The Gibson SG Special was introduced in 1961 as a "mid-level" guitar. This set-neck mahogany guitar was a step up from the SG Junior with a pair of P-90 pickups, three-way switching, individual volume and tone controls, and a bound neck with dot inlays. This first run from 1961 - 1966 is a fair amount more collectable and valuable, and is easily distinguished by it's smaller pickguard.

Though it was seemingly never advertised in Gibson catalogs, a number of these guitars were also sold and shipped from the factory with a vibrola/vibrato tailpiece.