Thinking about getting an Gibson SG Standard

sydsad

Yeah as the heading says. Finally got few quid together.

Anyone else have one?

Would ye recommend it.

Would there be any reason not to get it? Couple people have told me the are hit and miss.

Thanks

Knifey Spoony

Got a second hand one last year and I'm very happy with it. The fret board was a good deal wider than what I was used to, having played a strat copy for years, but I got used to that very fast. It's very smooth playing, has very responsive tone controls and sounds great for all types of music.

Only thing that is a bit wrong with it are the machine heads. They really aren't the greatest, but they can be easily changed out. Also, the guitar is a bit neck-heavy, but you wouldn't even notice that when you are playing, just when you take you hand from the neck and it starts to tip to the ground.

But, they are very nice guitars. Try one out first before you buy one though just to see if it is really for you.

Demeyes

Have you ever played an SG before? I've played a few and while I like the look I don't like the way they feel and sit on the body. I'd also recommend you try a few and pick the best feeling/sounding one as they are supposed to vary a bit. I played a friends Gibson one and it was really nice, where as some of the ones I've played before in shops paled in comparison.

Ravelleman

I've also been looking at SGs recently. In theory the SG should be a guitar that I like - simple, lightweight and relatively cheap for a Gibson - but I've found the reality a little more complicated.

As Knifey Spoony already said, most of them tend to be neck heavy and that is something I find kind of annoying, given that I play mostly sitting down and without a strap.

Tuning can definitely be a problem and if you replace the stock tunes with Grovers or the like, the neck-heavy issue just gets worse.

I've also tried two different SGs in shops in the last 5 months that have had dodgy switches, specifically disconnecting the neck pickup in the middle position. Pretty disappointing.

I also get the impression that the fretboard is wider on the SG Standard than on the guitars that I'm used to (my G&L Legacy and my Gretsch Annie). I find it a little uncomfortable but that's just my taste.

Waltons actually have quite a good range of SGs at the moment. They have Standards, a '61 RI, a Pete Townshend 50th, a Robby Krieger 50th, an Angus Young, Tributes and probably a Special of some description.

The Townhend model didn't do much for me even though I really wanted to like it. I loved the Krieger model with the vibrato but for €1580 it seems mighty expensive to me. It's definitely the best SG I've played though. The 61 RI has a neck profile that I like a lot more than the Standard's and the pickups are nicer but it is a bit more expensive.

Lot's of people like the Tribute line they've been doing recently. Can't say I'm a fan of how they look - obvious multi-piece bodies are pretty ugly to my eyes.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that there is a lot of variation in the SG line but luckily there's quite a wide range available in Dublin at the moment if you want to try them. The prices are surprisingly good too! Try some out for yourself.

Malice

sydsad wrote: »

Would ye recommend it.

Would there be any reason not to get it? Couple people have told me the are hit and miss.

I would invert the question and ask yourself why you want to get one. Once you have yourself convinced then it shouldn't matter what any of us on here have to say about them .

Personally I've played a few Gibsons and never liked any of them. Your mileage may vary of course.

MilanPan!c

About 8 years ago I owned a new standard, then I sold it to raise money to move to London (from the US).

Eight years later I bought another one and am totally in love again.

I LOVE the giant neck (and I have pretty medium sized hands). I LOVE the sound out of the things (I have upgraded pups and wiring, but...). Most importantly, I find the thing is a great creative tool. IT makes me want to play it and I'm writing at a faster pace than normal.

Love Love Love my SG Standard.

BTW: the last 8 years I was primarily on a G&L tele...

Dord

Try one out and see how you like it. Make sure you try it sitting and standing (with a strap obviously!)

Keyzer

I'm getting the cash together for an SG 61 Reissue at the moment.

I started listening to Derek Trucks about a year ago and his playing has inspired me to finally spend the time needed to learn to play slide guitar.

So an SG it is for the added cleavage at the top end of the neck...

Malice

Did anyone else speed-read Keyzer's post in their e-mail, see the word cleavage and then get disappointed when the context became clearer?

nialldabass

Here is a review I put up on the Gibson Forum after getting a special faded model, I know its not a standard but might help when you first pick up an sg

Well I got my new SG faded brown 4 days ago
Bought blind online. I had not even picked up,let alone played, an SG in over 20 years, and that was only a freinds.
But as someone whose played for 25 years, my dream has always been to own a True Gibson,brand new. And I can not beleive how cheap these are going for right now.
So after telling my wife how it will be worth so much in 40 years time, its an investment Darling, honest, she handed over her credit card and I just clicked a few buttons, few days later big box, Lovely.
Now my only 'real' guitar is a 1982 JV Squire, a true workmans guitar nothing fancy but made well with good timber sounds great and if it was good enough for Jeff Healy and George Harrison, then its far too good for me.
So I opened the box,took out the gig bag, unzipped and pulled it out, as you do.
Oh! My god! is that it? Is this right? I can't believe how small it is. Oh!
Well the necks not snapped. Ok.Hmmmm!
Is this a newer model? The body is so thin and the pickups stick out so far, Is this really right?
Looks alright though, nice harware, 3 piece body, finish feels better than I expected, not too impressed by the look of the grain but hey, not dissapointed either.
So I pick it up and strum, Where did that come from? How can somthing so tiny be making that much noise?
So I start smiling a bit and strum a few chords, this is never gonna work, this can't be right. I'm not blown away, it all just feels like alien territory.
Well then I open up the new SG Hard case, generic brand but more expensive than the epiphone SG case and put it in. Seems a little small in there, not bad but i can get a finger round the sides.
Is the case a little big? Or did I get a small SG?
I did, I must of got a small one. Hmmmm!
Now I knew this was all nonsense but having lied to the misses, and used up all favours for several years, I was wondering if I had done the right thing. Right lets get it upstairs and give it a little tweak. Lowered the action and pick ups and checked the intonation, which was more than good enough for me.
I start to play a bit more, and its nice, really resonant, really crisp and bright, still feels odd though, and the frets grind a little, could of done with a little more polishing, but no sharp frets, well levelled
Plug it into my little Laney cub ten, but its late so the levels are down but it very clean, too clean, I was expecting more cut or somthing. Anyway its late so I turn off the amp and just play and hold it and try and feel a rapour, and this goes on for a couple of days.
Well friday evening and I need to make this work, I plug the Laney into a 12 inch Celestion 75 and crank it up to 2
Get a little drum loop going, strap her on, assume the position, slightly wider stance, hips thrust forward and start cranking out ZZ tops Waiting for the Bus. Yeah this is nice this is very nice the pickups are good, the neck is really fast and the bends come so much quicker just sqeezing the thing makes it howl. I'm having a great little one man jam here, my playing feels more precice not my usual sloppy self, I'm loving this thing, the open grain on the neck still feels a little odd but its gonna smooth out in no time
I get it now,I get what all the fuss is about, this IS a Gibson, a real instrument Im so pleased, this is everything and more than I was expecting, This thing loves to be grabbed by the scruff and played. Does all the nice clean stuff but roars like a dragon, and its so easy to do
I can see me and my new wife having a vey long and satisfying relationship together, hope she doesn't catch me cheating, Ill keep them in seperate rooms, might be best for now.
Right, what will I call her?......... Noooo stop it you've never named a guitar before, and how do you know its even female?
But just look at that figure...............Rrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

sydsad

LAds,


Thanks for all the replies. Much appreciated. Well iv ordering the standard in at my local music store. Should be in next couple of days.

Will get back to ye and let ye know how i got on. Yeah i was told it would be a bit neck heavy and a little wider(Iv been plaing a Fender jag special HH mostly) Iv wanted the Gibson for a while though. Its good as well because the jag is a heavy bastard but sounds really good i have to say even after the bit of a bashing it got. Suffice to say i will be protecting the SG big time haha.