SG - i think i want one !

gubble

I was bought a Harley Benton SG (white custom 3 pickup jobbie) around 8 years ago. I'd never been able to get on with it until yesterday when I actually got around to learning how to adjust a truss rod and now it plays a lot better and it sounds glorious.

Spent a good few hours playing it and came to the conclusion that and SG would fit me quite well. 

What are people's experiences with the lower end Gibson SG's ? I'm thinking the tribue models with dot inlays etc - the look of them really floats my boat.

Here's a pic of the Harley Benton whilst i was working on it - just because.....

p90fool

My favourite SG is a cheapie, a 2004 Special. Ebony board, fat neck, no neck dive or bendiness and a great tone. 

I've fitted it with a Maestro vibrola and P90s (naturally) but it already sounded great with the original 490 humbuckers. 

I think I paid around £500 for it four or five years ago and have never played another SG at any price I'd swap it for. 

I was toying with the idea of a maple necked Tribute before I bought it and I suspect one of those would have done me fine. 

stickyfiddle

There was something magic in those early 2002-2005 ish Faded Specials. They often looked ratty but Ive never played one that wasn't a spectacular guitar. 

FWIW my 2000-ish Standard is at that level too. I've played a shitload of CS and Vintage ones looking to "trade up" but can't find one that beats it. 

So I guess my only advice is "go find a good one from around then"! 

Devil#20

I've always had in the back of my mind that I'd want one but, oddly enough, I've never even picked one up never mind played one. You hear the stories that they are prone to neck dive but not sure if that is universally true or not. It wasn't so much Angus Young but Robbie Krieger that made me want one. An itch yet to scratch. They look super cool to me. The other itch is a Firebird. I started looking for one of those about 2 years ago but the trail has gone cold. There are no reasonably priced ones anymore unless you go the Epiphone route and I want a Gibson. Never going to happen unless I have a sudden influx of cash. 

Offset

p90fool said:

My favourite SG is a cheapie, a 2004 Special. Ebony board, fat neck, no neck dive or bendiness and a great tone. 

I've fitted it with a Maestro vibrola and P90s (naturally) but it already sounded great with the original 490 humbuckers. 

I think I paid around £500 for it four or five years ago and have never played another SG at any price I'd swap it for. 

I was toying with the idea of a maple necked Tribute before I bought it and I suspect one of those would have done me fine. 

I like the idea of a guitar called Pierre.

Creed_Clicks

@p90fool it was originally a HH guitar? Did you have to route for the P90s?

p90fool

Creed_Clicks said:

@p90fool it was originally a HH guitar? Did you have to route for the P90s?

Yes and yes. I actually used a router, but the batwing guard means you could use rusty baked bean tin lid and nobody would see it. 

Matt_McG

An SG in faded Pelham Blue or Inverness Green with a Maestro Vibrola is one of the coolest looking of all guitars.

There was one on the cover of a guitar mag a few years back, and even Mrs M, who is not a guitar aficionado, pointed to it and remarked on how cool it looked.

Grumpyrocker

I would love an SG Modern, but I'm not paying that money. Maybe in a sale one day.

I did used to have a Vintage SG copy and it was really good. Alas it got a bit trashed by my various early attempts at guitar modding. 

impmann

Do not think.

Do.

Henrytwang

I’ve got a couple of Gibson cheapies , a “50s prototype” which has two P90s and a 60s tribute which two humbuckers. They’re both lovely lightweight guitars that sound fantastic and have great upper fret access. I bought them used off EBay, a lot  of guitar for for not a huge amount of money.

Creed_Clicks

p90fool said:

Creed_Clicks said:

@p90fool it was originally a HH guitar? Did you have to route for the P90s?

Yes and yes. I actually used a router, but the batwing guard means you could use rusty baked bean tin lid and nobody would see it. 

I think P90 SGs look really cool, the mini humbucker models too.

Nitefly

I have two, both Specials.  One is a 72 with mini-humbuckers, the other is a '94 with standard humbuckers (not sure which model, but probably 490?);

Please excuse the crappy pics, they're all I have to hand (time to take some better ones!)

1972:


1994:

InactiveX

My SG rocks my world.

slacker

I had a faded that was very good
. 

rze99

Confirmed. You do need an SG

Teyeplayer

In response to the title…well I didn’t, until this thread. My wife is currently cursing you lot.  

paulnb57

In all my years of playing I had never tried an SG, the. I went halves with daughter in law for my lads 40th birthday SG Standard.
He waxed lyrical about it so I took a chance and bought myself an 04 Special Faded, what a revelation! We both wish we had done it years ago

DDtB

Also have SG urges just now and actually bought an SG last week from Gibson to satisfy them.

Then FedEx decided to kick it around for a week without a care in the world.

So it arrived with the headstock snapped in two. 

Will try again at some point.  Maybe. 

roberty

Yeah they vary a lot. Just play as many individual ones as you can imo. And if you find a good one hang onto it lol

Kurtis

You've got one.