“I play an SG Junior because growing up musicians that were important in my life were Angus Young and Billie Joe Armstrong”: Yungblud’s first-ever Epiphone signature guitar is here – and it’s the best Epi SG Junior you can currently buy
The smartly styled SG, inspired by Yungblud's original '64 Gibson SG Junior, gets an official release after months of anticipation
(Image credit: Epiphone)
Epiphone has finally launched Yungblud’s first-ever signature guitar, a limited-edition SG Junior that takes inspiration from the indie rock star’s original 1964 Gibson model.
The arrival of the electric guitar comes as no surprise, given that Yungblud – aka Dominic Harrison – has been teasing its existence for a few months now. Back in April, he revealed the SG Junior was in the works, and gave away an early prototype.
Now, after months of sightings, the guitar has arrived, and the formal launch officially confirms what we’ve been thinking: this is a very, very pretty guitar indeed.
Boasting a classy Classic White colorway, a sole Dogear Epiphone P-90 Pro, and a compensated wraparound Lightning Bar bridge, the guitar – at first glance – looks to be a standard-run Epiphone SG Junior, which will no doubt increase its appeal.
Indeed, we imagine the guitar will be a hit among not just Yungblud fans, but guitar fans in general, and we expect those on the lookout for a ‘64-style Epi SG Junior will be mighty tempted by Yungblud’s model, owing to its smart spec and sleek aesthetic.
(Image credit: Epiphone)
Not only that, but regular SG Juniors are a pretty rare sight for Epiphone – there isn’t one in production at the time of writing – which further highlights the significance and appeal of this release.
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To that end, there’s not much by way of ‘signature guitar flair’ on the guitar itself that confirms it to be a Yungblud signature model. There are no signatures, no logos, no motifs, no custom truss rod cover, nothing.
Instead, its association to Yungblud is confirmed by a hot pink-interior hardshell case, which comes with a Yungblud die-cut bumper sticker. With that in mind, this is comfortably positioned as the best Epiphone SG Junior you can currently buy.
In terms of specs, there’s a mahogany body, SlimTaper mahogany neck, and 22-fret laurel fingerboard, as well as a Graph Tech nut, pearloid dot inlays and a 12” radius. It’s also got Deluxe Vintage tuners, a three-ply black pickguard and master volume and tone controls.
In other words, it’s a no-nonsense workhorse SG, which is the spitting image of a regular ‘64 G Junior. And, at $599, weighs in at a rather accessible price point indeed.
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(Image credit: Epiphone)
(Image credit: Epiphone)
But, of course, that’s exactly how Yungblud envisioned it to be: a faithful, accessible recreation of the guitar that has been so influential to him over the years.
"Guitars and rock music have always been a fundamental part of my life,” says Yungblud. “Literally my education, I grew up on the counter of a guitar shop and I’ve been dusting them since I was three years old.
“The reason why I play a White ‘64 SG Junior is because growing up musicians that were important in my life were Angus Young and Billie Joe Armstrong. This SG Junior is entirely my own and it already looks fucking iconic.
As we say, it’s bound to be a hugely popular model, but only 600 will be made.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
