Gibson SG - Pros & Cons

The Gibson SG is one of the best-selling guitars of all time. And that's for good reason! However, this doesn't mean that the guitar is perfect. All guitars have their own flaws and it's important to understand the pros and cons of each model. So is the Gibson SG the right guitar for you? Stick around to find out.
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[@justinvaldez2050]

“You can’t really play metal on an SG” Tony Iommi creator of metal: am i a joke to you?

[@GingaJamiesBMX]

If its not a seven string in use by a "metal" guitarist its almost always an sg :)

[@niemand0]

@@GingaJamiesBMX Or a Les Paul. When metal guys dont use ESPs they mostly just change Pickups. Crazy how pickups are swappable, lol.

[@Ottophil]

@@GingaJamiesBMX for 20 years i had 2 guitars. A Gibson SG and Ibanez 7 string. I just traded the 7 string for another gibson sg

[@GingaJamiesBMX]

@@Ottophil Bet that sg is lovely, just copped myself a 2008 gibson sg special For £670 I am in love feels so much better than my last one too which is a bonus just got to stick p90's and a rollover bridge in it then its exactly what I want I will never let it go :) whats your new sg?

[@072clyde]

It's beautiful, classic, iconic. For me, that's all.

[@Coleo432]

Can't blame you there!

[@aydintorres3177]

i'm not a guitar guy but now I want an SG

[@Coleo432]

They make great wall decorations too!

[@maxxfield8923]

Hey Cole thanks for the review. I'm probably going to have to get one of these as soon as I can! Keep up the videos!

[@Coleo432]

Thank you! Let me know what you think of it! (once you get one of course).

[@onewiththings]

Thrivent! Cool video. I just got a PRS semi-hollow Vela, and you are so right about PRS. It's like an SG, Tele, Gretsch all combined.

[@scorchedearthdj]

Excellent review! I have always wanted an SG and am planning the purchase now. It's such a fantastic guitar for rock n roll.

[@Coleo432]

Thank you! SGs are great!

[@trueMAXIMUS]

this video gave me an idea for a video idea you could do in the future. something like a “how to pick your first guitar” where you go over different sounds, shapes, whammies, etc etc. i think you’d be very informative and good at explaining!

[@Coleo432]

Thank you for that Idea, I'll definitely keep that in mind!

[@277southtombob]

I think something that’s overlooked with SGs is the clean tone. If you play clean they’re airy and nearly semi hollow sounding. I’ve found SGs to work for anything from jazz to country to blues and rock. They’re really versatile.

[@Coleo432]

I've never really thought about that, but yea, now that you point that out, they do have a really great clean tone.

[@richard66754]

I couldn’t agree more. Mine sounds fantastic with a twin and a noebells overdrive.

[@richard66754]

One more thing. If you dump the pickups and goofy pcb control board, in favor of cts pots and 50’s wiring, the controls will suddenly become very useful.

[@jcwoodstl]

Wait, you can play them clean? I’ve been doing it wrong for decades

[@hodomin]

Very honest commentary, thanks for sharing!

[@Coleo432]

I appreciate it! Welcome to the channel.

[@tankdarla637]

Man the control layout is killer, especially the input jack on the top and location of the selector. So many simple solutions for a sticky neck...

[@johnsguitarmusicanddemos]

One of the things I have always liked about Gibson guitars is they put the pick up selector at a spot that you’re not going to hit it on accident. This is actually a really good video and I was surprised because most people are biased but yours just percent of the information. Great job!

[@Coleo432]

Thank you!! Be sure to stick around for more!

[@johnsguitarmusicanddemos]

@@Coleo432 Definitely! I did buy a Gibson SG and I love it!

[@Coleo432]

@@johnsguitarmusicanddemos I'm glad you like it!

[@timrussell1559]

Also from virginia and certainly can relate to the horrible heat and humidity we have do deal with here. Love the S.G and am getting ready to buy one, considered buying used but people want nearly as much for a 10 to 20 year old S.G as you can buy them brand new for. Don't understand why somebody would think that their beat up completely stock 2000ish S.G standard is worth 1200 to 1300 dollars, nonetheless, they are mostly way overpriced on the used market these days. Buying new seems to be the most practical way to go. Great Vid!

[@Coleo432]

They can get really expensive used, that's just Gibson's resale value. Thanks for the comment!

[@SunRavenMusic]

I bought a SG recently. Great guitar. I agree with most of your pros and cons. Mine stays in tune fine and the glossy neck wasn't a issue for me as I play esp's a lot which have a glossy neck too but I can understand it would feel uncomfortable if you're not used to it. Nice video man.

[@SergiOrtiz]

You are so lucky man, ive had mine sin 2009 and it never holded tune well :( could’ve seen a lot more live gigs otherwise

[@nordicomsystems8841]

Cool vid man, I have the exact same-year SG and it's my main. I picked mine because it was the only one with no neck dive. Plus the finish is that nice dark cherry, like the older ones. I have it set up with super-low action and there's zero buzz. Just an amazing instrument and a joy to play.

[@Coleo432]

Absolutely, SGs are great!

[@paulchoate1]

Why would one SG have neck dive and another not have neck dive?

[@TheJamSpace]

@@paulchoate1 density of wood in the body.

[@geraldhills41]

Would love to hear it !

[@Coleo432]

I agree! I Plan on re-doing the video since it's one of my older ones and I know I can do better with the knowledge I've gained over the last few years on KZbin. Subscribe to see when the video gets posted! Thanks :)

[@henrykelly1183]

The biggest plus for me with the SG is the upper fret access is just insanely good and probably my biggest negative along with the neck heavy design is its also not that strong at the neck so there is a bit of flex, If you are someone who rests their forearm on the guitar you can often be slightly out of tune where the neck is flexing, this happens on many guitars but the SG i've found is very vulnerable to this.

[@kevinmusso2397]

Just bought one. Arrives Friday. 🔥🎸

[@Coleo432]

Congratulations on the new guitar Kevin!

[@zacharia3257]

I have a 2007 Gibson SG special i was fortunate enough to find at a garage sale for very cheap. Its heavier than most SGs i encounter at guitar center, so its never had the neck dive issue. I upgraded the pickups and all electronics, and i love it. I feel very genre versatile while playing it. Jazz, rock, metal, funk, u name it It needed to be refretted. Ive sanded the neck so it doesnt get sticky. Newer gibsons have had quality control issues reportedly since the early 2000s. Ive played many an sg in a guitar store and have been thoroughly unimpressed, so i believe they can be hit or miss, but i believe mine is a eternal gem that couldn't be much more than i want out of a guitar. I love teles and hollowbodies too. Thank you for sharing your input!!

[@Coleo432]

Sounds like an awesome guitar!

[@joecinder3828]

The main reason your finger prints show up on this guitar is down to the Nitro lacquer finish. It will get static, and will attract all that fun stuff.

[@ReasonableAssumption]

Get the String Butler ver 3 for string angle on the nut., makes the tuning very stable on 2 X 3 head stocks. A grippy 2" strap ends the dive question , it will not move even if you move a lot on stage.

[@charlesflint9048]

I just bought an SG Standard last week, and I must say it is a fingerprint magnet, but when playing it I forget about everything else and just love to play my SG; I’ll also enjoy using using proprietary polishes to clean and beautify my guitar after use. The neck is real Gibson: I’ve played Les Pauls etc., and compared, this is as good as anything. It is all about the neck and action, and this is perfect.

[@ZE4MC]

Great review and I have the same issue with the Glossy Nexk but thats on a lot of Gibsons- may have it professionally sanded a bit to smooth it out- its worth it. I love mine and I have two SGs and the action is low/prefect with no fret buzz- just a great pick it up and play- I have the Cherry too and dont mind wiping off the gloss after playing it lol

[@Coleo432]

Thanks! It's definitely not the worst thing in the world, kind of more of an annoyance.

[@jirkasonbenesh]

Thanks buddy, Gibson SG is beautiful, every guitar has its pros and cons, it's about subjective perception. This is exactly the guitar I bought and I'm already looking forward to it.

[@TommySG1]

The SG is definitely my all time favorite guitar and I own one identical to yours. What I did though is I bought a husk brand new and installed an Emerson set up with the bumblebee caps ( a unlike a Les Paul Standard the SG’s come equipped with the circuit board pots and that’s how they also keep the prices a bit lower. As far as the neck dive thing, I installed Schaller tuners on mine and they’re lighter than the Grover ones, with that being said mine doesn’t do it much ( a simple suede strap takes care of that too because it’s grippy ). The 490 pups are nice sounding however I put Seymour Duncan Saturday Night Specials in mine and with the Emerson kit it sounds fantastic and everyone that plays it or listens to it love the sound of it for the most part. The only gripe I have is the pick guard, the only way you can opt for the smaller classic looking one is to go for the 61 reissue and mine is a Standard like yours and you can’t really just swap it out because you’ll have the screw holes on the body as an eye soar. This is really just cosmetic though so this is really just a persons and obviously doesn’t effect it’s playability. The Standards also have a real nice neck profile to them as well. They’re thinner than the neck profiles on a Tribute ( that ones more like a standard C carve ) and yet not as narrow of a profile as the Slim Taper, so it’s kinda right in between. So if you looking for that size the Standard is right up your alley 🤙 Lastly, if you do a proper set up and lube the saddles and nut slots and make sure that’s all within specs you shouldn’t have any issues keep it in tune. Anyhow, it’s real light…. It looks killer…. The high fret access is super nice… And sounds fantastic if you’re into classic rock / crunch Great guitar and I own two of them currently, maybe one day I’ll even get me a Custom 🤙

[@Coleo432]

Man, that's a lot! It's a really smart idea what you did though with buying the husk and upgrading from there, probably a great way to save money too. Also, I'm sure that Custom will be great!

[@TommySG1]

@@Coleo432 ahah thanks! Yes I got a bit carried away 🤣 Merry Christmas!

[@Arboravenuestation]

I just got an SG standard about a week ago, a new one pretty much identical to yours. I find myself playing a couple hours more every day than usual. The access to the higher frets is really nice because of the way the cutaways are designed, and there is really a lot of flexibility if you tweek the bridge pickup tone control. You can get nice blues tones out of it. I will always love my Les Pauls, but there are no regrets at all on buying the SG. I'll probably get a black one at some point just because they're cool, too. The 490T and 490R pickups have such a great "bite", like the Les Paul Classic but a little spankier because of the lighter body. As far as headstock dive is concerned, I find that if I use a heavy leather strap and angle the guitar, the strap has enough friction to minimize this issue. The pros outweigh the cons in my opinion. Like you said, it's all subjective to a point. Thank you for sharing your viewpoints. It is always interesting to hear how others feel about guitars.

[@Coleo432]

Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you like your new SG.

[@dimitrisaivaliotis5616]

I think the bridge pickup is 498 no 490

[@kirkhensley5870]

Angus Young keeps the volume on his SG at 8. The amps do the hardest work. So far, I've found that Grover tuners are the best on a Gibson. Those booger or yellow tuners aren't the Gibson gold you hoped for.

[@jwolf3920]

I don't like Grover tuners

[@kirkhensley5870]

@jwolf3920 Agreed. At least on this new SG that I am trying to keep in tune. There's a Michael Kelly guitar and one Les Paul that Grovers did work in two different cases. SG might need some kind of replacement...or the nut sucks.

[@tornfrayed4977]

I've had a MIM Tele since the late 90's, but if I ever get another guitar it would be an SG. Great guitars

[@julianrodriguez661]

good video, watched this one and les paul. both great.

[@Coleo432]

Thank you very much Julian! Welcome to the channel, I've got more content like it on the way :)

[@robertalsbury]

Is the neck dive at issue when sitting down and playing or just when standing?

[@frankdardano3182]

Best guitar ever made . You. Don't make a living with your guitar.lf you did you would appreciate the genius of the sg! I bought one in 1968 toured England with it in 1972.clapton uses one on disrali gears.l was blown away by how he could get all those sounds out of one guitar live it was a joy to play . Played with quick silver messenger service.john cippolina let me play his.he told me he played claptons,loved it,got one. I liked everything about it.l was playing a telecaster,quickly sold it.ln 1981 l bought a les paul custom or black beauty.it was built like a tank.l still have it.music venues were getting smaller than late sixties and seventies. At rock festivals l could hear the extra punch the les paul had. No problem in the earlier days, just run another marshall stack parallel.putting on a les paul was more like getting in a German tank as opposed to putting it on. My back hurts today because of that les paul. It sounded so good though! All things considered, l like the sg better. Never had a problem with any of the items like tuning etc. I am now 71 years old, got a new sg thee years ago,ln the old days, you had to have grovers on immediately after you got it.they had cheap plastic machine heads. That is how that started,not just with sgs.look how many guys used one at woodstock.jerry garcia,Carlos santana,both guitarists in big brother, Johnny winters, and quicksilver messenger sevice,and others.that was 1969!!! The new one seems to have a more stable and a little thicker neck.You made an excellent choice for your journey in electric guitar!!!

[@mick-ji7lh]

SG Brother. 68 here.

[@johnsguitarmusicanddemos]

For those people that have tuning problems with their Gibson, get powdered graphite and put it inside the nut where the string passes. That cures it.

[@johnhareiel5118]

I just changed the tuners

[@leegeddyfan]

the Gibson vibrola looks and fits it perfectly

[@ishatype2764]

My SG (cherry 1974 with mini humbuckers) is my favorite. Light, easy to play, good clean sound but roars like a lion when pushed. Every guitar has it's good points, but if I had to choose one, it's a SG.

[@laserlithuanian]

SG born to rock!!

[@RoachDoggJr2112]

I've played numerous gibson and epiphone SGs, and I've literally never experienced neck dive. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but I'm still pretty certain it's way less common than people say.

[@brianschiller4053]

I installed a bigsby on mine, it eliminated the neck dive.

[@Coleo432]

That's a great idea!

[@rilynburke5751]

Wow that’s smart

[@supernintendo182]

I don't think neck dive was as much of an issue on the early SGs because they came pre-installed with Gibson Vibrolas which balanced the weight of the neck and headstock.

[@victornobrega.r6]

Did you recently sell it to guitar center a 2005?

[@brianschiller4053]

@@victornobrega.r6 if you are asking me, no, I still have my SG. :)

[@spursblood1]

Tommy Victor of Prong played as an SG a lot in the 90s and proved SGs are perfect for metal and industrial

[@firststep7750]

A Gibson SG is an 8/10th guitar for me. But it's closer than any other guitar to being perfect.

[@Coleo432]

Couldn't agree more!

[@vividpsychosis8222]

So I just got a sg today, I’m a old beginner, use to have a esp ltd back in the day, anyways, I was curious. How do you rest/anchor palm without muting the low E? I’m use to keeping either my palm on the flat bridge or using my pinky as an anchor but this guitar doesn’t have the plastic around the pickups and when I rest it on bridge the low E is hard to get full sound of. I can’t float my arm the entire time so I’m getting discouraged and I’m just starting back again :( any help would be greatly appreciated

[@Coleo432]

I would personally suggest moving your hand slightly closer to the tailpiece of the guitar. Just enough that you are able to get the full should out of the E string, but not too far that you can't actually anchor your hand on anything. It's definitely harder to explain something like this over a keyboard but I hope this helps.

[@wildwolf8983]

I like your wall guitar mats, where did you get them from? I you don’t mind .

[@Coleo432]

I actually made a video about it fairly recently, check it out!

[@daniwest1370]

Vibrola 61 SG Pelham Blue... My dream guitar

[@Coleo432]

That's a beauty!

[@auntjenifer7774]

I was really hoping you would play the guitar in this video !

[@Coleo432]

In my next video I will be playing it. Stay tuned!

[@garyp5522]

I am totally different. I play sitting down and the jack in the front is a big plus. But that is me.

[@guitarprepnplus1]

Love my lefty 2017 sg faded. 5.5 lbs. Play more than my American pro II.

[@Coleo432]

Glad you like it!

[@Lowtech14]

The light weight makes the SG a winner for me. Try a few- many SGs are pretty well balanced w minimal neck dive.

[@Coleo432]

That's great! Glad you like them!!

[@nine9whitepony526]

Your first pro was how great it looks. Don't get me wrong, the SG is my all time favorite guitar ( over the last 30 plus years i have played many many high end guitars) but to be honest I think they look kinda weird. The body makes me think about a restored antique coffee table top that someone just cut into the general shape of a guitar body and then threw a neck and hardware on it. Haha. But I don't really play it because I think it looks good haha.

[@glenkepic3208]

Pretty cool. I had a '64 Std in the mid '70s. A rebuild with a splice neck join set wrong (flat) and a refin. btw, $150. Took the pu covers off and looked just Blair's BTO "Not Fragile". Sold it and bought a Strat. Should have fixed the SG. Pete T would flip over the strap, the woven indian pattern ones we'd buy for $4.99 in the day. This would help against neck dive. Now, '10 G400 and a JT55ptr from ' 07 (a Std and a Spl). I'm a fan.

[@GingaJamiesBMX]

1964 standard sg nowadays would go for more than £3000 :( even more if it had a tremolo and p90's.

[@glenkepic3208]

@@GingaJamiesBMX Thanx for the reply. Yes, the Maestro trem. 'I sold the SG but heard of it getting fixed and playing great. The G400 is on a stand now (rotating the herd ;). I love it !!

[@michaelweiss9219]

As gar as "headstalk dive" I have figured out that if you have grover tuners, they add to the weight problem, Kluson, not nearly as bad....

[@lorenzociliberto9564]

Well, with the Grover-Tuners (not good, not original) the SG is Neck-heavy. For me, it's the best Guitar.

[@Coleo432]

Gotta love the SG!

[@kingcopycat9945]

I'm kind of a beginner and I love the guitar I have but I want another one and I can't decide between a less Paul or an sg

[@Coleo432]

I would personally go for a Les Paul. I actually have a Les Paul vs SG comparison video in the works at the moment. You should subscribe so you know when it comes out! I 100% recommend trying out both though as it's definitely a personal preference kind of thing.

[@kingcopycat9945]

I had my heart set on a les Paul originally from epiphone but I got a donner hss strat instead because it was cheap it’s a really good guitar too

[@joeldodson5238]

Love the video Cole! I got my SG Standard in 2017. It was a 2016 standard that I got used for an amazing price and it has been my main ever since. I am a biased fanboy and the headstock dive never bothered me. I will have to disagree with you on metal because I play mine through a high gain amp and it shreds and chugs. No not as tight as EMG pickups, but it can get brutal if you set it up right. I like that you mentioned the finish on the neck wearing away because mine is getting smoother year after year.

[@Coleo432]

You make some great points. Welcome to the channel!

[@usuallyclueless4477]

Yeah, I mean look at Shinji Wajima from Ningen Isu. His SG sounds brutal.

[@tadwoods3694]

You can fix neck dive by putting something not to heavy or light underneath the pickgaurd maybe Velcro a magnet in there or something

[@Coleo432]

I've seen a few people put batteries in the control cavity too. Great idea!

[@tadwoods3694]

@@Coleo432 wait I meant control cavity too lol

[@user-qn6dn1ht4j]

Wow buddy even your hairstyle matches the headstock !

[@beakmann]

About the neck finish, I sanded mine and it helped a lot, but this will obviously look strange and reduce the resale value

[@Coleo432]

I definitely considered doing that but didn't for a few reasons. The main 2 reasons was I was super nervous about doing damage to the guitar and the other reason being is that as I was planning on selling it, it ended up getting better as the finish broke in.

[@sickb2200]

The should move the output to the strap button position like some acoustic electrics.

[@Coleo432]

That's actually a really neat idea!

[@fredzep01]

If you get neck dive issues, just put a bit of Velcro on your strap

[@Striker--sk6kh]

The sg sounds great paired with vox ac15c1

[@Coleo432]

Absolutely, I love the sound of a Vox.

[@marygaleac]

Been playing the SG for 40yrs.. R8 PRS all been and gone…. There are NO cons with an SG……Neck plunge… Never been an issue with me coz my left hand is usually up and down the fretboard. Best guitar ever built… Own 5 but nothing after 2006…

[@johntinker3457]

Just have to ask, so are you saying any SG after 2006 is not so good?

[@marygaleac]

No not at all…. The SG is the best guitar on the planet…. Quality control on Gibsons has always been a thorny issue with Gibson owners especially with Les Pauls. Not so much the SG… It just seemed to deteriorate after 2006….But they have introduced new lines back in and new management who I believe has got Gibson back on track… I’m pretty sure yours is bang on and you should enjoy it. SGs can do everything. Crank it up and let it sing.. No finer sound…

[@johntinker3457]

@@marygaleac Thanks for that..Thinking about buying one for my Son. Of course he has 10 Electrics right now....he has to get the SG right? LOL!

[@Coleo432]

@@johntinker3457 2015 through 2018 were tough years for Gibson quality control. In 2019 they made some changes and have been great!

[@johntinker3457]

@@Coleo432 Thanks for the info, spending $1.7 k for an SG, one wants good quality for sure.

[@stockholm1752]

Tele player here with 2 questions: 1:21 1) How does a Les Paul “fight you back”? 2) How is an SG more simple (2 tones, 2 volumes, 1 three-way switch) than a LP? *** Nice guitar, thanks for sharing.

[@AlexHernandez-oi5dd]

In response to the first question, the les paul is ass heavy so it constantly feels like it wants to slip out of your lap when playing sitting. Also they're heavy and not comfortable to play standing up, to me at least.

[@stockholm1752]

@@AlexHernandez-oi5dd Yeah, I prefer the SG, but it too is kind of unbalanced.

[@midlwestern3237]

Pickups are pretty high output in my opinion

[@bandawhat33]

If I upgrade the pickups to higher output would it do the job for metal? Or am I still better off getting an ibanez or something?

[@Coleo432]

That would absolutely work!

[@bandawhat33]

@@Coleo432 Thanks for getting back to me. I'm in the process of getting a new SG Standard. It's nice and light more comfortable than a les paul in terms of how it feels in the hand.

[@Coleo432]

@@bandawhat33 That's great! I hope you like it! Welcome to the channel.

[@paulchoate1]

The stock pickups are just fine for metal.

[@bandawhat33]

@@paulchoate1 ahh ok. thank you. I ended up re-selling the sg I got. It had a kind of sterile soulless sound for some reason. Maybe it could have been tweaked or needed thicker string gauge.

[@user-ss9jl1wf8o]

If i get one should i get a bigsby b5 for it

[@Coleo432]

That’s completely up to you. There’s pros and cons to both

[@pdbordelon]

I love my SG but it is NOT a comfortable guitar to play standing up: Neck dive, but worse is the forward leaning issue. You have to use your knee or leg to "prop" the guitar up if you have any hope of seeing the fretboard. Sitting down its fine but for live forget it.

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

Nice ever tried the '61 Reissue SG?

[@Coleo432]

I have not, how are they?

[@F-MK96]

no tuning problems if you use 11s

[@fatamorgana4318]

They're 2K now 😳

[@Coleo432]

It's crazy how much more expensive everything is getting.

[@DobytciMor]

nice guitar

[@Coleo432]

Thanks buddy!

[@aydintorres3177]

we need a workout routine! mans looks like he’s going into greek god summer strong

[@Coleo432]

That could be fun!

[@michaelheller8841]

I own Gibson, Epiphones, Fenders, and a PRS. All guitars have their job and all sound and play differently. I purchased not too long ago an inspired by Gibson 61' Epiphone Les Paul SG. It is the closest that I own to an SG for a quarter of the price. I got lucky that it was good out of the box. I paid $450 for it. The only issue I had was the bridge pickup was too brittle for me. I paid another $350 for a hand-wired humbucker set and it's like having a much better guitar. So much so that it gives my Gibson Les Paul a hard time lol. So at about $800, I can't go wrong. The only issue I have personally like yours is that The Jack is on the top instead of the side like my other guitars. A right-angle jack solves that issue. It plays really fast and I can hold a note till next Tuesday lol. I look at most issues as just putting more time into it to get it the way you want it. The QC on mine was good out of the box. Even though mine is a Les Paul SG copy, all Gibson pretty much did, later on, is take off the Les Paul name and put a Batman Pickguard on it lol. Gibson Les Paul's were not selling that well back in the days, so the Les Paul SG was made to increase the sales and Just became the Gibson SG. When Jimmy Page came around Les Pauls started to sell more even though Zep 1 was all recorded with a Fender Telecaster lol. Pete Townsend was one of the First well-known guitarists to sport an SG, Tony Iommi, then Angus young made it extremely popular. There is so much history in an SG and deserves all the credit, fantastic guitars. A lot of people pay more attention to what's the best. To me, it doesn't matter, if it rings and sings it's for me. Every guitar I own tells a different story. The guitar you have right in your hands has a huge history, super cool, and sounds killer. You have a cool last name, by the way, no one can tell you what they like in your own hands, keep rockin!

[@Coleo432]

I really appreciate the comments and support. Thank you Michael!

[@michaelheller8841]

@@Coleo432 anytime

[@pomod]

I love my SG and have to disagree it's a one trick pony; (maybe if you moved those knobs you said you keep all the way up.) I get a great thick but clean tone off the neck pickup with the tone rolled down to about 3 or 4 and the volume backed to about 6, it roars on the bridge all the way up or twangs with it rolled down a bit - it's all in using your knobs. That being said the chintzy PCB mounted pots and caps that came with it sucked out of the gate and I rewired it with some decent pots which made a big difference. Mine doesn't neck dive, and i sanded the finish off the neck. But the best thing about an SG other than its *versatility* is the neck that goes for days. Great fret access, light weight, thick tones. They cover a lot of bases.

[@westym8935]

the good thing about the SG tribute that I have is it doesn’t have the sticky gloss finish, just wood. looks cooler too imo

[@pdbordelon]

I agree with this...I have a SG Special but my buddy just bought a Tribute and I was blown away how great it sounds and plays!

[@westym8935]

@@pdbordelon just curious, is there much difference soundwise between the two?

[@stefanthorpenberg887]

I got an original Les Paul SG from early 1961. It’s a very versatile instrument that I often play jazz fusion with, but if I want to sound like Billy Gibbons there’s no problem to get it. The guitar has absolute no neckdive. Reason is that it has a slightly rounded slim taper neck, light weight Kluson-like tuners, AND… the original side-to-side trem. Useless trem, but it balance the guitar.

[@Coleo432]

That's an awesome guitar!

[@fluff5800]

Sg's also work for jazz!

[@GingaJamiesBMX]

Only issue I ever had with my SG was the G string going out of tune faster than the others, I hear this is very common with the SG throughout its history. I wonder what causes it? I had to let go of it a few years ago due to financial issues and I dearly miss it. Strange how you mention neck dive I was able to rest this particular model on the neck just above the body and it would stay balanced.. Very hard to get hold of any SG below £800 where I am able to get to. Anyone looking to sell theirs in the uk? 🤣😉

[@TheJamSpace]

the nut specifically the break angle for the 3rd string is the problem.

[@johndaugherty4127]

Good name for a guitarist...

[@daveyboy8907]

Sand the neck with 2000 3000 wet sand or 000 steel wool..Problem solved..I did it to my 2013 sg and I love it..Looks road worn to.lol

[@MRROBBIEWATTS]

Hmmmmm.......now I don't know whether to buy one...or not?.... :(

[@NoComment-oc6di]

ALSO: SG has insane upper fret access !!!

[@Coleo432]

That's also another great pro!

[@lamontprospect9974]

Personally, I love SG's. If they're good enough for Pete townshend, Carlos santana, TonyIiomi, Terry cath, and so many other great guitarist, it's good enough for me. But I could never just own the sg. In fact, I own a few different versions of the SG and a few different versions of a Les Paul. If you don't have a lot of money to spend, buy a used gibson or used fender. Don't buy an Epiphone or one of those cheaper models. You're better off with a real Gibson or a real Fender, even if it's used then buying one of those cheaper made models that will never be worth anything.

[@seanabbott5493]

I'm working on paying off a used Gibson SG for 800$ at Guitar center. Only thing that's wrong with it is minor cosmetic damage

[@lamontprospect9974]

@@seanabbott5493 Sounds like a guitar that has some character.

[@markwalmsley5892]

Not to mention Derek trucks Duane Allman dickey pets

[@brucemerryman7365]

@@markwalmsley5892 Angus Young!!!

[@stash7714]

I have no head stock dive but I have a good wide strap

[@Coleo432]

That's awesome. What brand is your strap?

[@stash7714]

@@Coleo432 I don’t even know, just some cheap $15 one but it’s like 3 inches wide with suede on the bottom. I have a Gibson and epiphone SG and neither neck dive.

[@joebob344]

I want one so bad but I just play at home for fun. I can't convince myself to spend 1500.00 for that reason. I fight myself everyday over that. But I want Gibson on the headstock just once!

[@Coleo432]

I'm not gonna try to convince anyone to spend their money on anything they don't want to. But once you see yourself at the financial position to purchase one, then I believe you should do it. I honestly believe that if you really want one of these, then there's no chance that you'll regret it. I think that the $1500 absolutely worth the memoires you are going top create with it.

[@277southtombob]

The Faded SG are pretty simple but play and sound great and can be found used very reasonable, not much more than a Epiphone. They come with the 490 humbucker set like BB King had in his Lucilles and they’re great for blues and classic rock but it’s easy to put a SD JB or something hotter in the bridge if you play heavier music. I’ve got a Faded and love it.

[@nine9whitepony526]

Why didn't you play a couple licks? Anytime a day is a great time to hear one sing.

[@kkzooi]

they are not one trick pony's perse. drop the pups a bit and raise the polepieces and they get very clear and articulate and play around with the volume and tone knobs a bit. They can do much more than just rock and blues. When it comes to neckdive, the grover tuners are a big part of that problem. switch them out for a pair of klusons with the plastic tips and most of the neckdive is gone. It's worse on the (61 style) short neckjoint guitars. The strapbutton on the ''modern'' sg's is put a but more forward because there is more meat in the longer neckjoint (19th vs 22 fret) which also helps alleviate neckdive. My sg tribute does not have neckdive at all and since i put a pair of klusons on my epiphone vintage g400 (was my first guitar) it hardly has any neckdive. the only problem i have now with the skinny neck on the epiphone is that my hand cramps up after a bit of playing, the neck on the tribute is a bit thicker so i dont have that problem.

[@trentstroupe8130]

I bought my first Gibson SG three months ago. I’ve always been a Les Paul guy but I got a wild hair up my ass one day and pulled the trigger on the SG. I already am ready to sell it. The neck dive is a deal breaker for me. I just simply cannot feel comfortable playing it standing up or sitting down. And that saddens me

[@Coleo432]

That is totally understandable

[@rulstorm429]

I’ll be honest, my SG has never given me those problems. Neck dive, tuning instability, luckily it’s got a satin neck so no sticky neck problems, but honestly I find it’s possibly the best guitar I have. Even with the 490’s as standard, get immaculate tones for any genre. Play blues some days, Indie, metalcore, even go down to drop B sometimes

[@Paine-yr9wd]

Purchase a wide, cloth or leather, strap that bites into your shirt, and a 90 degree plug adapter! Your life will become better for it!

[@OzoneFlyer]

This guitar is not a one trick pony if you use the tone and volume don't just leave them maxed out. And I like the kluson tuners as the grover tuners are so heavy and all my sg's with the kluson's don't have neck dive. I could just be lucky tho

[@henrykelly1183]

You might be luck as I have an SG special with the small plastic pebble shaped tuners and sadly still get neck dive. So true about the tone and volume controls, love the way with a Gibson, with independent neck and bridge controls you can really dial in your tone for both positions.

[@DELTA1DSV]

Hi ‘ I’m ex pro, 72 , I have them , there great, you need a mahogany Body, and have to get it professionally set up correctly, ,

[@nathanspiessens4213]

What do you mean that sg’s aren’t good for metal if they have really high output? That’s basically what you want for metal

[@georgeputnam2]

De-gloss the back of the neck with a red Scotchbrite pad.

[@Coleo432]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@richardhowell9535]

PRS S2 McCarty thinline. Best SG ever made.

[@jessebrigden2920]

One trick pony? Naw. I play metal (albeit with upgraded pickups) I can play blues, rock, anything.

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

The SG has no cons. It's the best.

[@brian770]

only thing i hate about it and why i sold mine is the jack, they need to be on the body where the les pauls is.

[@Coleo432]

I absolutely agree

[@kanetolley]

Just sand the neck down it’s so easy to do… also if people struggle with it going out of tune GET LOCKING TUNERS!

[@PJohn-gc8xv]

A light weight SG is old-friendly.

[@michaelp8856]

may 21st. go to the store - pick up a les paul and then pick up a sg. one will break your back - the other won't

[@gus4u2c]

My only problem with the SG Standard is compared to the 61 reissue, the neck is a little wider. Besides that it’s a great guitar.

[@Coleo432]

It definitely does have a little wider neck. All personal preference though!

[@marcop1587]

That's it!!! I'm getting a PRS 🤣

[@Coleo432]

I don't blame you!

[@marcop1587]

Just kidding, it's a way better guitar than I deserve 🤣

[@iangreen7467]

Mine doesn't neck dive...??

[@iangreen7467]

Mine is a 99..not sure if that makes a diff

[@Coleo432]

You must have a naturally heavier guitar then. Every piece of wood is different. Hope you enjoy the guitar!