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‘60s pelham blue SG Standards - how many?

garywright

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
15,583
again, beautiful color…what do you suppose did the three nearly identical gouges ?
 

DariStar

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2022
Messages
35
I am really lucky to have found this early 65' Pelham Blue SG many years ago and even more happy that it still has a lot of the Blue in it. Most of the Pelham Gibsons I have seen and had are more green, which also seems to always equal less metallic as well. At one time I had 5 65'-67'Pelham Blue Gibsons, they all looked a little different and in photos it is even more pronounced. I think the ambering of the lacquer dulls the metallic as well.
 
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DariStar

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2022
Messages
35
again, beautiful color…what do you suppose did the three nearly identical gouges ?
Thanks Gary, I dunno, I've wondered that too, they were there when I got the SG. I guessed some odd shaped bracelet. I used to wear chunky Navajo Turquoise & Silver bracelets, though I would take them off my right arm to play. But I know some players really love their arm gear...haha.
 

DariStar

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2022
Messages
35
I thought I posted the SG's control cavity pic here? Maybe it was the other thread or the SG site?
Either way, here it is, notice the grain and the unfaded Pelham Blue!
I should maybe get in with a Q-Tip and clean it up a little. Either way the solder covers the week code after the 65.
It seems by Summer of 65' we start to see chrome vs nickel hardware and T-Tops vs Pat. # pickups .
After Spring of 65' we also see what in my opinion is the worst of the changes, we lose the perfect 1 11/16 nut width.
The nut narrows to 1 5/8, then by 66' it's down to 1 9/16. The neck profile on my SG is very close to a 59' Les Paul, as close as it gets. It seems that before 64'- mid 65' the necks have a thinner profile, then after this they start narrowing the fretboard.
For me the pinnacle of the SG is the 64'-mid 65'. They also lose the side-pull vibrato and go to the much more usable Maestro.
I have an inked serial # super-early 61' SG/Les Paul with mid-1960 Pots and it has a neck that is more like a 1960 Les Paul Standard...otherwise thinner profile, but of course with the the proper nice wide fretboard and nut width of 1 11/16.
This SG seems likely to have been created in the first half of the year as it has all the best/early features.

Pelham cavity.jpg
 

terminalvertigo

New member
Joined
Oct 31, 2020
Messages
3
My '65 Jr.

Bought it on TGP a decade ago or so.

513XXX
NB67Few.jpg
 
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DariStar

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2022
Messages
35
Awesome Junior !!! Nice wide nut 65'....drool, drool, drool.
I really screwed up not getting a certain 65' Pelham Blue Special about 15 years ago...still hoping to find one.
For now my 66' Firebird with 2 P-90's does the trick, at least it has a medium transition nut width.
 

Pelham Blues

New member
Joined
Feb 15, 2023
Messages
13
DariStar, impressive! You have my number one want/search...any chance you would entertain selling the Pelham Eb3 (assuming its original!)?
 
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