SG quandry: 61 reissue or Standard

Moe_Zambeek

@ChrisMusic I have a '90 SG62, bought new, which is the end of the 62 era, they became 61s not long after. The earlier ones have a slim C/D shape neck that is even slimmer than the 'slim taper' of the 61ri and other Gibsons of early / mid 90s onwards. Even now the slim 60s profile is different.

The SG standard (big guard) from 90s on had a much beefier neck, not baseball bat but a lot bigger than my 62ri. The latest standards post 2013 are essentially 61ris in all but name. 2015 standards have the enormo-neck that IMO is too wide, but it's still quite slim. Hard to say though given the odd proportions of it.

CS SGs are somewhere between the 61 and batwing standard, maybe more D shaped, and they also have the neck / fretboard a few mms more above the face of the body, which makes them feel different again. I'm not sure I like them all that much.

Fwiw the 62ri is not like any vintage SG I've tried either in neck profile terms, however I've not tried an awful lot, just a couple of pre-64s, a 65 and some later 60s/ early 70s ones.

OilCityPickups

If you wan't fat, 'Angus' rock sounds avoid the Classic 57s ... my SG Future Tribute came with them ... and they are not at all the sort of pickup you want in a rock SG/heavy blues SG. Too polite by a hundred miles. 

bloodandtears

TheGuitarWeasel said:

If you wan't fat, 'Angus' rock sounds avoid the Classic 57s ... my SG Future Tribute came with them ... and they are not at all the sort of pickup you want in a rock SG/heavy blues SG. Too polite by a hundred miles. 

So you'd suggest??

ChrisMusic

Thanks for the detailed reply @Moe_Zambeek.

I've played a few early 60s Juniors, and I assume that the same applies to standards too, a rather tasty 1960 ES330 I played recently had a very similar profile too.  I am only guessing here, but there seem to be two early 60s profiles, the one I am reminiscing about which is wider and quite shallow, possibly a little V'd closer to the nut (not my favourite bit, but OK), and the much chunkier more Les Paul 50s profile, which is what I assume @ICBM was referring to.  Obviously they all vary depending on whether there was a liquid lunch that day, or something even more arcane.

Nothing I have played comes close to my old Junior though, another grail quest for the future methinks.

Around 1965 the necks seem to become quite chunky and I think that's when the cost cutting of the Standard's batwing guard mounted pickups came in, and later 60s early 70s are chunky and very narrow at the nut, too narrow IMO, and the 'boxy' reinforced neck joint came in.  @ESchap can probably clarify that more though.  I assume that these profiles were common across the range at the time, with the possible exception  of the reintroduction on the Les Paul.

@ESchap

OilCityPickups

bloodandtears said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

If you wan't fat, 'Angus' rock sounds avoid the Classic 57s ... my SG Future Tribute came with them ... and they are not at all the sort of pickup you want in a rock SG/heavy blues SG. Too polite by a hundred miles. 

So you'd suggest??

Lots of alternatives ... BK Riff Raffs for one ...but just about every winder does a chunky alnico 5 PAF derivative ...  

bloodandtears

I think it's more about the neck for me.. 

I assume a 2000-13 Standard has a slimmer neck than my '05 Special; is just too chunky lol

anything to be aware of during these years?

slate

bloodandtears;631808" said:

I think it's more about the neck for me.. 



I assume a 2000-13 Standard has a slimmer neck than my '05 Special; is just too chunky lol



anything to be aware of during these years?

the 2000-2012 standard will have the same neck shape as your special .
The 2013 > has the slimmer neck.

bloodandtears

doesn't leave much scope then...
2013...
or 2014 with E-Tune

or a 61/62 reissue...

57Deluxe

terada said:

Definitely go small guard, they look so much better. Might want to try and get a 2013 standard, they basically were the same as the 61's but for a chunk less money.

Obligatory pic of my 2013 SG...

ooer - I'm gonner take a pic of my white LP in that guise too now!

slate

bloodandtears;632348" said:

doesn't leave much scope then...

2013...

or 2014 with E-Tune



or a 61/62 reissue...

if a slimmer neck is the main consideration, then those are your options.

bloodandtears

did the 2012 come with a small scratch plate??

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GIBSON-SG-STANDARD-BLACK-2012-VERY-CLEAN-GIBSON-SG-/390883516138?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5b02791eea

terada

2012's were batwing only IIRC

bloodandtears

terada said:

2012's were batwing only IIRC

but the serial no. photo suggests September 2012??  wonder what the neck is like...

ChrisMusic

That's the same model as the 2013, so maybe they were out a bit early ?

Neck join is the early 60s style.

slate

^^^^This ^^^^
The 13 model did start production in late 2012.

bloodandtears

What's the difference in the neck joints then?

ChrisMusic

Batwing guard SGs have the neck joint marked Standard and Classic in this photo.  The small guard 2013 / 14 / 15 have the 60s style neck joint shown by the 61 Reissue picture.  I don't know if there are exceptions to this though, being Gibson, it wouldn't surprise me if there were.

http://shopping.c.yimg.jp/lib/ikebe/2008-sg-usa-title-04-01.jpg

You can see why the "later" boxier joint was considered stronger, just less prone to warranty claims would be my guess.  I have never had any problem with the early 60s joint.  I don't tend to feel either whilst playing. YMMV.

http://www.gibson.com/Files/USA/SGs/Carved-Top-AAA-Ocean-Blue-Burst/Batched/SGCTOBCH1-Features-Neck-Joint.jpg

See also a couple of other threads, if you are interested...

So glad Gibson fixed the SG Standard for 2013. Now they need to fix the Special.

http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/so-glad-gibson-fixed-the-sg-standard-for-2013-now-they-need-to-fix-the-special.453021235/

Pictures of Gibson SG heel joints year by year ~ for early ones (1960s)

http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?182588-pictures-of-Gibson-SG-heel-joints-year-by-year

slate

I like the later style neck joints personally. The strap button sits about an inch further towards the Headstock and the guitar hangs better IMHO.

bloodandtears

how is tuning stability affected by the different joints?

slate

The 61 joint flexs more