Gibson Jake Kiszka SG Standard - Faded Vintage Cherry

The Gibson Jake Kiszka SG Standard is a limited-run signature model built around the most photographed SG in modern hard rock — Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet's 1961 SG, affectionately nicknamed "the Beloved". Hand-built in Nashville, finished in Faded Vintage Cherry nitrocellulose, and loaded with a pair of T-Type humbuckers that punch harder than the period-correct voicing of the early '60s, this is the SG you've watched front a sold-out arena tour, reissued for players who want a piece of that sound for themselves.

Hear It in Action

Built Around Jake's "Beloved" 1961 SG

Jake's been clear about the relationship he has with his original burgundy '61 — it's the guitar that defined his playing, and in his words, the guitar he's defined in return. Gibson's signature program rarely produces a model this close to an artist's live rig, but this Standard pulls every visual cue from the Beloved: the sculpted asymmetric horns, the pronounced bevels, the small-block trapezoid inlays, the locked Sideways Vibrola cover sitting behind the stop bar like a non-functional badge of origin.

Solid Mahogany with a SlimTaper Neck

Underneath the Faded Vintage Cherry gloss nitro is a solid mahogany body and a one-piece mahogany set neck carved to Gibson's SlimTaper profile — fast enough for the legato runs Jake's known for, with enough shoulder to push back when you dig in. The bound rosewood fingerboard carries 22 medium-jumbo frets, glowing acrylic trapezoid inlays, and a 12" radius. A Graph Tech nut and Gibson Vintage Deluxe tuners with keystone buttons keep things stable when the guitar gets pushed hard.

T-Type Humbuckers and Orange Drop Caps

This is where Jake's spec departs from a period-correct '61. In place of the original P-90s or PAFs, he chose a pair of T-Type humbuckers — Gibson's modern take on the high-output classic voicing — voiced for sharper articulation, biting top end, and the kind of dynamic response that holds up when the gain stage opens up. Each pickup gets its own volume and tone, with Orange Drop capacitors smoothing the tone sweep so you actually get a usable range across the knob rather than mud at the bottom.

The Locked Sideways Vibrola

Visually the guitar wears the Sideways Vibrola cover that defined early-'60s SGs, but Gibson and Jake have locked the assembly so it behaves as a fixed stop tailpiece. You get the cosmetic accuracy without the tuning-instability headaches that pushed most original Vibrolas into "permanently parked" territory anyway. Strings travel across an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge to the locked stop, which means rock-solid intonation and the snap a properly-set SG is meant to have.

Signature Accessories You'll Actually Use

This signature model ships with more than just a strapped-on certificate. Inside the black Modern hardshell case — emblazoned with Jake's doubloon-inspired graphic — you'll find a second backplate signed and stamped by Jake himself (the standard backplate is already installed), plus a custom leather strap with a metallic doubloon coin pendant Jake designed personally. Set up in-store by Guitar World Australia's techs before it ships to you.

Limited Numbers, Built in Nashville

Gibson's only making these in limited numbers and for a limited window. If you grew up on Greta Van Fleet, or you've been chasing a real-deal SG with a story behind it, this isn't going to sit on the rack long. Built by hand at the Gibson workshop in Nashville, USA.

Specifications