The new Les Paul Jr. set in motion a complete redesign of the Les Paul line. In 1959
the Special went to the ro u n d e d - h o rn double-cutaway shape and was renamed the SG
Special (SG for Solid Guitar). In 1960, all four models were revamped and given a new
“SG” body shape, featuring a thinner, double-cutaway body with pointed horns. The
Custom, Standard and Jr. retained the Les Paul designation through 1962, after which
they became SG models.
G i b s o n ’s design innovation continued into the 1960s when Ted McCarty hired leg-
e n d a r y automotive designer Ray Deitrich to design a Gibson. The result was the
F i re b i r d series, and the companion Thunderbird bass series of 1963. The Fire b i rd s
“ reversed” conventional designs, with their elongated treble-side horn and tre b l e - s i d e
tuners. They also introduced neck-through-body construction and smaller “mini-hum-
bucking” pickups to the Gibson line.
In response to the rising demand for 1950s-style Les Pauls, the carved-top models
w e re re i n t r oduced in 1968. A new model, the Les Paul Deluxe, featuring mini-hum-
bucking pickups appeared in 1969. The Special was revived in the 1970s and the Jr.
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