@@toledo2983 True, I was totally thrown off the first time I held an SG, all the weight is in the neck and the top frets feel so far away. You get used to it eventually though, and it has unbeatable fret access.
I admit that I used to be excited about seeing Rob, Pete and Rabea on the thumbnail, because I like their playing. Especially Rabea's. And I still is, don't get me wrong! But nowadays I get so happy watching Lee play! He's not "the best" out there, but his improvement in technique, improvising and confidence is just immense! And that makes me so happy everytime, as his joy and energy of playing really gets you! Been playing for over 25 years, with different teachers and all kinds of exams. But You, Lee, inspire me so much! So thank you for everything you and the guys do! Cheers from Finland! 🤘🏻🇫🇮
Watching Lee lean back and bend into his notes is EPIC!!! No more upright rigid Lee. He is feeling it!!!! Pete, keep pushing him. End effect, it pushed me as well!!! Appreciate you guys tons!!!
What I love about Lee is he'd be the first to say when he can't play something. Humble guy that's just likes to mess around. Been following the channel for 10 years. Love these guys
It’s a love/hate thing for me. I’ve had two that had a weak spot, or maybe we’re machined a little thin and the cable managed to punch a whole right through. I know that I’ve just had a couple duds, but it’s pretty well scared me off of buying another.
It’s always been the SG for me. I fell in love with the body shape visually first, but when I’ve played them they’ve always just suited me better than Les Pauls, which I’ve never really been able to bond with. I think that’s what it comes to really, style and personal preference. I’ve had my 2016 model SG standard since pretty much when they were released at the end of 2015, and no matter how many other guitars come and go, or how many fancier guitars I collect, I will always end up coming back to that SG. There is just a trademark snarl that an SG has that is inimitable.
Some other SG players of note: Frank Marino; George Harrison; Pete Ham and Joey Molland of Badfinger (Ham actually had George Harrison’s 64 SG); Frank Hannon of Tesla; Glenn Tipton and KK Downing; John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service; Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce of the original Alice Cooper group; Tom Petty; Jerry Garcia; Mick Taylor; Eric Johnson; Todd Rundgren (who famously owned Clapton’s “Fool” SG); Rod Price of Foghat; Carlos Santana; Pete Townshend; Jake E. Lee; Carlos Cavazo of Quiet Riot
I've got one of each. Before my lower back, neck, and shoulders began to succumb to arthritis, the LP was my favorite guitar. Now it doesn't come out of the case much. The SG is good enough, and it hurts less to play.
Love the SG. The guitar that metal was invented on. And when you look at the diverse range of #1 guitars for people who keep the SG as their #2, it's hard to argue against the idea that it's just got that secret sauce that makes it nearly impossible to hate.
@@IJIIKY9192 On top of that, I recall that the story was that he switched to the SG after he lost his fingertips because its shorter scale length while still holding down tuning well all made it easier for him to adapt to the new complication.
Have to say that young Jake Kiszka from Greta Van Fleet has significantly got me looking back at an SG, he is getting a phenomenal sound out of that rig at the minute. That and the fact that Sabbath & AC/DC set the bar for modern rock and roll tells you that although it isn't as prolific a guitar in the industry there is something uniquely special about the SG 🎸🤟
Not to mention that the early fusion guys which are truly the first modern guitar players were doing it on sg’s. John mcgaulchlin was an sg player and santana was going back and forth between sg’s and lps until the yamaha he worked on combined both.
I was a strat guy for years until GVF and then I finally went out and got a 61 SG and wow I was missing out (I actually hated the SG bc of Guitar Hero back in the day, I didn’t like the satanic look 😂). But now that I have one, WOW was I missing out. I love the neck on it so much. The wider neck (esp at the first fret) compared to a strat, the flatter radius, and how easy it is to finger the entire neck, just a joy to play on neck dive be damned.
Strats have always been my favorite, but I've recently got an Epiphone Les Paul 1961 custom reissue (that's actually an SG) and I cannot stop playing it. For my style, I still prefer the Strat tone, but I just can't stop playing that SG. What an amazing instrument.
I’m glad you opened up and didn’t just stick with your believed Strat because there’s too many other great guitars out there not to be played. And since pretty much every brand now has really good budget guitars they’re really worth looking into. Epiphone Les Paul, semi-hollow Gretsch Streamliner or Electromagnetic, a vintage ESP Telecaster from the 80s can be had for about 900 bucks. Then you have ESPs Japanese market only brands like Navigator which is their custom shop level, then you have Edwards which sits above LTD and the budget level is called Grassroots. Edwards and Navigator guitars are awesome! There’s many other styles of guitars as well. Then you have the choice between passive and active pickups, EMG or Fishman etc. There’s so much out there and you should try and play as many of them as possible because it’s quite possible that you haven’t even met your true love, yet! 🤪
I’ve had both, they each have their +’s and -‘s. But I really LOVE my SG and how it resonates against my body as I rip off some classic rock riffs. Just takes you to a special place IMO. Love the video guys!
The tone that Lee had in the opening jam was amazing. I thought it was amazing before I knew it was a Murphy Lab. They always seem to sound amazing. Pity it's the price of a car. Can't justify it.
They have plenty of other gear in the chain tho.even when they play 200$ guitars it still sounds killer. Must be the couple thousand dollar amos they plug into a long with top notch pedals,power,cables, interface/board,mixer,mics etc etc etc. They play guitars,but really they're a recording studio of course it sounds great.and even without all of that,Pete is a beast and Lee is ....the friggin captain so...
My first was the SG but I have to have both. The maple top does make it brighter at least in the case of my two. An eq can do wonders for an SG and the upper fret access is unbeatable.
I remember being SO DISAPPOINTED when I learned the PENTATONIC scale. As a kid I always thought these lead guitarists were 'inventing' these INCREDIBLE solos COMPLETELY 'randomly'! Then I learned that most solos simply consist of a specific group of FIVE notes played in a unique manner. lol
one of the first big steps from going to beginner to intermediate is to unshackle yourself from the pentatonic scale. Not necessarily to be rid of it (cuz that's just impossible) but to get away from all the stock Page/Clapton blues licks and boxes
I have been saying for over a year that my next actual "new" guitar was going to be a SG, and this video full y supports that decision. But now I also want a Little Sister, so really, these videos just make distributing my estate in a few years after I'm gone so much easier for the family.
I owned both but sold my LP. I’m not a good enough player to really appreciate them but the SG is substantially lighter which makes it more comfortable for me to play. The other thing that makes me love the SG can be summed up in two words - Angus Young!
SG was my first real guitar. And I think I have been trying to get the SG sound from everything else. I even tried 480 pickups in other guitars. The SG suits my ears and I think it is that mid range rock and roll bark that I like.
Man this was such a bad ass video for many a reasons, but Captain I just gotta say, your playing sounds killer man! You can really tell that you’ve been grinding out some practice. Great vid fellas, cheers
I have 3 Les Paul guitars (only one of which is Gibson) which I love...but then I got an SG (not Gibson) and, despite some early reservations due to the change in posture/feel, it soon became my number 1. It is light, comfortable, and absolutely rocks.
@@loganknapp8905 I've not had any experience with epiphones. I hear the "inspired by" ones are good though. When you find a good SG there is nothing better!
Les was an amazing inventor by far. But I have to agree here. Ted Mcarty had it right. The SG improves the LP and it fixes the problems with the LP design (and adds a few problems too). Still it was not the sound Les wanted.
There was also the fact that Les was divorcing Mary Ford at the time, and it was quite an acrimonious divorce. So Les' divorce attorneys advised him to at least temporarily withdraw from any royalties agreements, and that's why Les asked Ted McCarty to remove his name from the SG model.
@@AragornCF He is quoted as saying - "a guy could kill himself with those horns, There wasn't enough wood where the neck joined the body so I called up Gibson and and asked them to take my name off, it wasn't my design".
LP for recording and studio things, SG for stages. Your shoulder will thank you after hours of jumping and running around the stage. Oh, and a small tip for the SG’s neckdive problem: DiMarzio Cotton ClipLock Strap!
My first guitar was a nicely made LPncopy by Vantage, then went on to fender jazz master, telecasters, strats, and now I play a 3 humbucker SG Custom with the Vibrolla trem and a iYV rendition of a fender mustang. Each of the iconic guitar models each have their own sparkle.
The SG neck feels longer because of where the curves on the body are placed. If you look at the Les Paul, the 'cutout' section where you rest the guitar on your leg sits between the pickups; on the SG it's right underneath the bridge pickup, so the guitar neck sits further away from you while the guitar is sitting on your leg
Yeah almost all guitars have the cutout for the leg between both pickups. On the SG this puts more mass towards the front, hence the neck dive people talk about.
@@BaronsDuju Not quite - the carve never changes and not all SGs have neck dive for instance ones with strap button on upper bout horn like Iommi and new Supremes and 80s models or any SG with a Bigsby - on and on, so that kills that theory. Yet to hear one famous player mention so called neck dive.
The best guitar is the one that person is connected and feels the most comfortable with. It's not rocket science and it shouldn't be that complicated. I prefer SG's because of how they feel while I play them ,that includes the weight. I just like flat slab guitars
I own a very sweet Les Paul Std that I love and will keep until after I am dead. To me, it's a Stradivarius. Then a good friend picked up a 1967 SG survivor a decade ago. Whenever I play it for 5 minutes, 6 hours pass as riffs I don't know and can't play fly effortlessly from my fingers and he's telling me it's after midnight and I should stop now. That SG is a rock-n-roll generator with not one bad note on the fretboard.
I had a Les Paul album, and on the cover, he was holding the double cutaway SG style Les Paul. This was back in the 60's. I had the Les Paul Black Beauty with all the gold finish hardware and tried the SG style LP and liked the sound so much more that I switched. Maybe it was because of the PAF pickups. I still have the guitar and still sounds better than any other Les Paul I ever played. To be honest I never played any other Gibson thay I liked as much.
Been a Les Paul guy all my life. But I just bought an SG this year and I am in love! Ill never stop playing a Les Paul but I REALLY like the SG! But only one? Les Paul
My first guitar was a cheap SG copy I got 20 years ago, aged 14. I was so sad when it broke (tuners, electronic,... Pretty much everything went wrong as the years went by), but I never found the strength to replace it with a new SG. So I tried loads of models, settled down on Strat and Tele. I had three Les Paul models (Epiphone, PRS, Hagstrom) and I sold them all a few weeks after buying these. I could not wrap my mind around them. Now I feel I should just buy a new SG and revive my first years of guitar playing.
Thanks for making this video, guys. Great comparison, finally making me look for an SG, as I really like the darker tone. Found a '61 Reissue from 2009 a few days ago and instantly fell in love with the neck shape and overall feeling.
One isn't better than the other. They're just different. Different sound, waiste points, weights, and more. Rod Price of Foghat. His main tool. Great stuff!
Oh man! As much as I love both guitars, as soon as Pete hits those first few notes on the Les Paul! Phew! That's my fav tone right there. And they hit it perfectly on the head with the term "focused". SG's def more focused, and LP is more open. My only problem with Les Paul is that I do prefer double cut designs for getting higher up on the neck. Either way, rock it if you got it! 😄🤘
Add Eric Johnson to that list of SG players! The first electric guitar I ever bought was a cherry red ltd edition Epiphone g400 pro and I don't regret that purchase in the slightest. In my opinion, the way SG's sound bites and takes to gain is simply unmatched. Very classic and inspiring. I love the Les Paul, but I'll take an SG any day.
For a crunchy rock sound that has that "Thing" I can see why nearly everyone likes Angus Young's tone and I believe the SG has allot to do with it, having a snarling bark to it. The Les Paul also has a "Thing" so for recording or playing covers live it would indeed be great to have both. Again, I can hear why Angus's leads sit so well in the mix. I don't have an SG and I do a bunch of recording so now I'm wondering why I don't. Thanks for the video, Guys!
I love the sound of a Les Paul, but I'm an SG guy all day long. I had a 59 reissue from 2000 I got used and one of the original collection 50's. First SG was an Epi Special in 2005, then a used 2001 Standard in 2006 that I had until 2016ish, then had a 2015 Standard in walnut 100th ed. Next SG was a 2019 original collection with the sideways trem I got in 2019, then a Custom Shop 61 stop tail serial 001392, then an original collection stop tail last year, and I finally got a 60th anniversary SG a month or so ago that isn't quite as good as my first CS but I plan to keep this one. So that's seven SG's in 18 years, just feels like home.
@@MarsK84 yep, i have four Fenders (two JM, a tele and a jaguar), never been very found of Gibsons but Ian (SG) and Joey Santiago (pixies, LP) can make me thinking about a Gibson. In THIS possible case, bouying a Gibson, probably it would be an SG
@walter hupsel I sold my JM because I wasn't bonding with it and got a Tele instead which I absolutely love. I would by a Jaguar if available in left-handed. LP are way too heavy for my troublesome neck. How did I forget Joey Santiago.
@@MarsK84 I love all three, and do not like strato at all. My Tele is Classic Baja, amazing tones and eletrinics with 4 position and phase out. But JM are my kind, no doubt at all. And yes, and SG is the next-thing-to-buy
i love my 2016 SG faded. got it for $600 used in 2016, it was brand new! now SG Fadeds have gone up in price the last couple times i've checked on Reverb. the thin nitro lacquer has been wearing wonderfully where contact with the neck/body is made. I LOVE that! my previous guitars all thick lacquer and would never wear. i understand why people like that, but i like my guitar looking more beat up the more i play it. the neck just keeps feeling better and better, and the wear and tear makes my SG, MY SG, it's not identical to everybody elses on Earth. I'll never go back to a thick poly lacquer after discovering how wonderful Nitro is. and the neck access is the best. i play a lot of Grateful Dead/JGB tunes and having easy access to the whole neck makes flying around the neck much more fluid. and shape too is just perfect. Not sure what size they put on 2016 SG Fadeds but I dig it! i also like the look of the uncovered pups/bat wing pickguard that you get with the faded model. if i had the $$ fore any SG i'd probably still get the faded, its that good!
Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, both early on for SG players... you all called out a lot of great ones! Great to hear Frank Zappa and Sister Rosetta Thorpe included! Ollie Halsall is another great one, albeit somewhat lesser known. Allan Holdsworth played one a bit early on, probably following Mr. Halsall's lead. Great video as always, gents!
A Gibson SG much like the one in this video was my very first "big boy" guitar I saved up for after landing my first job at a Baskin Robbins back in 2012 😂 I still have it to this day and there's still nothing meaner and grittier than an SG at the bridge with some good overdrive. It just punches you in the face and yells rock n roll. You best believe I learned a LOT of black Sabbath on that guitar.
In this comparison, I would choose the LP because it sounds much clearer. You can muffle a clear sounding guitar/pup, but you can't clarify a muffled one as well...yes I'm exaggerating, but only to make my point. However, I would argue/question the differences of hardware, pots make and settings, pups (exactly the same, windings and all?). The switch between the two provided enough evidence for me. The LP does it for me and I'm glad I bought a 2013 LP studio gold top with P90s back then and not a SG...my LP is heavy, but it's amazing! Built in Nashville, TN 🍻
Which one is better? The Fender telecaster ;) joking aside, I personally believe the SG is superior in tonality and playability. It’s a no brainer when it comes to upper fret access
My very first electric guitar was a Rose Morris Avon SG. I originally wanted a SG bass because I saw Jim Lea of Slade playing one on TOTP and I loved the shape. The shop didn't have one but they did have the Avon SG so I bought that instead. I have played Les Pauls but my main guitar is a 1986 Korean Epiphone SG. I bought in 1987 and it's ' fantastic!
The tone of the LP from the opening duel just does it for me. I actually covered my eyes while I listened and I could distinctly tell the difference in the 2. There’s just something about that LP sound, such a vibe.
Just waiting for my local guitar shop to open and I’ll have this bad boy added to my collection 🎉 Sounds amazing. I have the Les Paul Gold Top Deluxe but I need a Gibson SG for sure 😊
Wood DOES make some difference but it's actually way more complicated than some people claim. I remember back in the 90's, Washburn made the Mercury Tonewood guitars where they made the same exact guitar in 3 different woods. ALL the reviews said that the setup on the guitar made more difference than the wood (Ash, Alder and Mahogany were the 3 woods available I think) When I worked in a music and shop and we sold Handmade Gordon -Smith guitars as well as Gibsons, the Graduate 60 (single cutaway ) sounded like a les Paul, but the Graduate (double cutaway but otherwise identical) didn't quite have the same "compressed" Les Paul tone. That HAS to be down to where the neck joins the body.
or the reason for the difference is because the pickups are not actually the same and the position of the pickups on the scale of the guitar is not the same.
@@lfaf9509 I mean it's a fact that different kind of wood reflects sound waves at different frequencies, therefore different tones. I don't understand people that are so stubborn in their flawed ways, nothing will ever change their minds. There are experiments out there with quite literally the exact same guitar built twice, but made of different woods, and they sound different. It's a fact, your opinion doesn't change a thing.
@@falcongunner33 I have a couple of Les Paul Standards and a 1962 reissue Custom Shop SG. They're all around 20 years old and they all have the same Burstbucker pickups. The Les Pauls are definitely more refined in their tone, and you can't attribute that solely to minute differences in the pickup/bridge geometry.
As someone who cares about balance, the SG is the worst guitar ever made. Just play a flying v or explorer, very similar guitars that balance perfectly.
Great as always. I sold my Gibson SG 1961 reissue. I went with a Collings City Limits for the Les Paul shape and sound. Lollar Imperial Pick Ups. A bit of a chunky neck, but it’s solid. The SG started to become too loose for me. The neck was so easily bent out of shape while playing. I do wish I not sold it and both guitars. Time and money. Always the way.
Neither one is better than the other, they are just different. One is a more refined instrument with a wide soundscape that is great for most styles while the other is a mid-ranged growling monster that excells in cutting through the mix with distortion. It's simply horses for courses.
I’ve wanted to love an SG so much. I love the way they sound. I love the way they look and I love how cool I feel playing one. But the neck dive just ruins it for me. I find myself concentrating on using my fretting hand to balance the SG so it won’t dive. And it totally throws off my playing.
This very much depends on the weights of the woods used for the neck and body. I've found that if you want to buy an SG or any of the small body large neck Gibson style guitars, you're best off trying them in person. You can also move the strap pin from below the neck to the horn as mentioned before. You could look into trying some different bridges on the guitar. If you can find a solid and hefty enough bridge and tailpiece, it can weigh the body down enough to stop neck dive without the need for modifying the strap pins. Most importantly I would mention ergonomic guitar straps, these are designed to better 'hold the weight of the guitar over the shoulder and can often keep even the most heavy neckdive guitars in place no issue. There is a weirder fix I have seen. This involves paying a luthier to insert a piece of metal into the bottom back of the guitar, usually brass or steel. This adds weight to the other end preventing neck dive. Though, expensive and can be ugly unless you get it either covered or embossed. Lastly I will mention a fix I do not recommend but I think is quite funny and so why not. Pay to have it converted into a headless guitar. There is an image floating around of a Gibson that has been converted into headless format, except they put the headstock into the bottom of the guitar to tune it there. Personally, I would try the ergonomic strap and heavier bridge/tailpiece. This way you can keep the guitar near stock, without modification AND keeping the guitar nearer its' original weight.
The top end brightness difference is mainly the volume pots value. Custom shop uses 500k and SGs come loaded with 300k which makes them slightly darker and muddier. Changing the value will open up that top end!
Out of the Gibson body styles I actually like the Double Cutaway Les Paul Special. It has better access to the high frets that the Les Paul Standard, but no SG neck dive.
Wow! Man, those pedal boards, have everything but a sauna! We just plugged in the Marshall's, and maybe, a wah wah, and a tone bender, some guys used. Times have changed, those pedals look fun. Like to try them.
31. Time I start messing around and get a reasonably priced Mexican HSS Strat and an SG. I absolutely love the style of guitar Iommi used in early 70s Sabbath. Whatever he was doing I need to replicate myself, can make the most simplistic riffs rings so well with the perfect amount of distortion. I've finally came to the realization that I'm really not a shredder, I can play certain fast passages but I prefer having that full bodies rhythm tone above all else.....It depresses me how expensive good Les Paul's can be. Time to make some music that I actually like, bring some of the old spirit back. Tasteful Rebellion.
![Les Paul Vs SG [Four Awesome Guitars, Four Classic Amps]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WixK3bzMyS4/mqdefault.jpg)
It's mad how good Lee has gotten since this channel started.
I was thinking that too. Hanging out with Pete all day has it's side-effects. Haha.
he got good exactly the time pete took him under his wing.
I was going to say the same thing! He really improved, sounds great
I mean, he's been playing along with Pete for years really. It's hardly sudden is it
It’s been like 13 years bro. You could have become Guthrie govan in that time if you dedicated yourself to the woodshed
I admire Lee’s incredible improvement. He sounds absolutely terrific.
SG. Lighter, thinner, cut/curved better. And personally, I think the SG is just the coolest looking guitar ever made.
I agree with you Evan 🤝
absolutely, but also the most alien feeling guitar ever made.
@@toledo2983 True, I was totally thrown off the first time I held an SG, all the weight is in the neck and the top frets feel so far away. You get used to it eventually though, and it has unbeatable fret access.
Angus Young. For me, that wins any argument. 😄
@@lance134679 if you wear school uniforms while playing, thats an striking argument. School uniforms look weird with blonde telecasters.
I admit that I used to be excited about seeing Rob, Pete and Rabea on the thumbnail, because I like their playing. Especially Rabea's. And I still is, don't get me wrong!
But nowadays I get so happy watching Lee play! He's not "the best" out there, but his improvement in technique, improvising and confidence is just immense! And that makes me so happy everytime, as his joy and energy of playing really gets you!
Been playing for over 25 years, with different teachers and all kinds of exams. But You, Lee, inspire me so much! So thank you for everything you and the guys do!
Cheers from Finland! 🤘🏻🇫🇮
rabea is just an insane player. i know he leans into metal, but he can really do anything. dude is beast.
50 % Finnish in the US.... saying hi....
you just want a job bro..
Watching Lee lean back and bend into his notes is EPIC!!! No more upright rigid Lee. He is feeling it!!!! Pete, keep pushing him. End effect, it pushed me as well!!! Appreciate you guys tons!!!
I love when Pete does the lee riff. It's my fav thing ever
Your absolutely right, all he needed to really develop was a lyrical feel, and he totally did!
LOL! Really?
What I love about Lee is he'd be the first to say when he can't play something. Humble guy that's just likes to mess around. Been following the channel for 10 years. Love these guys
Question: does anyone else like the plug position on the SG? I love that you can lean back on the couch without crimping the cable..
It’s a love/hate thing for me. I’ve had two that had a weak spot, or maybe we’re machined a little thin and the cable managed to punch a whole right through. I know that I’ve just had a couple duds, but it’s pretty well scared me off of buying another.
Right angle cables. Problem solved ;-)
Agree
A low profile right angle cable for either of these eliminates the problem entirely.
@@Skiddins Didn’t work for me unfortunately. I tried that with the second sg but it still punched through.
I love these guys, but this has to be the best intro they have. I have listen this things 20-30 times. Incredible playing!
It’s always been the SG for me. I fell in love with the body shape visually first, but when I’ve played them they’ve always just suited me better than Les Pauls, which I’ve never really been able to bond with. I think that’s what it comes to really, style and personal preference. I’ve had my 2016 model SG standard since pretty much when they were released at the end of 2015, and no matter how many other guitars come and go, or how many fancier guitars I collect, I will always end up coming back to that SG. There is just a trademark snarl that an SG has that is inimitable.
Some other SG players of note: Frank Marino; George Harrison; Pete Ham and Joey Molland of Badfinger (Ham actually had George Harrison’s 64 SG); Frank Hannon of Tesla; Glenn Tipton and KK Downing; John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service; Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce of the original Alice Cooper group; Tom Petty; Jerry Garcia; Mick Taylor; Eric Johnson; Todd Rundgren (who famously owned Clapton’s “Fool” SG); Rod Price of Foghat; Carlos Santana; Pete Townshend; Jake E. Lee; Carlos Cavazo of Quiet Riot
Ian McKaye from Fugazi
Paul Weller, both in The Jam (Start!) and solo
What an intro jam. Best one in a while. Both of you were absolutely shredding!
I've got one of each. Before my lower back, neck, and shoulders began to succumb to arthritis, the LP was my favorite guitar. Now it doesn't come out of the case much. The SG is good enough, and it hurts less to play.
Love the SG. The guitar that metal was invented on. And when you look at the diverse range of #1 guitars for people who keep the SG as their #2, it's hard to argue against the idea that it's just got that secret sauce that makes it nearly impossible to hate.
I have a Les Paul and an SG. Love em both !
Yet tony iommi was playing a strat until the pickup died and he picked up an sg 🤔 so really the strat is the metal creator
@NintenDub Sabbaths first album was recorded on a SG except for wicked world
@@IJIIKY9192 On top of that, I recall that the story was that he switched to the SG after he lost his fingertips because its shorter scale length while still holding down tuning well all made it easier for him to adapt to the new complication.
@@TheMountainLynx he didn't start down tuning until Master of Reality
Have to say that young Jake Kiszka from Greta Van Fleet has significantly got me looking back at an SG, he is getting a phenomenal sound out of that rig at the minute. That and the fact that Sabbath & AC/DC set the bar for modern rock and roll tells you that although it isn't as prolific a guitar in the industry there is something uniquely special about the SG 🎸🤟
Was looking for someone to say this. He's my biggest inspiration and favorite player for sure !
Not to mention that the early fusion guys which are truly the first modern guitar players were doing it on sg’s. John mcgaulchlin was an sg player and santana was going back and forth between sg’s and lps until the yamaha he worked on combined both.
Completely agree!
That's a rare and special guitar that he can't find a proper backup for
I was a strat guy for years until GVF and then I finally went out and got a 61 SG and wow I was missing out (I actually hated the SG bc of Guitar Hero back in the day, I didn’t like the satanic look 😂). But now that I have one, WOW was I missing out. I love the neck on it so much. The wider neck (esp at the first fret) compared to a strat, the flatter radius, and how easy it is to finger the entire neck, just a joy to play on neck dive be damned.
Strats have always been my favorite, but I've recently got an Epiphone Les Paul 1961 custom reissue (that's actually an SG) and I cannot stop playing it. For my style, I still prefer the Strat tone, but I just can't stop playing that SG. What an amazing instrument.
Epiphone all day long
I bought one in white a few weeks ago. I love it.
I agree I have one too
Dude I got so excited reading this comment! I got one in a pawn shop for $80, amazing steal and it’s like the perfect little piano!
I’m glad you opened up and didn’t just stick with your believed Strat because there’s too many other great guitars out there not to be played. And since pretty much every brand now has really good budget guitars they’re really worth looking into. Epiphone Les Paul, semi-hollow Gretsch Streamliner or Electromagnetic, a vintage ESP Telecaster from the 80s can be had for about 900 bucks. Then you have ESPs Japanese market only brands like Navigator which is their custom shop level, then you have Edwards which sits above LTD and the budget level is called Grassroots. Edwards and Navigator guitars are awesome! There’s many other styles of guitars as well. Then you have the choice between passive and active pickups, EMG or Fishman etc. There’s so much out there and you should try and play as many of them as possible because it’s quite possible that you haven’t even met your true love, yet! 🤪
I’ve had both, they each have their +’s and -‘s. But I really LOVE my SG and how it resonates against my body as I rip off some classic rock riffs. Just takes you to a special place IMO.
Love the video guys!
The tone that Lee had in the opening jam was amazing. I thought it was amazing before I knew it was a Murphy Lab. They always seem to sound amazing. Pity it's the price of a car. Can't justify it.
They have plenty of other gear in the chain tho.even when they play 200$ guitars it still sounds killer. Must be the couple thousand dollar amos they plug into a long with top notch pedals,power,cables, interface/board,mixer,mics etc etc etc. They play guitars,but really they're a recording studio of course it sounds great.and even without all of that,Pete is a beast and Lee is ....the friggin captain so...
Lee has gotten SOOO much better it really is impressive. I'm not sure if Pete has been helping him out but his playing has improved a lot.
for me SGs are the Guitar of choice the playability and the beautiful warmth they have
I just picked up an SG after playing fender for years. It's like I'm learning how to play guitar all over again
I have fenders and schecters but want to buy a sg soon.
Hopefully I won't regret it
Had a LP for years and just got a tele
Lee is really turning it to 11 lately, love the progress
My first was the SG but I have to have both. The maple top does make it brighter at least in the case of my two. An eq can do wonders for an SG and the upper fret access is unbeatable.
I remember being SO DISAPPOINTED when I learned the PENTATONIC scale. As a kid I always thought these lead guitarists were 'inventing' these INCREDIBLE solos COMPLETELY 'randomly'! Then I learned that most solos simply consist of a specific group of FIVE notes played in a unique manner. lol
But there are a million ways t play it!
Excelsior!
one of the first big steps from going to beginner to intermediate is to unshackle yourself from the pentatonic scale. Not necessarily to be rid of it (cuz that's just impossible) but to get away from all the stock Page/Clapton blues licks and boxes
I felt exactly the same way when I first learned the pentatonic scale. SO THEY'RE NOT JUST TAKING THAT SHIT OUT OF THEIR HEADS?!
@@erickfuga i couldnt believe the singers used words from the dictionary too, its not gibberish? Wild
Excellent video! I had a smile from ear to ear, the whole time while watching.
I have been saying for over a year that my next actual "new" guitar was going to be a SG, and this video full y supports that decision. But now I also want a Little Sister, so really, these videos just make distributing my estate in a few years after I'm gone so much easier for the family.
I feel your pain, same for me. Had both and loved both into HiWatt and Marshall’s. Doesn’t get better and with my shoulder I need an SG…again!
Famous SG players - Come on, how could you forget GEORGE HARRISON'S SG with the Vibrola tremolo? Honestly, have a word with yourselves.😉
100% and Paul Weller as well… come on guys!
Hendrix had a white one as well
I owned both but sold my LP. I’m not a good enough player to really appreciate them but the SG is substantially lighter which makes it more comfortable for me to play. The other thing that makes me love the SG can be summed up in two words - Angus Young!
Jimmy page tho
I have both. I always love more the one I am playing.
Who is Angus Young? A cow?
SG was my first real guitar. And I think I have been trying to get the SG sound from everything else. I even tried 480 pickups in other guitars. The SG suits my ears and I think it is that mid range rock and roll bark that I like.
Like a dog?
Man this was such a bad ass video for many a reasons, but Captain I just gotta say, your playing sounds killer man! You can really tell that you’ve been grinding out some practice. Great vid fellas, cheers
I have 3 Les Paul guitars (only one of which is Gibson) which I love...but then I got an SG (not Gibson) and, despite some early reservations due to the change in posture/feel, it soon became my number 1. It is light, comfortable, and absolutely rocks.
I had an epipone sg. The neck sucked. Bad. Then I bought an SGJR 🎉
@@loganknapp8905 I've not had any experience with epiphones. I hear the "inspired by" ones are good though. When you find a good SG there is nothing better!
Les was an amazing inventor by far. But I have to agree here. Ted Mcarty had it right. The SG improves the LP and it fixes the problems with the LP design (and adds a few problems too). Still it was not the sound Les wanted.
There was also the fact that Les was divorcing Mary Ford at the time, and it was quite an acrimonious divorce. So Les' divorce attorneys advised him to at least temporarily withdraw from any royalties agreements, and that's why Les asked Ted McCarty to remove his name from the SG model.
@@rexrathtar3893 Yes, that was also part of it. 😉
@@AragornCF He is quoted as saying - "a guy could kill himself with those horns, There wasn't enough wood where the neck joined the body so I called up Gibson and and asked them to take my name off, it wasn't my design".
Ted McCarty said Les Paul didn't invent the Les Paul guitar and they gave him the role of consultant as a courtesy.
@@stringrip The Les Paul body shape is a scaled down ES175.
Damn Lee, you’re smoking on this one. It’s been fun watching your skills grow.
LP for recording and studio things, SG for stages. Your shoulder will thank you after hours of jumping and running around the stage. Oh, and a small tip for the SG’s neckdive problem: DiMarzio Cotton ClipLock Strap!
My first guitar was a nicely made LPncopy by Vantage, then went on to fender jazz master, telecasters, strats, and now I play a 3 humbucker SG Custom with the Vibrolla trem and a iYV rendition of a fender mustang. Each of the iconic guitar models each have their own sparkle.
The SG neck feels longer because of where the curves on the body are placed. If you look at the Les Paul, the 'cutout' section where you rest the guitar on your leg sits between the pickups; on the SG it's right underneath the bridge pickup, so the guitar neck sits further away from you while the guitar is sitting on your leg
Yeah almost all guitars have the cutout for the leg between both pickups. On the SG this puts more mass towards the front, hence the neck dive people talk about.
@@BaronsDuju Not quite - the carve never changes and not all SGs have neck dive for instance ones with strap button on upper bout horn like Iommi and new Supremes and 80s models or any SG with a Bigsby - on and on, so that kills that theory. Yet to hear one famous player mention so called neck dive.
One chord from the SG and it was instant AC/DC. Unmistakable sound.
The best guitar is the one that person is connected and feels the most comfortable with. It's not rocket science and it shouldn't be that complicated. I prefer SG's because of how they feel while I play them ,that includes the weight. I just like flat slab guitars
I own a very sweet Les Paul Std that I love and will keep until after I am dead. To me, it's a Stradivarius. Then a good friend picked up a 1967 SG survivor a decade ago. Whenever I play it for 5 minutes, 6 hours pass as riffs I don't know and can't play fly effortlessly from my fingers and he's telling me it's after midnight and I should stop now. That SG is a rock-n-roll generator with not one bad note on the fretboard.
I had a Les Paul album, and on the cover, he was holding the double cutaway SG style Les Paul. This was back in the 60's. I had the Les Paul Black Beauty with all the gold finish hardware and tried the SG style LP and liked the sound so much more that I switched. Maybe it was because of the PAF pickups. I still have the guitar and still sounds better than any other Les Paul I ever played. To be honest I never played any other Gibson thay I liked as much.
Been a Les Paul guy all my life. But I just bought an SG this year and I am in love! Ill never stop playing a Les Paul but I REALLY like the SG! But only one? Les Paul
You cannot have just one. It’s an impossible choice. That’s why I have both.
ROCK ON!
My first guitar was a cheap SG copy I got 20 years ago, aged 14. I was so sad when it broke (tuners, electronic,... Pretty much everything went wrong as the years went by), but I never found the strength to replace it with a new SG. So I tried loads of models, settled down on Strat and Tele. I had three Les Paul models (Epiphone, PRS, Hagstrom) and I sold them all a few weeks after buying these. I could not wrap my mind around them. Now I feel I should just buy a new SG and revive my first years of guitar playing.
A three-way stand off between a Les Paul, an SG and a 335 with (as near as possible) identical pick-ups would be interesting.
Agreed and the 335 would win the title as the most versatile but most uncomfortable to play. Give me a Junior.
Thanks for making this video, guys. Great comparison, finally making me look for an SG, as I really like the darker tone. Found a '61 Reissue from 2009 a few days ago and instantly fell in love with the neck shape and overall feeling.
One isn't better than the other. They're just different. Different sound, waiste points, weights, and more. Rod Price of Foghat. His main tool. Great stuff!
No - this is the Internet. You must choose a side!
👍
Amazing opening session! 👏
A friend of mine explained it to me years ago. A Les Paul can do all kinds of music. An SG just ROCKS!
I bought a 1974 sg custom 15 years ago and i'm never selling it , it such a great sounding/playing guitar .
Oh man! As much as I love both guitars, as soon as Pete hits those first few notes on the Les Paul! Phew! That's my fav tone right there. And they hit it perfectly on the head with the term "focused". SG's def more focused, and LP is more open. My only problem with Les Paul is that I do prefer double cut designs for getting higher up on the neck. Either way, rock it if you got it! 😄🤘
I think the SG started out as the original Les Paul and Mr. Paul himself decided to improve the design speaks for itself.
My first Gibson was an SG, that being said the answer is clearly the 335😏
Hahaha yes.
You spelled flying v wrong lmao
@@mychalsean And Explorer
yeah a 335 is just magical
The best intro EVER on Andertons!
The geetars?...None are better than the other just very different...😉
Both are great, SG has a huge advantage of light weight and high fretboard access. Comes down to personal taste, really.
Robbie Krieger, Carlos Santana. Harrison and Pete Townshend could be in both lists)
Add Eric Johnson to that list of SG players! The first electric guitar I ever bought was a cherry red ltd edition Epiphone g400 pro and I don't regret that purchase in the slightest. In my opinion, the way SG's sound bites and takes to gain is simply unmatched. Very classic and inspiring. I love the Les Paul, but I'll take an SG any day.
Same for the g400 pro as a first guitar. Still love and play it to bits 😊
Robbie creager too. One of the very best.
I like the intro and outro jams a lot in this video. Super-fun, which is what rock n roll is all about.🤟
For a crunchy rock sound that has that "Thing" I can see why nearly everyone likes Angus Young's tone and I believe the SG has allot to do with it, having a snarling bark to it. The Les Paul also has a "Thing" so for recording or playing covers live it would indeed be great to have both. Again, I can hear why Angus's leads sit so well in the mix. I don't have an SG and I do a bunch of recording so now I'm wondering why I don't. Thanks for the video, Guys!
Yeah, but the core of AC/DC's crunchy tone was Malcom on a Gretsch.
Only problem is that tone is from Malcoms gretch missing pickups. Acdc lead tone is great, but it's mostly the rythem section you hear.
Angus Marshall has a lot to do with it too.
I love the sound of a Les Paul, but I'm an SG guy all day long. I had a 59 reissue from 2000 I got used and one of the original collection 50's. First SG was an Epi Special in 2005, then a used 2001 Standard in 2006 that I had until 2016ish, then had a 2015 Standard in walnut 100th ed. Next SG was a 2019 original collection with the sideways trem I got in 2019, then a Custom Shop 61 stop tail serial 001392, then an original collection stop tail last year, and I finally got a 60th anniversary SG a month or so ago that isn't quite as good as my first CS but I plan to keep this one. So that's seven SG's in 18 years, just feels like home.
George Harrison also played an SG , recorded many songs on Revolver, and I think on Rubber Soul too
Yes, Paperback Writer as well, and later stuff like Lady Madonna and Hey Bulldog were George on the SG
Intro was sick. Love these dudes.
The lightweight and the thin arm make me go for a SG.
(and you guys forgot Ian Mckaye, fugazi, a great SG creative player)
Ian McKaye is why I'm considering an SG despite being a Fender fan
@@MarsK84 yep, i have four Fenders (two JM, a tele and a jaguar), never been very found of Gibsons but Ian (SG) and Joey Santiago (pixies, LP) can make me thinking about a Gibson.
In THIS possible case, bouying a Gibson, probably it would be an SG
@walter hupsel I sold my JM because I wasn't bonding with it and got a Tele instead which I absolutely love. I would by a Jaguar if available in left-handed. LP are way too heavy for my troublesome neck. How did I forget Joey Santiago.
@@MarsK84 I love all three, and do not like strato at all. My Tele is Classic Baja, amazing tones and eletrinics with 4 position and phase out.
But JM are my kind, no doubt at all.
And yes, and SG is the next-thing-to-buy
i love my 2016 SG faded. got it for $600 used in 2016, it was brand new! now SG Fadeds have gone up in price the last couple times i've checked on Reverb. the thin nitro lacquer has been wearing wonderfully where contact with the neck/body is made. I LOVE that! my previous guitars all thick lacquer and would never wear. i understand why people like that, but i like my guitar looking more beat up the more i play it. the neck just keeps feeling better and better, and the wear and tear makes my SG, MY SG, it's not identical to everybody elses on Earth. I'll never go back to a thick poly lacquer after discovering how wonderful Nitro is.
and the neck access is the best. i play a lot of Grateful Dead/JGB tunes and having easy access to the whole neck makes flying around the neck much more fluid. and shape too is just perfect. Not sure what size they put on 2016 SG Fadeds but I dig it! i also like the look of the uncovered pups/bat wing pickguard that you get with the faded model. if i had the $$ fore any SG i'd probably still get the faded, its that good!
Add Pete Townshend, Robby Krieger, George Harrison to that SG list :D
Mika Aalto from Rotten Sound
Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, both early on for SG players... you all called out a lot of great ones! Great to hear Frank Zappa and Sister Rosetta Thorpe included! Ollie Halsall is another great one, albeit somewhat lesser known. Allan Holdsworth played one a bit early on, probably following Mr. Halsall's lead. Great video as always, gents!
A Gibson SG much like the one in this video was my very first "big boy" guitar I saved up for after landing my first job at a Baskin Robbins back in 2012 😂 I still have it to this day and there's still nothing meaner and grittier than an SG at the bridge with some good overdrive. It just punches you in the face and yells rock n roll. You best believe I learned a LOT of black Sabbath on that guitar.
Baskin Robbins always finds out.
In this comparison, I would choose the LP because it sounds much clearer. You can muffle a clear sounding guitar/pup, but you can't clarify a muffled one as well...yes I'm exaggerating, but only to make my point. However, I would argue/question the differences of hardware, pots make and settings, pups (exactly the same, windings and all?). The switch between the two provided enough evidence for me. The LP does it for me and I'm glad I bought a 2013 LP studio gold top with P90s back then and not a SG...my LP is heavy, but it's amazing! Built in Nashville, TN 🍻
I’m convinced I need two of each
Just picked up a faded 61 with the vibrola. Absolutely worlds ahead of the quality control of the last time I tried Gibson in 2020.
Dont forget Billy Gibbons. For me one of The best guitar sounds of all time!!
Which one is better? The Fender telecaster ;) joking aside, I personally believe the SG is superior in tonality and playability. It’s a no brainer when it comes to upper fret access
My very first electric guitar was a Rose Morris Avon SG. I originally wanted a SG bass because I saw Jim Lea of Slade playing one on TOTP and I loved the shape. The shop didn't have one but they did have the Avon SG so I bought that instead. I have played Les Pauls but my main guitar is a 1986 Korean Epiphone SG. I bought in 1987 and it's ' fantastic!
Famous SG players? Robbie Krieger from The Doors!
The tone of the LP from the opening duel just does it for me. I actually covered my eyes while I listened and I could distinctly tell the difference in the 2. There’s just something about that LP sound, such a vibe.
I would bet money the difference is the pickup height.
I just sold my Les Paul and bought the '61 SG. Very happy with my decision.
It has always been the LP for me. Even though they are heavy. But I also love my strat and tele a lot as well. Didn't bond with any SG so far.
This is the right answer. Although the LP in this video was not impressive. The SG has a thick unwieldy neck, it never felt good in my hands.
Just waiting for my local guitar shop to open and I’ll have this bad boy added to my collection 🎉
Sounds amazing.
I have the Les Paul Gold Top Deluxe but I need a Gibson SG for sure 😊
Wood DOES make some difference but it's actually way more complicated than some people claim. I remember back in the 90's, Washburn made the Mercury Tonewood guitars where they made the same exact guitar in 3 different woods. ALL the reviews said that the setup on the guitar made more difference than the wood (Ash, Alder and Mahogany were the 3 woods available I think) When I worked in a music and shop and we sold Handmade Gordon -Smith guitars as well as Gibsons, the Graduate 60 (single cutaway ) sounded like a les Paul, but the Graduate (double cutaway but otherwise identical) didn't quite have the same "compressed" Les Paul tone. That HAS to be down to where the neck joins the body.
or the reason for the difference is because the pickups are not actually the same and the position of the pickups on the scale of the guitar is not the same.
@@lfaf9509 I mean it's a fact that different kind of wood reflects sound waves at different frequencies, therefore different tones. I don't understand people that are so stubborn in their flawed ways, nothing will ever change their minds.
There are experiments out there with quite literally the exact same guitar built twice, but made of different woods, and they sound different. It's a fact, your opinion doesn't change a thing.
Got an SG and absolutely love it. I use it exclusively for failing to sound like Derek Trucks.
Tonal difference is likely due to pickup position relative to the bridge being different
You’re 100% correct. The wood/weight makes effectively no difference.
@@falcongunner33 I have a couple of Les Paul Standards and a 1962 reissue Custom Shop SG. They're all around 20 years old and they all have the same Burstbucker pickups. The Les Pauls are definitely more refined in their tone, and you can't attribute that solely to minute differences in the pickup/bridge geometry.
@@dukeford8893 You 1000% can. It takes the slightest difference to change the tone.
TOTALLY with Pete on this! I had had a Les Paul but still have - and L O V E - my '83 SG Standard.
As someone who cares about balance, the SG is the worst guitar ever made. Just play a flying v or explorer, very similar guitars that balance perfectly.
Yeah, fighting the neck- dive all the time. I like the sg concept but the balance is horrible.
Great as always. I sold my Gibson SG 1961 reissue. I went with a Collings City Limits for the Les Paul shape and sound. Lollar Imperial Pick Ups. A bit of a chunky neck, but it’s solid. The SG started to become too loose for me. The neck was so easily bent out of shape while playing. I do wish I not sold it and both guitars. Time and money. Always the way.
Neither one is better than the other, they are just different. One is a more refined instrument with a wide soundscape that is great for most styles while the other is a mid-ranged growling monster that excells in cutting through the mix with distortion. It's simply horses for courses.
That description of how each guitar sounds is complete and utter nonsense
@@falcongunner33 agreed. "wide soundscape"? Does it have a stereo out they didn't talk about?
An SG HP/Modern with a maple top sounds awesome. It's a cross between the LP and SG sound wise, with the awesome playability and feel of the SG.
I’ve wanted to love an SG so much. I love the way they sound. I love the way they look and I love how cool I feel playing one. But the neck dive just ruins it for me. I find myself concentrating on using my fretting hand to balance the SG so it won’t dive. And it totally throws off my playing.
i've found moving the strap button to the horn helps to remove the neck dive problem! cheers
Or get one with a vibrola, even if you never use it. It acts (somewhat) as a counterweight.
i have 8 sgs and no problem with the neck dive
This very much depends on the weights of the woods used for the neck and body.
I've found that if you want to buy an SG or any of the small body large neck Gibson style guitars, you're best off trying them in person. You can also move the strap pin from below the neck to the horn as mentioned before. You could look into trying some different bridges on the guitar. If you can find a solid and hefty enough bridge and tailpiece, it can weigh the body down enough to stop neck dive without the need for modifying the strap pins.
Most importantly I would mention ergonomic guitar straps, these are designed to better 'hold the weight of the guitar over the shoulder and can often keep even the most heavy neckdive guitars in place no issue.
There is a weirder fix I have seen. This involves paying a luthier to insert a piece of metal into the bottom back of the guitar, usually brass or steel. This adds weight to the other end preventing neck dive. Though, expensive and can be ugly unless you get it either covered or embossed.
Lastly I will mention a fix I do not recommend but I think is quite funny and so why not. Pay to have it converted into a headless guitar. There is an image floating around of a Gibson that has been converted into headless format, except they put the headstock into the bottom of the guitar to tune it there.
Personally, I would try the ergonomic strap and heavier bridge/tailpiece. This way you can keep the guitar near stock, without modification AND keeping the guitar nearer its' original weight.
Change the material of your strap to leather or something with grip. Guitar won’t budge.
SG first because I bought one from Andertons a few weeks ago, but now realise that I also need a Les Paul :)
That SG through the Sheriff pedal sounded glorious.
The iconic Dickey Betts tone on "Live at the Fillmore" is a '61 SG Special. Nobody seems to remember that.
The top end brightness difference is mainly the volume pots value. Custom shop uses 500k and SGs come loaded with 300k which makes them slightly darker and muddier. Changing the value will open up that top end!
Never had a Les Paul but I miss my old SG every day of the year.
Since you use either to get the sound you want, I would choose based on playability and comfort.
Come on impossible to choose...i have both and they are so different and so great in their own way...we all need both😉
look the SG was a Les Paul in 1961...I just bought the 61 Reissue last year..it is a Les Paul just looks diferent I like it...
I too recently purchased the '61 Les Paul / SG ... .
Pete Townsend...SG player! DP knows this!! Excellent video!!🎸🔥👏👏👏
An intro that melts the face, mind and bowels 🤘🧡
Clearly the SG for me! Great video guys.
Out of the Gibson body styles I actually like the Double Cutaway Les Paul Special. It has better access to the high frets that the Les Paul Standard, but no SG neck dive.
Wow! Man, those pedal boards, have everything but a sauna! We just plugged in the Marshall's, and maybe, a wah wah, and a tone bender, some guys used. Times have changed, those pedals look fun. Like to try them.
31. Time I start messing around and get a reasonably priced Mexican HSS Strat and an SG. I absolutely love the style of guitar Iommi used in early 70s Sabbath. Whatever he was doing I need to replicate myself, can make the most simplistic riffs rings so well with the perfect amount of distortion. I've finally came to the realization that I'm really not a shredder, I can play certain fast passages but I prefer having that full bodies rhythm tone above all else.....It depresses me how expensive good Les Paul's can be. Time to make some music that I actually like, bring some of the old spirit back. Tasteful Rebellion.