Gibson SG '61 Reissue

[LedHead]

I'm looking into getting a 61 reissue sg and had a couple questions before i got one. first what year did they start making the 61 reissue because i would like to get one from the 80s that has the tim shaw pickups, secondly if that isnt possible what is the tonal diffrence between the tim shaws and the 57 classics that are in the modern reissues, and third, have the 61 reissues always had the slim 60s neck or is that something that has come about in the past couple years, also i have read that the guitars sustain is substancially less than that of a les paul, i am aware the diffrence due to the sg having less wood, but would this lack of sustain be really noticable, and if so is there anything i could do to help it, like cranking the stop tail down to the guitar body to get more resonation.

[cooljuk]

Howdy. Why buy a guitar for the pickups (unless you're talking PAFs or similar) when there are so many winders out there that will turn out a pair tailored just to your specs?

I'd hit the local shops and start playing some SGs and LPs and see what you prefer as far as feel. Then worry about the sonic qualities after that.

[LedHead]

no im buying the guitar for the guitar, but since im buying it, i would like one with the best sounding pickups

[cooljuk]

Well, to me that's like buying a car for the factory stereo, but if you insist...

You'll likely find the average Tim Shaw pickup to be more open and brighter than the current production '57 Classics, which tend to be darker and creamier.
I'm not familiar with what year the 61 reissues started. Sorry. Gibson could tell you with a phone call. As such, I couldn't speak on the history of the neck profile.
Sustain is a per-guitar quality. As in, case-by-case. One LP may have more sustain than one SG and less than another. Same case the other way around.

[LedHead]

alright thanks, and so a newer sg witht eh 57 classics would be better for zeppelin type stuff then