Epiphone SG Standard VS Gibson SG Standard

[@JimPooter]

They sound nearly identical but there is a subtle smoothness the Gibson has that gives it the edge imo.

[@godforever27]

I would describe the Epiphone as more smooth/bassy and the Gibson as more clear and growl/bite sound to it. I prefer the sound of the Gibson. I wish they made this sg with a slimmer neck like the Epiphone or Gibson 61. I plan on buying the Gibson sg standard limited edition in silverburst first and then a blue burst standard, as well as the heritage cherry one but from Epiphone with tuner upgrades I already have from one that broke awhile ago. I'm hoping the silverburst will still be in stock by the time have enough money for it. I love the look of the silverburst, blueburst, and of course the classic heritage cherry. I had an Epiphone g400 1966 limited edition I originally wanted in robot burst but I got the red one for Christmas as an upgrade from my squier strat but it broke 5 years back and I haven't replaced it as of yet. I love the sg for playability out of all of the guitars I've played. It also looks good with the full pick guard.

[@LowFlyingPlanesBand]

First of all, awesome video. I didn’t think I’d like the Epi better, but I do ! Thanks for the vid. Keep pickin brother.

[@davidevans2298]

Great comparison vid and awesome chops!

[@BassRocket]

damn dude I dig your slick fretwork and the tone you pulled out of these great guitars, thanks for your post, even if you dont go back in and read this comment.

[@robspectre1973]

My 1983 Gibson Firebrand Deluxe SG is an absolute monster and it was a bottom on the line Gibson from back then. Came with Velvet Brick pickups and sounded amazing. Unfortunately, after 40 years, the bridge pickup gave up the ghost and I ended up replacing all the electronics. New CTS pots, orange drop, and Seymour Duncan Distortions and good god this thing is an absolute monster. I absolutely love the SG design

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

Admittedly I’m more of a Les Paul guy… but out of the next 5 guitars that I want to buy: 2 are SGs! Cheers -Ryan

[@markfry5796]

Awesome video. FINALLY.... someone playing something interesting instead of lousy blooze licks! I'm going to subscribe just hear what you're playing. Excellent review. Keep up the good work.

[@salimel4835]

Hello , Out of all the people commenting and reviewing that guitar , you’re by far the best . You covered litteraly every ground there is on the subject. You tried them on many amps which brought out a wider panel of sounds. I´ve owned that Epiphone Sg for 3 weeks . It’s incredibly gorgeous 😍. Soundwise and esthetic wise 😮 oh and that venneer 😮

[@alsantangelo]

I always enjoy your videos because you play so well. I've been looking for an SG and have been stuck in the "Gibson or Epi" quandary. Obviously there's a big price difference, and they're not really stocked near me so I'd be buying blind online and that's difficult. But you make both of these sound fantastic, so thanks for the video!

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

Glad you enjoy the videos! That’s certainly a tough situation! No matter what you’look end up second guessing yourself. Best of luck! Cheers -Ryan

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

I prefer the sound and feel of the Gibsons slightly, but it's enough to justify the cost for me. I have a 2002 faded (Around that year Gibson outdid themselves and made a few runs of super high-quality fadec SGs) with an ebony fretboard, and it is just killer, it's one of they best guitars I've ever played (i know it's a mere faded but its an exceptionally good one), pup swop, locking tuners and so on and it's become a guitar for life, there is no price on that but for what i paid (well, well under $1k) it was the bargain of a lifetime.

[@gaboogablah]

I love my epiphone sg standard, it's absolutely flawless. I have an epiphone les Paul classic also, but the sg is lighter and easier to play.

[@jordantaylor1988]

Both sound killer. I love Gibsons. But I'm really bad at saving money, so I'm perfectly fine with the Epiphone 😅

[@DazeD1983]

Same here!! Few mods here and there… in the end, you bond with your guitar, then try a Gibson and you can’t even enjoy it.

[@jessebarki209]

Good stuff man, this is exactly what i needed, im left handed and can barely try guitars out, i can moderately get a feel but not entirely accurately, i appreciate you deep diving on subtleties. Though both sound great from audience perspective, it sounds like gibson reigns supreme on player perspective, which justifies the price hike in my opinion, especially regarding intonation as a result of neck quality (possibly, but most likely) ❤

[@RobNY5150]

I’ve owned several Gibsons over the years and currently own two Gibson custom shop Les Pauls and the Epiphone Jerry Cantrell "Wino" Les Paul Custom. First of all, all excellent guitars that you can gig with. I love Les Pauls and Explorers. The JC pickups sound a little different than the Gibsons, but no need to upgrade IMO. Sure, no nitro finish, but the QC is excellent. I’d love try one of the newer Epiphone Les Paul Standards next.

[@stevehornshaw4478]

Wooa. I watch guitar vids all the time. Yours is in my view the best by far. Superb as you are objective in your analysis and tell us, hey it's a personal choice based on a wide set of criteria. You never push one view. I enjoyed the vid and for sure I learned a lot. I'm now subscribed so I'll never miss your expert views. Huge thnx from Romania. Someone told me an expert is someone who lives 3000 miles away. On that criteria u r the expert plus you can play superbly. As you say other people's opinions on you are like water off a duck's back. Confidence in your own ability as a superb presenter, analyst and player. A role model for me for sure. I can tell you are modest but you knock the spots off the posers. Huge Huge Thnx

[@BoundaryElephant]

Thanks for this!

[@dc4stuff]

epiphone to me sounds way more 🐪 while the gibson sounds more 🦒

[@jcwoodstl]

The biggest problem with the epiphone is that when you are playing it you can look down and see “epiphone” on the headstock and know that it isn’t a Gibson

[@Superdelphinus]

That’s just an issue for people who buy guitars for all the wrong reasons imho

[@salimel4835]

Oh my god that guitar doesn’t have Gibson written all over it. It must be a shitty guitar then

[@YIDARMY08]

I have a GIbson SG and I have a Epiphone les Paul I bought for £350 new I think it’s excellent… I don’t play the GIbson well enough to do it any more justice

[@cycomiles4225]

Wgen I play I see Yamaha written on the headstock. The public doesnt care, I doubt they even look at the headstock but they clap sometimes, so, why should I care about the headstock?

[@frankdardano3182]

The biggest problem with the sg that I had is the machine heads. Put Grovers on and you are set. My 2020 came with Grovers.Thank you for your honesty, same thing that I think.

[@bobaldo2339]

I'm an old guy, and play acoustic guitars mostly now. But, I used to play electric guitars primarily, and have owned one Gibson SG or another since the mid 60's. They all have had kind of unstable necks - especially compared say to a Les Paul. The only SG I have now is a 1967, and the neck is a bit (you guess it) unstable. I wish Gibson made an SG option with a neck that joined the body sooner. I would gladly trade those highest frets for better neck stability. Before you say it, Les Pauls are just too heavy to be comfortable for me - but the necks are stable.

[@HAMMERHEAD-g3h]

I own both. This argument is easily ended by asking somebody who knows nothing about guitars to sit down and listen to you play both. They can't tell you which one is more expensive. If care about the name on the headstock and what your guitar friends are going to think, you've already made up your mind. As someone who has played the guitar for about 30 years and in several different bands, the crowd will never know the difference nor will they care. You will get more brags from people on how well you play than you ever will what brand of guitar you play. Buy what you can afford and don't worry about it. An employee at the Gibson Nashville factory usually makes around 18 to $20 an hour. An employee at the Chinese Epiphone factory is making about half that. Gibson gets money regardless of what you buy.

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

Wow! That is the first time that I have ever heard of that method. I certainly hope you don't use that method when buying guitars. Someone who knows nothing about guitars won't be able to tell you which one feels better. They will generally go with one of 2 things: What looks the coolest or which one is cheaper. Sound can only get you so far... Feel is WAY more important. I have been playing for 30 years as well and you generally learn that it's pretty easy to change how a guitar sounds, but not so easy to fix how a guitar feels. Setups aside. I have always had the same confusion over the argument that "The Crowd/Audience will never know the difference" when it comes to guitars. But audience isn't playing the guitar. You are. The best thing to do is play the guitars for yourself. Play them unplugged and plugged in. Play as many guitars as you can. See which one feels the best, which one you bond with. If you can afford it: Buy it! If not... then keep looking until you find one in your price range. Then you at least know which guitar you want to eventually buy. The name on the headstock shouldn't give you "Street Cred", that's for sure. If you like the epiphone more... awesome. If you like the Gibson more... awesome! If you like something else... awesome! Just get the one that feels the best to you and you can afford. But FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY!!!!! DO NOT LET SOMEONE WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT GUITAR TELL YOU WHICH ONE TO BUY!!!! Cheers -Ryan

[@HAMMERHEAD-g3h]

@@Crypticmaskguitar well, I know it's kind of hard to convey what you're saying over a KZbin comment but like I said man, been at this for 30 years. Recorded on albums back in the '90s. My whole point was that it really just doesn't matter. I don't buy guitars anymore. I have more than most people will ever own in their life. I live not too far outside of Nashville, I was invited to play down there in my younger days but I chose my steady day time career instead. Me and my wife don't have any children and we have a lot of financial freedom so we pretty much buy what we want. Why do I tell you all this? Because I really don't think it matters. If you're a good player, that's what people care about. Never during a show have I had somebody come up to me and care about my equipment. They just care how you play. A lot of my point in my previous comment was that they're so similar it really doesn't matter. And truth be told, people don't really care that much about it. People that can afford anything will get the more expensive product. People who cannot afford a Gibson will buy an Epiphone. There's nobody with a high level of income debating on which one to buy. Let's be honest about it.

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

I'd say it was a really bad point of view to try and get your point across. It really doesn't matter which one you own as long as you like it. Which was the whole point of the video and why I said that at the 1:49 mark. I know people who actually prefer epiphone over gibson (Generally due to their feeling towards Poly over Nitro). To me they have a weird feeling in the neck, but I've always thought I was crazy. I have been playing for 30 years as well, over half of that as a studio guitarist. I have recorded with $200 guitars I have recorded with $10,000 guitars. They all have their place. But price point should never be something to strive for. It's not a badge of honour. It should just be how the guitar feels to you. If the audiences opinion on what gear you are playing is something that comes across your mind... then I'm not sure who your target audience is. About 95% are just there to listen to live music. So absolutely you are right: It doesn't matter. Buy the one that feels best to you. Cheers -Ryan

[@IndyRockStar]

I bought an Epiphone SG Custom. I put a mojo wiring harness and Gibson Custom Shop 68 pickups (out of a Gibson CS LP 68 RI). It's one of my favorite guitars now. All my other guitars are Gibson Custom Shop.

[@frankdardano3182]

The nitro finish is intoxicating, I dont mind, mine is a 2020, and have played the sg, since into to me by John Cippolina of Quicksilver, when I had a telecaster. Got one,several over years, nitro is the coolest to me. You are nice to listen to, nothing like a good guitarist to noodle around to hear on a rainy day. Played a Gibson sg, since 1967. Play what you can afford, and LIKE to play.

[@abrahamaguilar6900]

I like both but the subtleties are massive. Epiphone has bark and bite, a bit on the higher end for all pickups. Sound clear and clean. Definitely can wip this instrument out to play a wide a range of stages. Gibson has mids and really good ones too, this applies to both cheap and expensive guitars, depending on the guitar you get u could be getting a regular violin or a strati various (iykwim), they are good if they are very resonant without being plugged in. The sound is smooth and heavy, carries a hole band on its own. Also can’t forget about the feel, the instrument feels like a glove(iykyk) Edit - IMO- if you don’t like the sound of a epi change electronics, pickups, bridge or whatever you think the guitar needs. Do your research tho, and never be afraid to change it your self. For Gibson - if you don’t like the sound of your instrument adjust pickup height, string gauge, truss rod. You pretty much have an awesome instrument (if you picked the right one, for you) just adjust it to your liking. If you really care about the brand, then get what you want if you can get it, at the end of the day it’s the player that makes an instrument sing. Practice and have fun!

[@bbk485]

The Gibson does sound better but the epiphone sounds enough like it that it would be a better option just for your average guitar player

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

Exactly. I find that the Gibsons have a better feel, little more weight, and sound wise they work better for me. But that's with almost 30 years of playing hundreds of different guitars. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Epiphones. They are a great choice! Cheers -Ryan

[@smedleybutler8787]

I just got an epiphone SG special edition custom shop. It's all neck, Completely different from my Telecaster.

[@salimel4835]

I prefer the neck pickup over the bridge i dig what you say. Either that or both. I rarely switch to trebbles…

[@tonymccarthy4772]

Guitars aside (i like them both) but damn dude, sick riffs!

[@JayBirdGuitars]

all practical purposes identical...but definetly talked me out of the epiphone in the end..because of construction...the neck...

[@branmacman]

The difference in person is def the volume of the pickups. The Gibson has a higher end for sure.

[@XlouietheflyX]

I didn't like the 498T/490R set in my 2011 Gibson SG Standard so I replaced them with Bare Knuckle pickups, a Miracle Man in the bridge and a Cold Sweat in the neck, far superior in my opinion. Kept stock Gibson wiring but swapped in the wired set I had in my 2007 SG Special Faded and ditched the PCB from the 2011. The SG is too bright a guitar for 500K pots, I prefer the stock Gibson 300K pots in it with a bright bridge pickup.

[@crypticreality8484]

I have the Epiphone SG. I already had a Gibson Les Paul and I didn't want to spend another grand plus on a guitar.... The SG is pretty cool but, I couldn't stand the look of the greenish Wilkinson tuning pegs (even though they worked great) so... I put some Gotoh's on it to make it look more modern and in turn, also like the Gibson. I'm very happy with the result. I definitely prefer my Les Paul but, the SG is a good warrior Axe to bash around. By the way.... Are those your original riffs? They're pretty tasty

[@StraiyEU]

I own an Epiphone Les Paul and SG, these are my only Guitars besides my acoutsic... At the moment im just not willing to pay that much money for a Guitar... So, im fine with Epiphone . Playing Guitar is my Hobby, my Job is to be an Audio Engineer... At the end, the listener doesnt care what guitar u play...

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

Absolutely! If the Guitar player is happy with what they are playing (As that is what really matters) then that’s what will translate to the audience! Cheers -Ryan

[@yeti1002]

If you record a song in the studio with an Epiphone sg nobody's gonna know it was an Epiphone sg .

[@SAREL1963]

I own the Gibson SG just for the name branded Epi is not down I love them too.❤❤❤

[@bivotarshamble3672]

I like how I can afford one over the other 😊 Cool, thx 🙏 So, after a good listen and blind test... I will have to say, to my ears ; the Gibson sounds a hair darker, yet smooth and clear. The Epiphone a touch brighter and not quite as smooth. Does that constitute buying one over the other... Just a matter of personal opinion, like any other instrument. Bith sound great 👍

[@Nowheremt]

I play an Epiphone SG, Gibson is way out of my price range. That’s ok, I’m happy with the Epi.

[@michaelpond6386]

I have both, and love them , but for different reasons. The Gibson ( once I got rid of the robot tuners is wonderful, the Epiphone with upgraded tuners is great especially with the coil split.

[@salimel4835]

You changed ur epiphones SG stock pickups???

[@salimel4835]

I own the epiphone displayed in this video. I find the tuners to be very well made. Ive expected much much worse with all the negative feedback, reviews on the epiphones tuners in general.

[@EDXD483]

Will the epiphone avaivable in 1 and a half year? I want to buy it in 2026

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

I don't see Epiphone/Gibson discontinuing the SG Standard. You should be just fine in 2026. Cheers -Ryan

[@EDXD483]

@@Crypticmaskguitar Ok, thanks for responding

[@plummetplum]

The Gibson was definitely better, I am going to buy an Epiphone then stick some the 490 pickups on instead, saving lots of money !

[@INTP215]

8:07 song name plz

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

I make this stuff up as I go. Cheers -Ryan

[@INTP215]

@@Crypticmaskguitar Oh really?? So nice riff! thanks :)

[@PhillRobinson]

You should have a look at the Korean Epi.

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

The Samick made ones or the ones that were outsourced to random manufacturers? The Korean made stuff can be all over the place. Cheers -Ryan

[@chrisrobinson1613]

Im new still dont have much of a musical ear so im seeing what yall gotta say. Id love to have the gibby, and have means to buy it but im not reading 1400 dollars difference from these comments lol.

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

All of this is always personal preference. You r preferences change as the years go on. You might prefer the Epiphone after years of playing, you might prefer the Gibson… you might prefer the Custom Shop Versions as well. I know a guy who has been playing for 25 years and whenever he buys a new guitar it’s $300 MAX and he then spends $400-500 on upgrades on the guitar to make it his own. The Comments Section isn’t the greatest place for “Factual Information Based On Experience”. It’s usually people who own one of the two and they bond with it. So they are going to say that the one that they own is the best. It’s always best to go play them for yourself and see which one works for you. Cheers -Ryan

[@siyahkachu38]

9:08 song name?

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

No title... feel free to name it yourself. Cheers -Ryan

[@bewusstsein3527]

you get what you pay.. gibson is my favorite.. psychologically i think epiphone is not enough though i feel it is just in my mind...

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

I can certainly feel a difference, especially in “Bite”. The Epiphones that I have played so far have felt slightly dull when striking the strings in comparison to the Gibsons. Wether that matters to anyone else… who knows haha! Both great choices! Cheers -Ryan

[@bewusstsein3527]

@@Crypticmaskguitar gibson is a great guitar builder and i dont understand the hate they get perhaps it is because of those greedy bussinesman running it.. if i have an oppurtunity i will definitely buy a gibson again.. if the price is right..

[@CyberRabid.]

The SG Modern is best. The annoying front out jack has been corrected and ewewww, ebony frets!

[@geoffthecarpenter]

Gibson, for sure, but for the price, you can't go past the Epiphone ,im a staunch SG man I've owned both, and really enjoying my SG Epi Standard at the moment, my stage day are over.

[@zeleznacesta]

Gibson is bit better. I'm really considering buying batwing epi, small pickguard gibson I've already have.

[@salimel4835]

You should ! Ive owned it for a few weeks now. It feels and sound so good. Speaking from someone who tried both the Gibson and epi. The gibson feels a tiny bit better and heavier though .

[@marcospintor1333]

I’ve owned both. Idk who would say the Epiphone is better 💀💀💀

[@ndhudecz]

The Gibson has a bright sound on all strings and the Epiphone does not. Sound from the Epiphone has more muffle sound and seems you have to pick strings harder to get somewhat of a bight clean tone sound. Pay a little more and get Gibson..Your playing is great....

[@salimel4835]

Or get the epi and buy gibby pickups???? 490t and r

[@mariuszw9665]

Gibsons sounds slightly better, more thick, but not enough better to justify the cost difference between the two. So if money is a major factor while picking the guitar, go for Epiphone, awesome guitar in reasonable price. With Gibson you get a little bit better sound for 4 times more money. I bought a Gibson, mainly because the name on the headstock...

[@VellumStorm]

I'm the forth. They are both good

[@GAZBLIN]

I finally listened to you... lol

[@brucek2946]

Well, for me , I dont own any professional guitar, Just a couple of low budget knock offs. I would be VERY happy to own either one

[@Joey.Darkwoods-Studio]

Great video, great playing and awesome tones. I was listening to this without watching it with only the time stamp showing and I always prefered the tonal qualities of the Gibson. But anyone saying Epi is better than Gibson is crazy. Newer Epi's are pretty good! I own 3 recent models (2020-2023) Epi Customs... 2021 silverburst, 2022 Cantrell and the SG Custom black beauty and many Gibson's. But you just can't compare an Epi finish to the Gibson in finish and say it's a better guitar, not gonna happen. But as you mentioned, budget is key. If you can afford a Gibson, do it! It's value and resale will always be better in the long run. But if you can't afford one, the newer 2019+ Epi's are worth looking into!

[@max_moto5158]

The Gibson has noticeabley brighter pickups. Other than that, the Epiphone is better. Because it has the 1960's slim taper neck. Gibsons have a baseball bat neck. And Epiphone has a much thicker clear coat. So just get the Epiphone SG and slap in a pair of Gibson 1957 Pickups and be happy.

[@guillaumevarclaye909]

Le son de la Gibson est plus "compact" et plus défini.

[@JamesGuitarPowell-wx2xh]

C a Na D a

[@Crypticmaskguitar]

The thing that really throws me off by this comment is the fact that there’s an option to “Translate to English”. Haha. Cheers -Ryan