Future Classics

This month’s cover story on page 52 is about the anniversary of Gibson’s twin-horned devil, the SG, and is a reminder that we have little idea of how new gear will stand the test of time. At the time of launch, the SG was rejected by its supposed endorsee, Les Paul, and the guitar went on to have an up-and-down 60s career before being eclipsed by the very guitar it replaced – the sunburst Les Paul – after the latter was championed by Eric Clapton. The SG found its true métier later, in the hands of hard rock and metal players during the 70s. In both cases, the fortunes of the designs were determined by how much backing they received from highprofile players. Likewise, Fender’s offset Jaguar and Jazzmaster electrics languished in bargain bins until 80s and 90s new wave and grunge artists made them cool and relevant in a way they hadn’t been since their launch.

Makes you wonder if any guitars launched after 2010, that haven’t made much of a splash yet, will go on to become hugely valuable classics in decades to come? What designs would you stake your money on? The difficulty is, as the electric guitar matures, there are fewer truly original designs – with many new models being partly or wholly inspired by existing classics. All of the above means if guitar companies want to write fresh pages in music history, they have to keep making new designs that challenge player’s preconceptions, take risks and offer genuinely new sounds and features. Some of these may well fail to set the market alight at first – but if they innovate, they may end up becoming future classics rather than mere updates on established designs, as useful as those are. Enjoy the issue and see you next time.