Angus Young’s 1960s Gibson SG Standard (black, Donington)

This guitar was Angus’ main during the Razors Edge (1990) and Ballbreaker (1995) tours, at least based on the frequency of use. Most notably, Angus used it on August 17, 1991, for the Live at Donington aka Monsters of Rock gig, and on July 10, 1996, during No Bull.

Although it is not known for a fact that this is the same exact guitar (Donington and No Bull), based on the photos, it appears to be. Both have the same exact finish and specs, and both have the Les Paul truss rod covers – meaning that this is likely an early to mid-1960s model.

Specs

As noted previously, based on the truss rod cover (given that it is original), this is early to mid-1960s SG Standard. The finish on it is black, which can’t be original since this wasn’t an option on the early 60s models. This opens up the possibility of this being one of Angus’ older guitars, one that he perhaps like more than the others, and for that reason decided to restore it for the Razor’s Edge tour.

One other thing worth pointing out is that the guitar had Grover tuners instead of the original Klusons with plastic buttons.

Use in the Studio

Going from the fact that the guitar was used during both the Razor’s Edge and Ballbreaker tours, it is likely that Angus used the guitar in the studio as well – at least to some extent. If you happen to come across an interview, or photos from either of these two sessions, be sure to leave a comment below.