 22-fret rosewood fingerboard. The body is then finished in Krieger’s personal favorite Aged Dark Heritage Cherry finish, which is very similar to the finish of his beloved 1967 SG Standard, and historically accurate right down to the tiniest scratches, dings and belt rash. The neck is also a typical SG one-piece mahogany neck, but with a hybrid neck profile modeled after the neck on a 1961 Gibson SG owned by a close friend and the neck on his personal ’67 SG Standard.
Gibson’s ’57 Classic Pickups Deliver
In order to duplicate Krieger’s signature sound on song’s like the Doors’ classic “Roadhouse Blues” and its easily identifiable opening guitar lick, Krieger chose a pair of Gibson’s renowned ’57 Classic humbucker pickups. Gibson’s original “Patent Applied For” humbuckers of the mid- to late-1950s — some of the most sought after pickups in the world — were wound using imprecise machines, resulting in pickups with slightly different output and tone, and desirable to players who wanted to mix and match and explore a complete spectrum of tonal possibilities. The ’57 Classic pickups are the result of Gibson’s drive to capture and recreate this renowned characteristic. Krieger’s signature sound comes through clearly in a warm, full tone with a balanced response, packing all the tremendous “PAF” humbucker crunch expected from a Gibson humbucker.
Limited Run of Only 150 Guitars
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Everything else on the new Inspired By Krieger SG is classic Gibson SG Standard, including the ABR-1 Bridge and Maestro tailpiece tremolo system, nickel hardware, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with figured acrylic trapezoid inlays, and vintage tulip tuners. The new Inspired By Robby Krieger SG Standard is destined to become of the most popular SGs ever produced by Gibson Custom, but it will only be produced in a very limited run of only 150 guitars — 50 aged to look exactly like Krieger’s, and 100 with Gibson Custom’s V.O.S. finish treatment. Each guitar will come with its own Gibson Custom case, custom care kit, and a certificate of authenticity signed personally by Krieger.
Click here for more information about the Gibson Robby Krieger SG.