Tell me about the SG

stickyfiddle

@TTBZ see that’s exactly how to sling it. On the right hip, angled up, with the strap button roughly in the middle of your body. Super comfortable like that

ICBM

TTBZ said:

Just to show how they're all different, this is how mine sits with no hands on the guitar, stays where I put it. And this is with a couch vinyl Racer X strap which aren't particularly grippy.

Are you related to Bill Wyman?!



I can't play a guitar like that at all. I do hold it with the neck almost horizontal.

melod

SG customs (black or cream) are amazingly pretty. Also...in today’s pricing by Gibson , you would need to have very deep pockets.

Rocker

The SG I had suffered from (bad) neck dive when on a strap.  Check this out before you buy it.

TTBZ

ICBM said:

TTBZ said:

Just to show how they're all different, this is how mine sits with no hands on the guitar, stays where I put it. And this is with a couch vinyl Racer X strap which aren't particularly grippy.

Are you related to Bill Wyman?!

I can't play a guitar like that at all. I do hold it with the neck almost horizontal.

Just goes to show how personal these things are I guess! Always feel like it's a reach to the first few frets on my strat. Probably something I'd get used to though.

Moe_Zambeek

I played an SG almost exclusively for a very long time and got used to that right hip orientation. Then I got a strat and the ergos of it turned out to be much more livable-with, and the SG was demoted. Now I find it hard to go back...but they are fun guitars to play and nice and light too!

I find the SG sounds great overdriven but to my ears they are quite flat and boring sounding clean. The neck pickup sounds crap (Don’t really like any neck pickups though!) and they usually have a deadspot or two around the octave on the G string. Neck dive is a thing on most I’ve tried. You have to be aware of how you’re moving the neck because you can put yourself out of tune easily. 

One of the best sounding SGs I’ve tried recently was fitted with a sideways vibrato. Flexi neck and terrible tuning stability but the extra chunk of metal gave it a bit more beef and cut. Still unusable given it went out of tune if you looked at it.

ICBM

Moe_Zambeek said:

I find the SG sounds great overdriven but to my ears they are quite flat and boring sounding clean. The neck pickup sounds crap

Oddly I like both the clean sound and the neck pickup a lot - very clear and chimey for a humbucker guitar - which makes my inability to get on with the geometry even more annoying.

Moe_Zambeek said:

One of the best sounding SGs I’ve tried recently was fitted with a sideways vibrato. Flexi neck and terrible tuning stability but the extra chunk of metal gave it a bit more beef and cut. Still unusable given it went out of tune if you looked at it.

I seem to remember the vibrato was fitted off-kilter on that one, which didn’t help... although to be honest, if you look at pics of old ones that seems to be historically accurate.

JayGee

Like a PRS Mira only not quite as good...

Kittyfrisk

JayGee said:

Like a PRS Mira only not quite as good...

Mouth, Domestos, rinse, repeat.

Voxman

ICBM said:

Moe_Zambeek said:

I find the SG sounds great overdriven but to my ears they are quite flat and boring sounding clean. The neck pickup sounds crap

Oddly I like both the clean sound and the neck pickup a lot - very clear and chimey for a humbucker guitar - which makes my inability to get on with the geometry even more annoying.

I fully concur, it's what I like about my SG Standard and is what makes it different to a Les Paul. Oddly, I have no problem with the geometry at all and find it very comfortable to play. It probably helps that mine (2006 Standard) is very light with no neck dive whatsoever.

TheMarlin

Terrible neck dive on every one I’ve had. 24 fret models feel really weird (to me), and pickups too close together, and pickups too hot.  

I always loved them, but owning one was always a bit of a let down. 

I bought one of these for my daughter as her starter electric, https://www.jhs.co.uk/vintage/vintage-reissued-electrics/vintage-v6-reissued-vibrola-tailpiece-gun-hill-blue
I was so impressed with it, I bought another for myself.  Honestly, it’s the only SG I’ve ever bonded with. Great neck, fab pickups, and love the Maestro trem.  Bit heavy, but doesn’t bother me.  Cracking guitar!  It’s the cheapest guitar in my collection, and honestly, one of my favourites. 

Moe_Zambeek

ICBM said

Moe_Zambeek said:

One of the best sounding SGs I’ve tried recently was fitted with a sideways vibrato. Flexi neck and terrible tuning stability but the extra chunk of metal gave it a bit more beef and cut. Still unusable given it went out of tune if you looked at it.

I seem to remember the vibrato was fitted off-kilter on that one, which didn’t help... although to be honest, if you look at pics of old ones that seems to be historically accurate.

Yeah it was installed squint I returned that one for a refund in the end. 

PonchoGreg

JayGee said:

Like a PRS Mira only not quite as good...

I was going to say I'd love to try a PRS Standard 24 (the all-mahogany one), as I suspect it might be my perfect SG

ICBM

PonchoGreg said:

I was going to say I'd love to try a PRS Standard 24 (the all-mahogany one), as I suspect it might be my perfect SG

My Standard 22 was very like a thicker, darker SG. Selling it wasn’t one of my better decisions .

liamon

I have a custom shop SG with classic 57s (no maestro), and it's fantastic. For some reason in this era (early 00s), Gibson were doing 'faded cherry' finish in the custom shop, which is neither faded nor cherry - looks more like a light walnut.

Like this one: https://guitarpoint.de/en/electric/gibson/2001-gibson-custom-shop-sg-61-reissue-faded-cherry/

dogload

I've only got an Epiphone (a 1997 Unsung Korina) but I absolutely love it - the action is virtually non-existent whilst being completely playable. It's comfortable, resonant, balances well on a strap and the neck although thin isn't narrow, and not very 'whippy'.

On the other hand I had a Samick regular cherry red one which was awful, neck-heavy, felt like a boat anchor to wear on a strap and had a big fat but uncomfortable neck. At least the pickups had been changed so I kept those and sold the bloody thing.

I keep looking at Gibbos and thinking 'Hmmm', but there are so many versions (l ike the P90 ones though...) and I always end up thinking 'I am very happy with my Epiphone one'. I reckon the only reason to change would be for the satisfaction of actually having a 'proper' Gibson one... one of my teenage guitar 'wants.

HerrMetal

Being lazy and not a photo of my actual guitar but mine is pretty much like this. SG Standard in Wine Red and from the time when the jack socket was on the edge (late 80's). Mine has an uncovered humbucker in the bridge. I also prefer the smaller pickguard. It's a slim neck and yes it probably could hold tune a bit better than it does but its not a major issue. At the time it was this or a Les Paul but of the two this played better.  

LastMantra

SteveRobinson said:

LastMantra said:

The best sg is my, mahogany, The Paul 

All tho there is actually an sg version which I'd love but probably not as good 

A "The SG" is probably the best SG I've ever played. It sounded incredible.

That's good to know. I love my the Paul. If I seen a gold burst sg I'd be very tempted (not that I could afford it). Must only be a handful in the UK though if that! I've only seen a few random pics on line.

Creed_Clicks

I have a Guild Polara (reissue) and it feels a bit beefier than the Gibson. I think it might have a thicker body.
I've been looking at used Gibsons out of curiosity, and there just seems to be so so many variations on it, it's hard to know where to start!
I am not sure if there are any other guitars with thin bodies like SGs these days? Or is it the SG knockoffs only...
I agree with a previous poster. I love the light weight of SGs, prefer them to Les Pauls, never had much issues with neckdive, stupidly sold a 2000 Korean Epi thinking a step up might be better, but not necessarily.
I never had tuning issues with an SG. Sometimes a strat just feels nicer though, or strat style with humbuckers.

Voxman

Kittyfrisk said:

JayGee said:

Like a PRS Mira only not quite as good...

Mouth, Domestos, rinse, repeat.

Lol!    actually, although I don't particularly like them to look at they do play and sound very nice. But very different to an SG though.