I was because of Angus. I got a nice one (SG Supra) and it's gone now. I got used to the neck placement, but it wouldn't stay in tune if I moved around at all. Also, I used a leather strap with suede on the underside to keep it in place.
I have many guitars. The test for me has always been - roll the knobs on everything and rake a proper G chord. The SG just has the balls and growl that is hard to duplicate.
Lol. I personally love my SG. It’s from 08 and ultralight weight. Came in under 6lbs when weighed it out. Gonna probably switch the pickups out at some point. I’m really loving the fishmen fluence I have on my new prophecy
@@smedleybutler8787 I took possession this morning of the new 63 Epiphone Les Paul Custom. I saved $400 because it was used & the guitar kicks ass! A nice beefy neck & 3 Custom Buckers & plays beautifully. I love Tele's & was playing one when the delivery man showed up this morning.
I am now 86 years old I have been playing guitar for over 70 years ! I have played most of the popular makes of guitars & my final choice would be, without exception, the Gibson SG closely followed by the Fender Telecaster. These have been my main guitars for all occasions. I still play my SG for recording sessions more often then any of the rest.
A few of my additions: + really light and thin, awesome comfort standing up + effortless higher fret access - with thin necks can bend out of tune pretty easily because of the high neck joint - can lack sustain, esp in the upper frets Cheers!
The size for sure was a major reason for me to pick an SG over a Les Paul when I got my first "real" guitar (the actual first was an unplayable strat copy with manufacturing issues...). I even expected to go home with a Les Paul, but it just didn't click like the SG did. Got the right strap with it to counter the neck dive, and we've been together for over 10 years now (and still no Les Pauls, only 2 juniors).
Follow up this episode with: 1. Reasons not to get a Strat 2. Reasons not to get a Tele 3. Reasons not to get a Les Paul 4. Reasons not to get an ES-335 5. Reasons not to get a PRS 6. Reasons not to get (fill in the blank) I love my SG’s, especially with P-90’s and any minor nuances make them even cooler.
Its playability is unreal, so light and smooth feeling. The standard is perfection. So versatile it can hit so many different types of sounds and tones for different styles of rock and other music. I play 90s-2000s cover band and it's my main guitar. I can go from foo fighters to rancid to smash mouth , modest mouse, matchbox 20 ..the list goes on it can do it all
@@WarbrainJack 1) yes absolutely it effects playability. 1000% 2) nope I'm absolutely not. I'm often dancing, grabbing a mic with both hands, clapping above my head, all sorts of stuff. And even if I wasn't I'm never holding the neck unless I'm physically holding the guitar up by the neck. I play the neck, but definitely not holding it. If that was the case then you could just throw half the strap over your right arm and make things much easier. 3) It is a non-issue for a lot of my younger students as well as they don't have a large quiver of technique available and don't really know better. Can you succeed in music without addressing neck dive? Absolutely. You can also succeed with a 3 string guitar, or a 3 piece drum kit. You could succeed with 2 spoons if you're good. The point isn't "how many things can I have weighing me down and still succeed" though. If neck dive isn't an issue for YOU, thats fantastic as you won't need to waste much time looking into it. But theres a reason only Warren Haynes plays a firebird you feel me? To each their own.
Plain and Simply, One of the best guitars ever made. Just a Pure unadulterated no nonsense Rock Machine. Yes it does plenty else but to me it’s a Real Rocker. And she actually beats The Les Paul on a few things too ; 1) Better Upper Fret Access 2) Lighter (very easy and comfortable to gig with) ) It Costs Less 😎
@@matiasramos212 sounds about right. I had a nice Tele a while back and sold it to Richie in Status Quo. A nice American Special. Ultimately wasn’t for me though
@@thelolguy007 that's completely okay, sometimes things just aren't meant to be. In my case I just have my Epi Les Paul and a Strat chinese rep, since I can't afford to buy a Gibson or Fender, atleast not yet.
The SG sells the most of any guitar Gibson makes. I have a Standard and I couldn't be more impressed. Nice and light, great access to the upper notes, and I really love the wide thin neck. I'd take an SG over a Les Paul any day.
My first guitar was a cheap strat knockoff. The first guitar I ever bought myself was an SG and I fell in love. I hate Gibson but love SG's. They're my favorite guitars of all time even now, although I usually play my PRS' more. The SG just holds a special place in my heart.
I bought my 1st guitar myself with a first job paycheck (dishwasher at a resort at like 13). It was the old Epiphone LP players pack. Vintage sunburst Epi Les Paul special 2, a crap Amp, strap, picks and a pitch pipe for $99, lol. Haven't been able to play Epiphone without thinking about it.
@@Allguitarinfo no... Really... Is that why they say Gibson on the headstock?! Never knew that... Besides MANY other companies make SG's and they're WAY better. Like the ESP Viper's... It's not necessarily the Gibson SG's that people are attracted too. It's the body style and feel. In my opinion Viper's feel very similare to Gibson SG's except without a ton of neck dive and the crappy quality Gibson is known for. Other companies make excellent guitars based on the body style. The ONLY thing Gibson has been good at in the last 50 years is suing other companies. God forbid they do something "original". Last time they tried that they gave the world the hideous Theodore. Whoever thought was a good idea needs to be strung up and fired. Gibson haven't innovated anything except how many times a company can cry and sue other companies. Well, that and how often they send out over priced crap that most budget brands wouldn't even consider letting out the door. So to reiterate... I HATE GIBSON but I LOVE the SG.
SG is by far my favorite Gibson solid body design. It's on par with a Stratocaster for ergonomics and comfort. Neck dive was never an issue for me. It's only an issue when you let go of it with both hands, which doesn't happen when playing. I never understood the complaint. Acoustic guitars will neck dive, too, if you let go with both hands, and no one ever complains about it. Hug it with your right arm, or rest your right arm on the bevel, and/or angle it up when strapped, which most people will do, and the neck stays up just fine. Control layout is fine. My little finger gets on the rear tone control perfectly for the amount that I use it, which is almost never. I own 2 SG's, a Standard just like the one you're demoing, and a Faded from 2002. The Faded was an impulse buy because I couldn't believe how well it fitted me, and I finally got a Standard when I could afford one. I had to shop a bit before I found a Standard that I liked, though...and even then I had to do lots of little tweaks over the course of a year or two before I got it playing the way I wanted it. Part of that is because the moron guitar tech I gave it to once decided on his own initiative that the nut slots needed filed (they didn't), and the guitar was rendered unplayable for a few months until I could afford to pay a competent tech to make a new nut for it...but that's not any fault of Gibson. That was my fault for letting a guy with a know-it-all attitude who doesn't listen to his customers work on my axe.
I bought a 61 re-issue. It's easily my favourite guitar. I don't really notice any of the issues mentioned, they exist, but they are such beautiful guitars that you just don't notice after awhile.
Yeah, that's a big plus for me, as a longtime bass player. My current guitar has a Les Paul body shape, and when I go up the neck I feel like I'm constantly running my forearm into my ribcage (or my middle-age belly). I think the biggest playability difference (for me, anyway) between a LP and an SG is that the lower curve on the SG body sits under the bridge pickup rather than under the neck pickup. That's what makes the SG feel like everything is shifted to the left, particularly when playing seated, because it *is* shifted to the left. It's the entire reason why, even after nearly three years, I can't get comfortable playing my LP-style guitar with it resting on my right thigh. For a while I tried holding it "classical style", between my legs, but I've finally settled on shortening my strap so that it's up off my leg. I'm definitely getting an SG-style guitar for my next guitar. My first two electrics, way back when, were SG copies, and I've always wanted another one.
I love my SG, I have many guitars. I'm 73 years old the light weight of the SG is a major plus for me. Love the sounds from the humbucker pickups. It does take some getting use to, but it's worth it.
My first real electric was an SG copy, loved it , gave it to my daughter for her 16th birthday, missed it , fast forward I finally picked up a Gibson SG as a retirement present to myself… love it.
The Grovers are causing the neck dive. Replace them with Kluson Revolution locking tuners, I have them and the neck dive is not excessive. Also you can replace the metal Grover buttons with plastic ones, I did that with another SG and it eliminated the neck dive. The other reason SGs neck dive is if it has been made with a thicker neck profile
So right about the Grovers. Years ago I had a Casino that wouldn't stay in tune, so I did my first mod and switched out the tuners for some heavy Grovers - big mistake on such a light guitar. I imagine same story with an SG.
Yeah, lighter tuners and with plastic knobs do help indeed. But did you noticed a change of tone and/or sustain with the lighter headstock? Most times the effect is pretty noticeable, 10-15% loss of lows and sustain….
lol wtf how did you measure this bullshit? Only thing affecting sustain on an SG is if it hear the dreaded dead F# on the g string. If need more sustain I play my lead at 5-7 on the volume knob and slowly roll it up after hitting the note I want sustained Santana style.
There's many ways to fix the neck dive on SG... Also when you are used to a Les Paul, when you switch to the SG, the easy access to the last frets feels so amazing.
@@rickcrotts6673 I cant be sure at the moment since i didnt check just now, but i think my Gibson V does neckdive but my Classic shaped Dean V´s doesnt in spite of the large headstock and heavy Grover tuners and it is pretty much the exact same bodyshape as the Gibsons (hence the lawsuit). My Deans has the strapbutton a bit further towards the bridge on the wing of the V than my old 1983 Gibson V at least which i think has it on the actual point of the wing of the V, i think that probably does a whole lot of difference.
@@Stefan- was thinking it probably was due to pin placement. This is good to know cuz the Gibson V I had was virtually unplayable for me while standing
If you want to address most of those issues with the SG, buy a 1980's SG Standard. 1980 through 1985. The neck is shifted back into the body, therefore the bridge and bridge humbucker shift back as well. Not much of a severe neck dive. The 22nd fret is level or flush to the cutout, just like a Les Paul. What makes this even more perfect is that, now the neck humbucker is right up against the 22 fretboard, making it sound silky and round. The output jack was also relocated to the side of the guitar. The only weirdness is the toggle switch is in a bizarre position above the volume and tone knobs. Should be just three holes for the control cavity. One volume, one tone, toggle switch. Make it simple and easy to get to. My main issue with the SG is the everchanging bridge pickup position. I prefer it to be as close to the bridge as possible. Also, pickup rings over pickguard for functionality, even though I like the big bat-wing pickguard. So, a perfect SG just doesn't exist.
I got an sg standard. I get those reasons, but I just can't let go of it. I love this guitar, it sounds and plays great. I don't have any tuning problems and I solved the neck dive with a thick strap. In addition to that, its wood grain is beautiful.
i LOVE my '72 SG. never even played one before the day that I walked into a shop and walked out the door with the guitar that called to me like a puppy at a pet store. I never would've even considered purchasing a guitar without thoroughly researching everything about it but in this particular instance i did not question it when i knew i had to leave with the SG. I just got it and ive been playing it ever since. people dont even like to see me with a different guitar in my hands any longer which kind of sucks for me at times cuz i DO like strats, Les pauls, tele, PRS, semi hollow, and a few other kinds of guitars, but i know the SG is my favorite and i can always make it sound like something no matter what type of music im playing or who im playing with. it's light and i find that it is situated perfectly when standing and it's strapped around me. the frets are great. the fretboard radius facilitates playing many fast notes, chords, or bending strings. very versatile sounding guitar with a wide range. i modify most of my guitars slightly to achieve the sound i want and i admit that i did try a half dozen different pickups in the bridge position before finding what i was after but all in all, my SG didnt require a whole lotta' love to become the beast that it is today and i wouldnt trade it for all the tea in china.
i bought an SG for 500 bucks from a guy that worked at my school, turned out its a 1 of 200 ever made SG R1 from 1980. its a lot of fun because it has wicked tone settings that allow it to sound like almost exactly like a strat, plus it has active pickups. frankly i would prefer a normal SG , but mine is definitely a cool and fun guitar
I usually enjoy and agree with your comments, however, it feels like this video kind of missed the point.. an SG lives in a pretty unique niche.. as others have mentioned, it's very light and has incredible neck access... But having owned numerous SGs, including an original 65, I think the greatest strength is tone. They easily crunch and cut through a mix where other dual humbuckers, especially Les Paul's, become muddy. But they are far thicker than a Stratocaster... think of the detail of a ACDC or Townsend at Leeds. And a clean SG is pretty much all by itself.. I look at the SG as one of the more intelligent guitars.. you need to be thinking about what you're doing and you can break out of the pack rather quickly.
Tone is all in the pick up and your hand so i dunno what you are talking about. But what i love most about SG is how comfortable it is to play and honestly, i like the look of it too!
I have a Gibson SG, Epiphone Les Paul, Fender Strat and a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster. They all have a different feel and sound, but I personally don’t have a lot of trouble switching between them. They are each somewhat unique, and have their own strengths and shortcomings. And the SG is simply the coolest looking guitar…ever.
I'm building an SG style guitar at the moment. I absolutely love the look. I *think* the reason the output jack isn't on the side is just that the SG has a thin body at just 45mm and maybe someone thought having a jack on the side might compromise the strength. Possibly. But they did change it around sometimes. On the 86 model (a 61 reissue) the jack is on the side and it works great! I'm putting the jack on the side (and I also made the body a couple of mm thicker).
My first "real" guitar was an SG just like the one in the vid. 1. It's loud/hot af, and so I learned the volume knob offers more than on and off. 2. The neck is essentially flexible. It gets pitchy unless I stand still. But I love it.
Dive aside they’re super comfortable, imo. Also the sound is unique imo. It’s an airy humbucker sound that breathes more even when driven hard. Imo. LP is more syrupy. Both are awesome.
My first guitar back in 1983 was an SG. I still have it. I also own a Les Paul and a Custom Strat. I play my Strat almost 100% on stage because it's just easier and lighter and doesn't pull on my back the whole time. But all 3 play extremely well and each has a unique feel and sound.
I've owned most kinds of Gibson and Fenders. The SG is my closely 2nd favorite guitar, behind on the ES-355. Super light, super fast neck, comfortable and great sound. My Gibson didn't neck dive but the Epiphone did.
The SG….neck dive…I hung a one ounce lead fishing weight off the bottom strap pin end. It worked so I routed out a pocket near the bottom of the body near the end pin, inserted and glued in the weight and parked a black plastic disc cover over the weight. As to the control knobs…I swapped out the stiff pots and replaced them with Bourns low friction pots. Now control changes pinky enabled and east peasy to make on the fly.
My first decent guitar was a 90's Epiphone SG in trans cherry. Will always have a soft spot in my heart for them despite preferring LPs and Teles nowadays.
What is the big deal about neck dive? The neck should be in your hand playing chords or picking out notes! Problem solved. Neck dive is not a legitimate issue in my opinion.
It’s moreso that you have to constantly fight with the guitar to keep it upright, while playing those chords and scales. Although silly sounding, making it that little bit easier could hypothetically allow you to play smoother and for longer.
The proverbial SG...or the original Les Paul. I'm old enough to have seen Les Paul and his wife, Mary Ford, play on these guitars, but until you have one hang on your shoulder for a performance they are hard to describe completely. The first thing that comes to my mind, when you bring up the lack of balance, is the shear weight of that block of wood! My God I would not want to get in a fight with Mary Ford considering all the years she carried her SG. It's easy to understand why the SG didn't last long as a LP and why Les disliked the guitar so much and quickly moved to the single cut body. As with most fine instruments though, it is necessary for the musician to adapt to the instrument because the SG is unique and has shown to be one of the world's most iconic and playable guitars. :)
I love my SG. The neck dive is a pain, but everything else is great, the sound, the feel, the comfortable neck, fairly lightweight. And mine is a sick cobalt blue. And I always thought " if it's good enuff for my favorite player, Mr. Tony Iommi, then I'll roll with it".
Tony Iommi was a big reason why I got my 72 SG, back in 1982. I still have it hanging on the wall and I play it a lot. It’s the fastest guitar I’ve ever played.
I bought a Gibson SG in 1969 I still have it I still play it I still love it.. it came with a Bigsby factory installed on it .and I never had a problem with neck dive.the only thing I ever changed on it was a set of period correct Kluson tuners.because after 54 years the tunes were wore out .she still plays and sounds beautiful.
It definitely plays different. I have the Gibson SG Standard and love it. It has a thick tone and I love the way the body vibrates as I strum a chord. It does make me play more progressive chord patterns. Great video Robert!
Try everything you can get your hands on. That gives you lot's of different ideas. I absolutely love my SG, but that's me. It just rocks. It's light, it stays in tune by that I mean I don't have to tune it up every time I pick it up or after I give it a hard work out. I can play it for hours without tuning it up. To me it feels like total bliss. For me the controls are in their right place and they do their job to yank every ounce of tone out of all the tons of pedals I have.
Great oversight, two things I wanted to mention: use a strap with suede on the inside and the neck dive is gone (if you want to have fun go look around in forums and see what crazy solutions people tried to fix the neck dive). Also get a SG with P90s and you will have a great sound. One thing I noticed on my 2004 is that the neck needs adjustments often, that’s because of the way it’s joined to the thin body, other than that it’s a pleasure to play. I own a 1969 SG Deluxe with Bigbsy, 2004 SG special with P90s and SG Melody Maker modded with a CC pick up on the neck.
The suede strap trick works great! I’ve also noticed that they have less tendency to dive if they have the Kluson tuners instead of the Grover style. The Grover’s are heavy and make it dive
My 62 had the jack on the end, like a Les Paul. They changed that due the thin body. Very easy to rip jack and some wood out when plugged in the end. Into the top is just safer!!
I just got an inexpensive one to try out. It made a lick come out of the blue, and an old song was remembered. The SG has a flatter, more accessible neck to me. Very light.
The first SG style guitar I bought was a Japanese SG from a company called Bacchus. Dark wood stain, one humbucker with an active boost. I wish I still had that guitar. I gave it to a friend of mine as a gift.
My favorite guitars are Telecasters but I have an Epiphone SG with P90 pickups. It sounds amazing and is very light. It took a while to get used to the neck shape but now I barely even notice it. The access to the higher frets is also very good. It does have some neck dive but the guitar is so light it is easy to deal with. I get more classic rock sounds from it than my other guitars.
I bought a piece of lead stock. 1"x2"x12" long. I cut it into a bunch of different chunks and primed/painted them to roughly the same color as my SG. I drilled a hole thru and bolted one of the blocks to the rear strap button hole, then mounted the strap button onto the other side of the block. Basically I made a set of counter weights. To get a perfect center of gravity to neutralize the neck dive, the 7 ounce weight was used. Now I have eliminated the biggest fault of the SG. Yes, it makes it slightly heavier, but it's still the lightest guitar I own by far, even less than my Strats. You can sit with it on your lap and without a strap and it sits perfectly. I did the same thing for my Gretsch hollow body. The neck dive on it was twice as bad than an SG. It was almost unplayable. Now, perfect. If you have any basic DIY skills, this is an easy mod. I chose lead because it's the heaviest and I could make it smaller. But any steel/iron/brass etc. will work, they will just be a little larger.
I used to have a 2008 SG Classic with p90s that I had to sell to help pay for my wedding, and I miss that guitar so much. Neck dive aside, I loved the feel of it with the easy upper fret access, and it had a thick 50’s style neck that filled my hand just right, it was incredibly lightweight and obviously the p90 tones were killer, and it just looked cool.
I did exactly the same with a 63 SG standard 40 years ago,gigged with it in my first ever band,fabulous guitar that I loved. I'm still married to the same woman and about to get another SG,probably a 61 reissue.Difference is now that I can buy any guitar I want.
I own a Les Paul, a strat, a Fender Jaquar and an SG. I don't find myself making huge adjustments in my playing switching from one to the other. I think the SG is an incredibly misunderstood guitar due to the association with AC/DC and hard rock/heavy metal. In reality, the SG produces wonderful clean tones too and can be used for any style of music that uses an electric guitar. Both the humbucker and P90 versions are good. It's a very much an all-purpose work horse type guitar. Yes, you should play one before you buy it but keep an open mind about this guitar. It's a classic for a reason.
The shift in play position is not really a downside as it's much easier to play the upper register of the neck. Very small learning curve. There's no reason not to buy an SG unless you're going to be playing on stage and have a problem with neck dive. It's really not so bad that it's annoying. As long as you have your hand on the neck, you don't even notice it. Edit: i learned and played a strat for 20 odd years and bought an SG several months ago. Takes no time to adjust and does inspire because of its differences.
I recently went into a local guitar shop to buy a quad box. When I went to try it first, the salesman asked what guitar I wanted to play. I chose an SG and it was a brilliant guitar. I own a Les Paul, but this was just as good. I will definitely buy one.
Pros: Sounds awesome, great upper fret access, lightweight body, good sustain Cons: Neck dive, G string can be a pain to keep in tune if the nuts cut poorly
I'd say one of the biggest reseasons to get an SG is that it is so much lighter in weight in comparison to any other solid body guitar I've played or owned. it does a moment or two to get adjusted to playing going to/from my SG, but it's not that big of a deal.
Been using one since 2000. Neck dive can be easily corrected by using a strap that has the underside made of some sort of gripping material. Never had a problem since Ive been using the same leather strap since 1977.
I agree.The neck dive on these is the number 1 issue.Like you I wouldn't recommend buying one sight unseen.I made that mistake.Beautiful '61 reissue but I couldn't let go of the neck or the headstock would be down at my feet.Sold that one quick and found a Standard that is well balanced without the neck dive.Great guitar and nice and light.It's my go to.
I own a SG 61. I like it. Don’t have any problem what so ever with headstock dive. Very light and comfortable. Great upper fret acces. Sounds great too. Does it’s own thing. It’s not a LP, strat or Tele. One of the strap buttons is on the back side of the guitar. That’s a little weird, but u get used to it pretty quickly. In my opinion: great guitar. You can’t go wrong.
Tonally, if you have been a single coil player for a while & want, or need, to get a humbucker guitar (as opposed to loading humbuckers in a Strat or Tele), the SG is a good transition guitar. It's not as trebly (tone-wise) as say a Firebird but it does have sufficient 'bite' and a good SG will have usable tone controls that throw in plenty of treble. On the positioning of the guitar, it's almost as much 'forward' as a Firebird. I used to own a Firebird and now own an SG and if my memory is correct that Firebird was one mongrel guitar to walk around with as it was pushed so far out from the body. SG is not as detached from the player. On the neck dive issue, I really believe that the original design considered the heavy side-lever vibrato system & then later the Maestro system. My SG has the Maestro and I don't notice any neck dive. I think the weight of those vibrato units - at the butt of the guitar body - adds a counter weight to the neck weight leverage? Maybe, if you have an SG you really really like, but it neck dives too much for comfort, think of doing a Derek Trucks add on of the Maestro vibrato frame & cover and add a weight under the cover? For years I have resisted getting an SG because players I knew through the years had experienced problems with them staying in tune, neck dive and the headstock snapping off too easily. I eventually relented and was lucky to get one that I like playing. Very lively, I can see Angus Young is such an advocate for them . Vibratos, string bends, shakes, all the rock and roll flamboyance can easily be translated to the instrument.
My dad got me a lefty Gibson SG for my 21st birthday. I'm 58 now and I have like 30 guitars kicking around. I learned how to shred on that SG and when I pick it up now it plays like butter, unlike any other guitar I own.
Killer video @robertbaker! I’ve just borrowed a CS ‘61 SG from a good mate. After struggling to adjust to all of the issues you’ve discussed…. I think I’m hooked! The improved upper fret access from 15 to 22 is a revelation…thanks for featuring this iconic guitar mate!
I recently got a 2011 SG Standard in Natural Burst with push pull coil splitters. By far the most versatile guitar I own. Being able to switch between Single Coil to Humbucker is the coolest thing. I picked it up for around $1100 for my 21st birthday that just passed.
I found that the best solution for neck drive is a leather strap. I haven't modified my SG in anyway, but I don't get neck dive. I think it's because the only strap I've owned since I bought my SG is a Levy's Leather padded strap. The strap grips my shoulder and prevents it from diving. Which is saying something, because my SG actually has a 50s neck profile, thanks to 99 standards being weird. Well, really it's somewhere in between 50s and 60s. More like that transitional period around 59 to 60. That said, I remember having neck dive on my old Epiphone SGs when I used nylon straps.
It's sensuous that you can really feel the resonance vibrations coming from the SG, as you're playing it. "SGs sort of feel like you're holding a violin." It's true! The design team that came up with the shape & contours of the SG really nailed it (especially with the earliest ones). Few other designers have developed a guitar design this cool looking! You just can't beat those dual cutaway devil horns! They are wicked back savers!
You wanna know who gets seriously overlooked? The master himself,Mr. Frank Marino. I watched a Zakk Wylde interview once, and he said that Frank was one of his earliest heros, if not the first influence he had. Only the pros pros play SGs.🤘
Yep - love my SG. Yes, the G string has the notorious intonation problem, but otherwise, I love the look and feel. Interesting that it feels 'forward' to you. I bounce between a PRS CS 24, a Fender Tele, and the SG and don't really notice a 'positional' playing difference. I do, however, when I grab my Jackson King V. Now THAT axe puts me 'more to the left' with my right hand; it takes a little while to get comfortable with it.
I’ve tried les Pauls, strats, tele’s, and semi-hollow and full-hollow guitars, but out of all of them I’ve never felt more at home than playing an sg! For me it’s just a comfortable guitar to play! Normally I play acoustic and all the acoustic guitars I’ve had had a heavier neck so the neck-dive on the sg seems normal to me! It just suits my playing style perfectly!
I hate the neck dive on acoustic guitars but hardly notice any on my SG! Maybe mine was made with a heavier block of wood in the body, not sure what people are complaining about. If it was the only issue with an otherwise perfect guitar I'd cut out a nicely shaped plate of steel, have it chromed and screw it to the back. Replacing the plastic cover with a custom steel one should be plenty.
My understanding, being someone who has never played one, is that the SG is kind of like the middle of the road between a Stratocaster and a Les Paul. They usually have plated humbuckers like a Les Paul but they pull some of that bright Stratocaster twangyness in their tone that a Les Paul simply doesn't do so well. They also appear to have excellent upper fret access.
I just bought an Epiphone SG 61Tribute and after playing a Strat and an Ibanez RG 550 for years it sure did feel odd at first, I find its a much easier guitar to play for me with the slim taper neck and medium jumbo frets and i just love that cherry red finish, stays in tune beautiful too and I havent put it down since I got it - as Robert said, I would recommend trying them out first though but you soon get used to it - love the SG!
Agree - 61 all the way. I snared an Epi 50th anniversary a few years back. 10 years old and MINT. I love my 72 Thinline, my 84 Rickenbacker is so easy to play - but the SG is the go-to. That tiny thin neck. P90's through an AC15 is good, through the 73 HiWatt is....... Kinda loud! Neck dive what? Stand up, and get a wide leather strap. What neck dive?
When I was playing full time I had a 1973 SG. It was awesome. Loved the way it played and sounded. I swore I would never get rid of it but it was stolen in the mid 80’s. Gibson and Fender had a couple of down years and I couldn’t find one I liked. Believe it or not, I bought an Ovation preacher deluxe. I loved that guitar as well. Active electronics. Mini switch to put the pickups in and out of phase. Each mini humbucker had a switch for single or double coil. Black with gold hardware, ebony fretboard and mother of pearl inlays. The one bad issue and the reason I got rid of it was serious neck dive.
I bought one "in the blue" 😎, faded Pelham Blue to be exact. Got my Epiphone with P-90s as well so pretty much everything is different compared to my Les Paul and other guitars. It makes me want to play Black Sabbath and AC/DC 🤘🤘🤘 Definitely feels a little weird when I first pick it up though.
You make a great observation near the end about how the feel of a guitar can change the way you play. I bought an old 60's 330 years ago and it had a narrow nut width. It totally changed my playing for the better. At first I hated it but it forced me into a new way of playing and using smaller voicings and made be a better single note player.
I must have gotten supremely lucky, my one and only Gibson SG, a Faded Special from ‘07 that I got as a bare body and neck and converted to P-90’s, it does not neck dive at all. One of my best balanced guitars, in fact. My Epiphone are ridiculous with the neck dive. There is DEFINITELY an adjustment period going from a Les Paul to an SG, that neck shift is hard to get used to. Once you do, you don’t really notice it.
Addendum, I just picked up an Epiphone SG Special P90 in glorious Faded Pelham Blue, no neck dive with it either. And my iPad capitalized Faded Pelham Blue on it’s own. It knows 😆😆😆🤘
The best neck I have ever come across was on an SG. As for the feel with everything being shifted, that is noticeable, but for me not an issue, however it is an issue for me with a Firebird, everything being moved to the left is bigger factor. (& feel huge to me)
I bought my first gibson, and it's an sg 2019 tribute, it's been the best neck playability I've had! It put my number 1 guitar down to 2, which is a nitro satin strat. I love the action, the higher fret access, nice and light compared to my strat. Although I've been contemplating of dropping p90s into the sg.
In 1975 I walked into a local music store in Brooklyn NY and bought my baby brother his first guitar, a 60s era SG with a Bigsby for $250 with case, he still has it!
I have a recent 2021 SG and it’s great. I traded a Suhr Strat for it and I’m not the least upset about the price difference. The one I have is perfect. It’s got tone for days. And I had a Lp custom and a prs. And those don’t hold candle to the SG I have. And it’s a standard with the full scratch guard. I just wish Gibson would release one with SS frets. But I’m fine with what I have and then some.
Just got a Harley Benton SG custom style. Love it! Lighter than a Les Paul. Heavier tone than a Strat. Love to blend the middle humbucker to thin out the bridge and neck.
I've had my first SG for over a year now. I'm so glad to have it. I used to love thin necks, but I really dig the fat neck now, so much that I prefer them over the thin necks of a Fender or Ibanez. Access to the higher register is so easy and comfortable. It's quite versatile once you learn the volume and tone knobs. The position of the guitar is odd at first. Playing near the nut feels like a stretch, however, it's such a vibrant and active guitar that likes to be played hard - well that's what I tell myself anyway. 😀I don't think I'll ever sell it - EVER!!
You can solve the SG cluttered control issue if you put the volume knob where the 3 way switch is, master tone where the bridge volume is and a blend pot for pickup selection where the bridge tone pot is. Then use a metal or nylon hole plug in the remaining holes. Works great, i did it to both of mine.
My first and second electric guitar were Epiphone SGs. A Special which I sold and a Goth G400 that I still have and love to the moon and back. :) I'm sorry that I sold the first one, though... It was far from perfect, but the clean sound it produced was incredible. G400 is awesome for my metal stuff, but its clean is a bit weak for me. Both of them and all of the SGs have a very distingishable "bite" to their sound though which made them my favourites. :) ...and that shape ofc. :D
I have an ESP Viper1000, an SG copy with no neck dive and the jack socket where it should be. If you must have Gibson on the headstock and can live with the SG's issues then fine. There are plenty of copies at all price points, so as advised by Robert, try before you buy.
Actually SG is my favorite guitar in the Gibson line. Unfortunately i had sold my SG standard years ago, then i bought a special edition with mini humbuckers last year, possibly one of the best sounding and most comfortable guitar that i ever bought. I sold it a month or two later because it had lot of issues. In all honesty i wouldn't buy one now unless i get a special or lucky price because they're way overpriced these days, pretty much like every Gibson.
Carlos Santana,Soul Sacrifice,Woodstock-SG. Eric Clapton,Cream,Crossroads-SG. Duane Allman,Live at the filmore,Statesboro Blues-SG. Derek Trucks-SG. Frank Marino-SG. Hendrix for some blues tunes-Custom 3 pickup SG.
I have an Epiphone SG-400 Deluxe Pro. It has coil split and while I love the tones I can get from it, it did take a little getting use to playing as I was use to a strat. For me it is the neck reach. I have been strictly playing it for about an year now so I don't notice it as much anymore, until I pick up my strat.
Built my own SG “style” guitar and installed P94 pickups. The lightness creates a very unique resonance that I don’t get with a LP or a Strat. Especially tuned down (C#) I can feel the strings vibrating. I enjoy playing this guitar very much and it sounds great through a tube amp.
My first Gibson was a 2005 SG Special I got a little while back, as soon as I saw it in the guitar store and I played it, I immediately knew I had to have it. One of the only guitars I’ve had that really spoke to me before I even played it. It’s definitely one of my favorite guitars!
Lovely video Robert! Thanks. The best thing about an SG is Angus!!! I bought one in the early '70s because of Pete Townsend and have loved them ever since.
sg was my first Gibson, met a cork sniffer recently who said he can't own one because it only sounds like AC/DC which is hilarious because he loves a 335 because of cream...which was primarily recorded on an sg...just such obvious sheep mentality and listening with the eyes.
In 1975 I walked into a local music store in Brooklyn NY and bought my baby brother his first guitar, a 60s era SG with a Bigsby for $250 with case, he still has it!
just bought a Gibson SG. I never was a fan of how they look. Then I bought a $300 Epiphone SG on a lark. I couldn't stop playing it. So...I bought a Gibson SG Standard a few days ago. I absolutely love it. It just feels extra natural for me to play and I love the rounded neck. I am changing the pick ups to a set of Bare Knuckle Silo p/u, BK 550K pots, and Oil/paper caps. I'm also changing out the tuners for the locking version of the Grover Rotomatics. In my opinion, Locking tuners are a must if you ever plan to play on stage. Changing strings takes seconds, not minutes if you have locking tuners.
I believe in the 80’s Gibson made the SG standard with the output jack on the side of the guitar, instead of on top. That could be a good option, for those who like to use the tone and volume knobs on the fly. Anyways, great video as usual!
![Twenty One Pilots - The Line (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XCz7WUotXs8/mqdefault.jpg)
SGs seem to be a real line in the sand for people. So are you a fan?
It is the first guitar I ever wanted. This because I saw it in a AC/DC video.
Number one reason not to get an SG: I already have 2 of them (and even that barely holds up) 😂😂 Rock on Robert...rock...on!
I was because of Angus. I got a nice one (SG Supra) and it's gone now. I got used to the neck placement, but it wouldn't stay in tune if I moved around at all. Also, I used a leather strap with suede on the underside to keep it in place.
No, I'm a human. Fans aren't sentient, Robert - get real.
I have a 1980 and the plug in is on the side, which I like.
Don't get one, get TWO!
I have many guitars. The test for me has always been - roll the knobs on everything and rake a proper G chord. The SG just has the balls and growl that is hard to duplicate.
I hope people take your advice leaving me with more SG's to buy!!
Lol. I personally love my SG. It’s from 08 and ultralight weight. Came in under 6lbs when weighed it out. Gonna probably switch the pickups out at some point. I’m really loving the fishmen fluence I have on my new prophecy
You just want Bud!👹👹👹
I just traded my Telecaster for one.. it's from 07, completely opposite of the Telecaster. the neck is like a classical neck. 😮
@@smedleybutler8787 I took possession this morning of the new 63 Epiphone Les Paul Custom. I saved $400 because it was used & the guitar kicks ass! A nice beefy neck & 3 Custom Buckers & plays beautifully.
I love Tele's & was playing one when the delivery man showed up this morning.
you said it !!!
I am now 86 years old I have been playing guitar for over 70 years ! I have played most of the popular makes of guitars & my final choice would be, without exception, the Gibson SG closely followed by the Fender Telecaster. These have been my main guitars for all occasions. I still play my SG for recording sessions more often then any of the rest.
The SG is a great guitar. Neck dive or not - there's a reason it's still in sale after like 50 years 🙂
Just get one with plastic Kluson tuner pegs. They don’t neck dice much
Well, that and some dude named Angus Young...
I've had 4 and just the mid 70's one I got in 1982 had neck dive. Had a 1963, an 80's and a 2001 I believe it was. I love them!
@@monsieurcommissaire1628 Hendrix and Clapton played them too. But I'm getting rid of mine now because "Robert Baker", LOL!
More like 60+ years but sure.
A few of my additions:
+ really light and thin, awesome comfort standing up
+ effortless higher fret access
- with thin necks can bend out of tune pretty easily because of the high neck joint
- can lack sustain, esp in the upper frets
Cheers!
The size for sure was a major reason for me to pick an SG over a Les Paul when I got my first "real" guitar (the actual first was an unplayable strat copy with manufacturing issues...). I even expected to go home with a Les Paul, but it just didn't click like the SG did. Got the right strap with it to counter the neck dive, and we've been together for over 10 years now (and still no Les Pauls, only 2 juniors).
Follow up this episode with:
1. Reasons not to get a Strat
2. Reasons not to get a Tele
3. Reasons not to get a Les Paul
4. Reasons not to get an ES-335
5. Reasons not to get a PRS
6. Reasons not to get (fill in the blank)
I love my SG’s, especially with P-90’s and any minor nuances make them even cooler.
Pretty sure he already did a few of these
Reasons why not to get any guitars.
Reasons not to get a baby grand
8. Reasons not to listen to his reasons.
There is no rrason not to get a Tele.
Its playability is unreal, so light and smooth feeling. The standard is perfection. So versatile it can hit so many different types of sounds and tones for different styles of rock and other music. I play 90s-2000s cover band and it's my main guitar. I can go from foo fighters to rancid to smash mouth , modest mouse, matchbox 20 ..the list goes on it can do it all
I'd like a guitar that would literally REFUSE to play any Matchbox 20 songs. So, for that reason, I'm out. 👍👍👍
Fuck yeah Rancid
you say perfection, but if you type "neck dive" into youtube you just get an SG playlist lol
@@ElmoRitter Does neckdive effect the playability though..? You're always holding the neck anyway. Seems like a non-issue to me
@@WarbrainJack 1) yes absolutely it effects playability. 1000% 2) nope I'm absolutely not. I'm often dancing, grabbing a mic with both hands, clapping above my head, all sorts of stuff. And even if I wasn't I'm never holding the neck unless I'm physically holding the guitar up by the neck. I play the neck, but definitely not holding it. If that was the case then you could just throw half the strap over your right arm and make things much easier. 3) It is a non-issue for a lot of my younger students as well as they don't have a large quiver of technique available and don't really know better.
Can you succeed in music without addressing neck dive? Absolutely. You can also succeed with a 3 string guitar, or a 3 piece drum kit. You could succeed with 2 spoons if you're good. The point isn't "how many things can I have weighing me down and still succeed" though. If neck dive isn't an issue for YOU, thats fantastic as you won't need to waste much time looking into it. But theres a reason only Warren Haynes plays a firebird you feel me? To each their own.
Plain and Simply, One of the best guitars ever made. Just a Pure unadulterated no nonsense Rock Machine. Yes it does plenty else but to me it’s a Real Rocker. And she actually beats The Les Paul on a few things too ;
1) Better Upper Fret Access
2) Lighter (very easy and comfortable to gig with)
) It Costs Less 😎
I totally agree with that, but I went for the Les Paul anyways 🤣The SG might be the next one, who knows
@@matiasramos212 of course. I got a few Les Paul’s. But everyone needs an SG too 😎
@@thelolguy007 an SG, and a Strat, maybe a Tele and another SG but with P90's
@@matiasramos212 sounds about right. I had a nice Tele a while back and sold it to Richie in Status Quo. A nice American Special. Ultimately wasn’t for me though
@@thelolguy007 that's completely okay, sometimes things just aren't meant to be. In my case I just have my Epi Les Paul and a Strat chinese rep, since I can't afford to buy a Gibson or Fender, atleast not yet.
The SG sells the most of any guitar Gibson makes. I have a Standard and I couldn't be more impressed. Nice and light, great access to the upper notes, and I really love the wide thin neck. I'd take an SG over a Les Paul any day.
My first guitar was a cheap strat knockoff. The first guitar I ever bought myself was an SG and I fell in love. I hate Gibson but love SG's. They're my favorite guitars of all time even now, although I usually play my PRS' more. The SG just holds a special place in my heart.
I replaced my PRS with an SG. But other than that, same story actually!
I bought my 1st guitar myself with a first job paycheck (dishwasher at a resort at like 13). It was the old Epiphone LP players pack. Vintage sunburst Epi Les Paul special 2, a crap Amp, strap, picks and a pitch pipe for $99, lol. Haven't been able to play Epiphone without thinking about it.
Um u know the sg was a Gibson
@@Allguitarinfo no... Really... Is that why they say Gibson on the headstock?! Never knew that... Besides MANY other companies make SG's and they're WAY better. Like the ESP Viper's...
It's not necessarily the Gibson SG's that people are attracted too. It's the body style and feel. In my opinion Viper's feel very similare to Gibson SG's except without a ton of neck dive and the crappy quality Gibson is known for. Other companies make excellent guitars based on the body style.
The ONLY thing Gibson has been good at in the last 50 years is suing other companies. God forbid they do something "original". Last time they tried that they gave the world the hideous Theodore. Whoever thought was a good idea needs to be strung up and fired.
Gibson haven't innovated anything except how many times a company can cry and sue other companies. Well, that and how often they send out over priced crap that most budget brands wouldn't even consider letting out the door.
So to reiterate... I HATE GIBSON but I LOVE the SG.
Not a fan - short answer, based on the style of it...
However in the hand of Angus Young, it's a mean machine - I think he made it sound awesome.
SG is by far my favorite Gibson solid body design. It's on par with a Stratocaster for ergonomics and comfort. Neck dive was never an issue for me. It's only an issue when you let go of it with both hands, which doesn't happen when playing. I never understood the complaint. Acoustic guitars will neck dive, too, if you let go with both hands, and no one ever complains about it. Hug it with your right arm, or rest your right arm on the bevel, and/or angle it up when strapped, which most people will do, and the neck stays up just fine.
Control layout is fine. My little finger gets on the rear tone control perfectly for the amount that I use it, which is almost never.
I own 2 SG's, a Standard just like the one you're demoing, and a Faded from 2002. The Faded was an impulse buy because I couldn't believe how well it fitted me, and I finally got a Standard when I could afford one. I had to shop a bit before I found a Standard that I liked, though...and even then I had to do lots of little tweaks over the course of a year or two before I got it playing the way I wanted it. Part of that is because the moron guitar tech I gave it to once decided on his own initiative that the nut slots needed filed (they didn't), and the guitar was rendered unplayable for a few months until I could afford to pay a competent tech to make a new nut for it...but that's not any fault of Gibson. That was my fault for letting a guy with a know-it-all attitude who doesn't listen to his customers work on my axe.
My first electric was an Epiphone SG. It's now my doom machine, down tuned to drop A. I love it still.
I have done the exact same thing with mine.
Same!
Damn guys what gargantuan string gauges are you using to get that low on an SG
@@TheSubstrance I just use a 7 string pack but don't use the skinniest one
@@blvckno_1 So a 56/58 for the 6th?
I bought a 61 re-issue. It's easily my favourite guitar. I don't really notice any of the issues mentioned, they exist, but they are such beautiful guitars that you just don't notice after awhile.
I got a 61 reissue too, great guitar!
@@dangilman2966 awesome bro!!!
Me too... 😅
Me too!
I love that everything is shifted left. It gives amazing access to all frets, even the low strings far up the neck are easy to reach.
Yeah, that's a big plus for me, as a longtime bass player. My current guitar has a Les Paul body shape, and when I go up the neck I feel like I'm constantly running my forearm into my ribcage (or my middle-age belly). I think the biggest playability difference (for me, anyway) between a LP and an SG is that the lower curve on the SG body sits under the bridge pickup rather than under the neck pickup. That's what makes the SG feel like everything is shifted to the left, particularly when playing seated, because it *is* shifted to the left.
It's the entire reason why, even after nearly three years, I can't get comfortable playing my LP-style guitar with it resting on my right thigh. For a while I tried holding it "classical style", between my legs, but I've finally settled on shortening my strap so that it's up off my leg.
I'm definitely getting an SG-style guitar for my next guitar. My first two electrics, way back when, were SG copies, and I've always wanted another one.
@@rikosborne1212ive recently lost 80 lbs. been an SG guy forever, and recently got 2 les pauls too.
Lose the weight and play both!
I love my SG, I have many guitars. I'm 73 years old the light weight of the SG is a major plus for me. Love the sounds from the humbucker pickups. It does take some getting use to, but it's worth it.
My first real electric was an SG copy, loved it , gave it to my daughter for her 16th birthday, missed it , fast forward I finally picked up a Gibson SG as a retirement present to myself… love it.
The Grovers are causing the neck dive. Replace them with Kluson Revolution locking tuners, I have them and the neck dive is not excessive. Also you can replace the metal Grover buttons with plastic ones, I did that with another SG and it eliminated the neck dive. The other reason SGs neck dive is if it has been made with a thicker neck profile
I have a Gibson The SG with heavy Grover tuners and chunky neck and relatively heavy walnut body but it does have good sustain.
My Gibson SG Standard from 1993 has the kluson tuners from the factory.
So right about the Grovers. Years ago I had a Casino that wouldn't stay in tune, so I did my first mod and switched out the tuners for some heavy Grovers - big mistake on such a light guitar. I imagine same story with an SG.
Yeah, lighter tuners and with plastic knobs do help indeed.
But did you noticed a change of tone and/or sustain with the lighter headstock? Most times the effect is pretty noticeable, 10-15% loss of lows and sustain….
lol wtf how did you measure this bullshit? Only thing affecting sustain on an SG is if it hear the dreaded dead F# on the g string. If need more sustain I play my lead at 5-7 on the volume knob and slowly roll it up after hitting the note I want sustained Santana style.
There's many ways to fix the neck dive on SG... Also when you are used to a Les Paul, when you switch to the SG, the easy access to the last frets feels so amazing.
Gibson patterned flying v's neck dive too. Jackson Rhoads v's don't fir some reason I've never gotten around to investigating.
This
@@rickcrotts6673 I cant be sure at the moment since i didnt check just now, but i think my Gibson V does neckdive but my Classic shaped Dean V´s doesnt in spite of the large headstock and heavy Grover tuners and it is pretty much the exact same bodyshape as the Gibsons (hence the lawsuit). My Deans has the strapbutton a bit further towards the bridge on the wing of the V than my old 1983 Gibson V at least which i think has it on the actual point of the wing of the V, i think that probably does a whole lot of difference.
Tony lommi puts the strap button on the end of the upper cutaway...
@@Stefan- was thinking it probably was due to pin placement. This is good to know cuz the Gibson V I had was virtually unplayable for me while standing
If you want to address most of those issues with the SG, buy a 1980's SG Standard. 1980 through 1985. The neck is shifted back into the body, therefore the bridge and bridge humbucker shift back as well. Not much of a severe neck dive. The 22nd fret is level or flush to the cutout, just like a Les Paul. What makes this even more perfect is that, now the neck humbucker is right up against the 22 fretboard, making it sound silky and round. The output jack was also relocated to the side of the guitar. The only weirdness is the toggle switch is in a bizarre position above the volume and tone knobs. Should be just three holes for the control cavity. One volume, one tone, toggle switch. Make it simple and easy to get to.
My main issue with the SG is the everchanging bridge pickup position. I prefer it to be as close to the bridge as possible. Also, pickup rings over pickguard for functionality, even though I like the big bat-wing pickguard. So, a perfect SG just doesn't exist.
I got an sg standard. I get those reasons, but I just can't let go of it. I love this guitar, it sounds and plays great. I don't have any tuning problems and I solved the neck dive with a thick strap. In addition to that, its wood grain is beautiful.
i LOVE my '72 SG. never even played one before the day that I walked into a shop and walked out the door with the guitar that called to me like a puppy at a pet store. I never would've even considered purchasing a guitar without thoroughly researching everything about it but in this particular instance i did not question it when i knew i had to leave with the SG. I just got it and ive been playing it ever since. people dont even like to see me with a different guitar in my hands any longer which kind of sucks for me at times cuz i DO like strats, Les pauls, tele, PRS, semi hollow, and a few other kinds of guitars, but i know the SG is my favorite and i can always make it sound like something no matter what type of music im playing or who im playing with. it's light and i find that it is situated perfectly when standing and it's strapped around me. the frets are great. the fretboard radius facilitates playing many fast notes, chords, or bending strings. very versatile sounding guitar with a wide range. i modify most of my guitars slightly to achieve the sound i want and i admit that i did try a half dozen different pickups in the bridge position before finding what i was after but all in all, my SG didnt require a whole lotta' love to become the beast that it is today and i wouldnt trade it for all the tea in china.
Idk man, China does have delicious tea.
i bought an SG for 500 bucks from a guy that worked at my school, turned out its a 1 of 200 ever made SG R1 from 1980. its a lot of fun because it has wicked tone settings that allow it to sound like almost exactly like a strat, plus it has active pickups. frankly i would prefer a normal SG , but mine is definitely a cool and fun guitar
I usually enjoy and agree with your comments, however, it feels like this video kind of missed the point.. an SG lives in a pretty unique niche.. as others have mentioned, it's very light and has incredible neck access... But having owned numerous SGs, including an original 65, I think the greatest strength is tone. They easily crunch and cut through a mix where other dual humbuckers, especially Les Paul's, become muddy. But they are far thicker than a Stratocaster... think of the detail of a ACDC or Townsend at Leeds. And a clean SG is pretty much all by itself.. I look at the SG as one of the more intelligent guitars.. you need to be thinking about what you're doing and you can break out of the pack rather quickly.
Tone is all in the pick up and your hand so i dunno what you are talking about. But what i love most about SG is how comfortable it is to play and honestly, i like the look of it too!
@@americanbystandard like,errr not true
@@americanbystandard Tone has a lot more to do with scale (24" vs 25.5", for example), the preamp and the speaker.
Your hand = technique.
I have a Gibson SG, Epiphone Les Paul, Fender Strat and a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster. They all have a different feel and sound, but I personally don’t have a lot of trouble switching between them. They are each somewhat unique, and have their own strengths and shortcomings.
And the SG is simply the coolest looking guitar…ever.
And I know why you love it so much: SG are your initials 😁
I'm building an SG style guitar at the moment. I absolutely love the look. I *think* the reason the output jack isn't on the side is just that the SG has a thin body at just 45mm and maybe someone thought having a jack on the side might compromise the strength. Possibly. But they did change it around sometimes. On the 86 model (a 61 reissue) the jack is on the side and it works great! I'm putting the jack on the side (and I also made the body a couple of mm thicker).
I have 14 guitars and always end up playing my 2019sg Standard. The neck and feel to me is total comfort.
My first "real" guitar was an SG just like the one in the vid. 1. It's loud/hot af, and so I learned the volume knob offers more than on and off. 2. The neck is essentially flexible. It gets pitchy unless I stand still. But I love it.
Just watch Pete Townshend torture an SG neck in the early 70's.
Dive aside they’re super comfortable, imo. Also the sound is unique imo. It’s an airy humbucker sound that breathes more even when driven hard. Imo. LP is more syrupy. Both are awesome.
My first guitar back in 1983 was an SG. I still have it. I also own a Les Paul and a Custom Strat. I play my Strat almost 100% on stage because it's just easier and lighter and doesn't pull on my back the whole time. But all 3 play extremely well and each has a unique feel and sound.
4
My first guitar ever was a 1991 SG Standard I bought at 17 in 1991. I still have and it will be up to my kids what to do with it when I'm gone!
Well dont tell them that ya know what im sayin .....
Neck dive was my biggest issue with mine including my custom shop so I slapped a Biggby on it and fixed that issue
I've owned most kinds of Gibson and Fenders. The SG is my closely 2nd favorite guitar, behind on the ES-355. Super light, super fast neck, comfortable and great sound. My Gibson didn't neck dive but the Epiphone did.
The SG….neck dive…I hung a one ounce lead fishing weight off the bottom strap pin end. It worked so I routed out a pocket near the bottom of the body near the end pin, inserted and glued in the weight and parked a black plastic disc cover over the weight.
As to the control knobs…I swapped out the stiff pots and replaced them with Bourns low friction pots. Now control changes pinky enabled and east peasy to make on the fly.
I have 3 SG's and love them all , I wouldn't trade them for anything. They're so versatile in anything from Doom metal to blue's!
@summerillusion Yes from blue's to metal , especially with the coil splitting options.....
My first decent guitar was a 90's Epiphone SG in trans cherry. Will always have a soft spot in my heart for them despite preferring LPs and Teles nowadays.
What is the big deal about neck dive? The neck should be in your hand playing chords or picking out notes! Problem solved. Neck dive is not a legitimate issue in my opinion.
It’s moreso that you have to constantly fight with the guitar to keep it upright, while playing those chords and scales. Although silly sounding, making it that little bit easier could hypothetically allow you to play smoother and for longer.
I love how light SGs are. Plus, the neck is to die for. They play like butter.
The proverbial SG...or the original Les Paul. I'm old enough to have seen Les Paul and his wife, Mary Ford, play on these guitars, but until you have one hang on your shoulder for a performance they are hard to describe completely. The first thing that comes to my mind, when you bring up the lack of balance, is the shear weight of that block of wood! My God I would not want to get in a fight with Mary Ford considering all the years she carried her SG. It's easy to understand why the SG didn't last long as a LP and why Les disliked the guitar so much and quickly moved to the single cut body. As with most fine instruments though, it is necessary for the musician to adapt to the instrument because the SG is unique and has shown to be one of the world's most iconic and playable guitars. :)
My SG junior is ridiculously loud unplugged & thru 1p90 still blows me away. Unique yet all sounds are their! ... a paradox of endless delight.
I love my SG. The neck dive is a pain, but everything else is great, the sound, the feel, the comfortable neck, fairly lightweight. And mine is a sick cobalt blue. And I always thought " if it's good enuff for my favorite player, Mr. Tony Iommi, then I'll roll with it".
LOVE blue SGs I really wish thats what I had gotten.
Tony Iommi was a big reason why I got my 72 SG, back in 1982. I still have it hanging on the wall and I play it a lot. It’s the fastest guitar I’ve ever played.
I bought a Gibson SG in 1969 I still have it I still play it I still love it.. it came with a Bigsby factory installed on it .and I never had a problem with neck dive.the only thing I ever changed on it was a set of period correct Kluson tuners.because after 54 years the tunes were wore out .she still plays and sounds beautiful.
It definitely plays different. I have the Gibson SG Standard and love it. It has a thick tone and I love the way the body vibrates as I strum a chord. It does make me play more progressive chord patterns. Great video Robert!
Try everything you can get your hands on. That gives you lot's of different ideas. I absolutely love my SG, but that's me. It just rocks. It's light, it stays in tune by that I mean I don't have to tune it up every time I pick it up or after I give it a hard work out. I can play it for hours without tuning it up. To me it feels like total bliss. For me the controls are in their right place and they do their job to yank every ounce of tone out of all the tons of pedals I have.
Great oversight, two things I wanted to mention: use a strap with suede on the inside and the neck dive is gone (if you want to have fun go look around in forums and see what crazy solutions people tried to fix the neck dive). Also get a SG with P90s and you will have a great sound. One thing I noticed on my 2004 is that the neck needs adjustments often, that’s because of the way it’s joined to the thin body, other than that it’s a pleasure to play. I own a 1969 SG Deluxe with Bigbsy, 2004 SG special with P90s and SG Melody Maker modded with a CC pick up on the neck.
The suede strap trick works great! I’ve also noticed that they have less tendency to dive if they have the Kluson tuners instead of the Grover style. The Grover’s are heavy and make it dive
100%
And get a HiWatt.
My 62 had the jack on the end, like a Les Paul. They changed that due the thin body. Very easy to rip jack and some wood out when plugged in the end. Into the top is just safer!!
I just got an inexpensive one to try out. It made a lick come out of the blue, and an old song was remembered. The SG has a flatter, more accessible neck to me. Very light.
The first SG style guitar I bought was a Japanese SG from a company called Bacchus. Dark wood stain, one humbucker with an active boost. I wish I still had that guitar. I gave it to a friend of mine as a gift.
My favorite guitars are Telecasters but I have an Epiphone SG with P90 pickups. It sounds amazing and is very light. It took a while to get used to the neck shape but now I barely even notice it. The access to the higher frets is also very good. It does have some neck dive but the guitar is so light it is easy to deal with. I get more classic rock sounds from it than my other guitars.
I bought a piece of lead stock. 1"x2"x12" long. I cut it into a bunch of different chunks and primed/painted them to roughly the same color as my SG. I drilled a hole thru and bolted one of the blocks to the rear strap button hole, then mounted the strap button onto the other side of the block. Basically I made a set of counter weights. To get a perfect center of gravity to neutralize the neck dive, the 7 ounce weight was used. Now I have eliminated the biggest fault of the SG. Yes, it makes it slightly heavier, but it's still the lightest guitar I own by far, even less than my Strats. You can sit with it on your lap and without a strap and it sits perfectly. I did the same thing for my Gretsch hollow body. The neck dive on it was twice as bad than an SG. It was almost unplayable. Now, perfect. If you have any basic DIY skills, this is an easy mod. I chose lead because it's the heaviest and I could make it smaller. But any steel/iron/brass etc. will work, they will just be a little larger.
I used to have a 2008 SG Classic with p90s that I had to sell to help pay for my wedding, and I miss that guitar so much. Neck dive aside, I loved the feel of it with the easy upper fret access, and it had a thick 50’s style neck that filled my hand just right, it was incredibly lightweight and obviously the p90 tones were killer, and it just looked cool.
Had to of been a shotgun wedding to sell the sg,😎
I did exactly the same with a 63 SG standard 40 years ago,gigged with it in my first ever band,fabulous guitar that I loved. I'm still married to the same woman and about to get another SG,probably a 61 reissue.Difference is now that I can buy any guitar I want.
I own a Les Paul, a strat, a Fender Jaquar and an SG. I don't find myself making huge adjustments in my playing switching from one to the other. I think the SG is an incredibly misunderstood guitar due to the association with AC/DC and hard rock/heavy metal. In reality, the SG produces wonderful clean tones too and can be used for any style of music that uses an electric guitar. Both the humbucker and P90 versions are good. It's a very much an all-purpose work horse type guitar. Yes, you should play one before you buy it but keep an open mind about this guitar. It's a classic for a reason.
The shift in play position is not really a downside as it's much easier to play the upper register of the neck. Very small learning curve. There's no reason not to buy an SG unless you're going to be playing on stage and have a problem with neck dive. It's really not so bad that it's annoying. As long as you have your hand on the neck, you don't even notice it.
Edit: i learned and played a strat for 20 odd years and bought an SG several months ago. Takes no time to adjust and does inspire because of its differences.
I recently went into a local guitar shop to buy a quad box. When I went to try it first, the salesman asked what guitar I wanted to play. I chose an SG and it was a brilliant guitar. I own a Les Paul, but this was just as good. I will definitely buy one.
Pros: Sounds awesome, great upper fret access, lightweight body, good sustain
Cons: Neck dive, G string can be a pain to keep in tune if the nuts cut poorly
I'd say one of the biggest reseasons to get an SG is that it is so much lighter in weight in comparison to any other solid body guitar I've played or owned.
it does a moment or two to get adjusted to playing going to/from my SG, but it's not that big of a deal.
Been using one since 2000. Neck dive can be easily corrected by using a strap that has the underside made of some sort of gripping material. Never had a problem since Ive been using the same leather strap since 1977.
I agree.The neck dive on these is the number 1 issue.Like you I wouldn't recommend buying one sight unseen.I made that mistake.Beautiful '61 reissue but I couldn't let go of the neck or the headstock would be down at my feet.Sold that one quick and found a Standard that is well balanced without the neck dive.Great guitar and nice and light.It's my go to.
Totally agree. Was interested in them until I jammed a few hours on a borrowed one. The neck dive is a deal-breaker.
I own a SG 61. I like it. Don’t have any problem what so ever with headstock dive.
Very light and comfortable. Great upper fret acces. Sounds great too. Does it’s own thing. It’s not a LP, strat or Tele.
One of the strap buttons is on the back side of the guitar. That’s a little weird, but u get used to it pretty quickly.
In my opinion: great guitar. You can’t go wrong.
Tonally, if you have been a single coil player for a while & want, or need, to get a humbucker guitar (as opposed to loading humbuckers in a Strat or Tele), the SG is a good transition guitar. It's not as trebly (tone-wise) as say a Firebird but it does have sufficient 'bite' and a good SG will have usable tone controls that throw in plenty of treble.
On the positioning of the guitar, it's almost as much 'forward' as a Firebird. I used to own a Firebird and now own an SG and if my memory is correct that Firebird was one mongrel guitar to walk around with as it was pushed so far out from the body. SG is not as detached from the player.
On the neck dive issue, I really believe that the original design considered the heavy side-lever vibrato system & then later the Maestro system. My SG has the Maestro and I don't notice any neck dive. I think the weight of those vibrato units - at the butt of the guitar body - adds a counter weight to the neck weight leverage? Maybe, if you have an SG you really really like, but it neck dives too much for comfort, think of doing a Derek Trucks add on of the Maestro vibrato frame & cover and add a weight under the cover?
For years I have resisted getting an SG because players I knew through the years had experienced problems with them staying in tune, neck dive and the headstock snapping off too easily. I eventually relented and was lucky to get one that I like playing. Very lively, I can see Angus Young is such an advocate for them . Vibratos, string bends, shakes, all the rock and roll flamboyance can easily be translated to the instrument.
My dad got me a lefty Gibson SG for my 21st birthday. I'm 58 now and I have like 30 guitars kicking around. I learned how to shred on that SG and when I pick it up now it plays like butter, unlike any other guitar I own.
Killer video @robertbaker! I’ve just borrowed a CS ‘61 SG from a good mate. After struggling to adjust to all of the issues you’ve discussed…. I think I’m hooked! The improved upper fret access from 15 to 22 is a revelation…thanks for featuring this iconic guitar mate!
All very valid comments.. great review.
I played a bunch of SG’s before i settled for the one. 36 years later it’s still my only electric
I recently got a 2011 SG Standard in Natural Burst with push pull coil splitters. By far the most versatile guitar I own. Being able to switch between Single Coil to Humbucker is the coolest thing. I picked it up for around $1100 for my 21st birthday that just passed.
I found that the best solution for neck drive is a leather strap. I haven't modified my SG in anyway, but I don't get neck dive. I think it's because the only strap I've owned since I bought my SG is a Levy's Leather padded strap. The strap grips my shoulder and prevents it from diving. Which is saying something, because my SG actually has a 50s neck profile, thanks to 99 standards being weird. Well, really it's somewhere in between 50s and 60s. More like that transitional period around 59 to 60.
That said, I remember having neck dive on my old Epiphone SGs when I used nylon straps.
It's sensuous that you can really feel the resonance vibrations coming from the SG, as you're playing it. "SGs sort of feel like you're holding a violin." It's true! The design team that came up with the shape & contours of the SG really nailed it (especially with the earliest ones). Few other designers have developed a guitar design this cool looking! You just can't beat those dual cutaway devil horns! They are wicked back savers!
I had an Ibanez SG in 1979 and followed it up with a Gibson SG custom shop with Lyre tailpiece which is beyond fantastic…. I love them!
You wanna know who gets seriously overlooked? The master himself,Mr. Frank Marino. I watched a Zakk Wylde interview once, and he said that Frank was one of his earliest heros, if not the first influence he had. Only the pros pros play SGs.🤘
Thanks for mentioning Frank!
No problem. He's probably not the most popular, but he's still number one to ever pickup the SG.🤘🎸
Vi have many sg s. A proper strap eliminates neck dive. I've never had a problem standing or sitting. One of the best guitars for lead out there
Yep - love my SG. Yes, the G string has the notorious intonation problem, but otherwise, I love the look and feel. Interesting that it feels 'forward' to you. I bounce between a PRS CS 24, a Fender Tele, and the SG and don't really notice a 'positional' playing difference. I do, however, when I grab my Jackson King V. Now THAT axe puts me 'more to the left' with my right hand; it takes a little while to get comfortable with it.
Try a wound G, they stay in tune better
@@cullentheirishman6396 Thank, man. Yeah, I've heard that but haven't tried it yet.
I’ve tried les Pauls, strats, tele’s, and semi-hollow and full-hollow guitars, but out of all of them I’ve never felt more at home than playing an sg! For me it’s just a comfortable guitar to play! Normally I play acoustic and all the acoustic guitars I’ve had had a heavier neck so the neck-dive on the sg seems normal to me! It just suits my playing style perfectly!
I hate the neck dive on acoustic guitars but hardly notice any on my SG! Maybe mine was made with a heavier block of wood in the body, not sure what people are complaining about. If it was the only issue with an otherwise perfect guitar I'd cut out a nicely shaped plate of steel, have it chromed and screw it to the back. Replacing the plastic cover with a custom steel one should be plenty.
My understanding, being someone who has never played one, is that the SG is kind of like the middle of the road between a Stratocaster and a Les Paul. They usually have plated humbuckers like a Les Paul but they pull some of that bright Stratocaster twangyness in their tone that a Les Paul simply doesn't do so well. They also appear to have excellent upper fret access.
I just bought an Epiphone SG 61Tribute and after playing a Strat and an Ibanez RG 550 for years it sure did feel odd at first, I find its a much easier guitar to play for me with the slim taper neck and medium jumbo frets and i just love that cherry red finish, stays in tune beautiful too and I havent put it down since I got it - as Robert said, I would recommend trying them out first though but you soon get used to it - love the SG!
Agree - 61 all the way. I snared an Epi 50th anniversary a few years back. 10 years old and MINT. I love my 72 Thinline, my 84 Rickenbacker is so easy to play - but the SG is the go-to. That tiny thin neck.
P90's through an AC15 is good, through the 73 HiWatt is....... Kinda loud!
Neck dive what? Stand up, and get a wide leather strap. What neck dive?
When I was playing full time I had a 1973 SG. It was awesome. Loved the way it played and sounded. I swore I would never get rid of it but it was stolen in the mid 80’s. Gibson and Fender had a couple of down years and I couldn’t find one I liked. Believe it or not, I bought an Ovation preacher deluxe. I loved that guitar as well. Active electronics. Mini switch to put the pickups in and out of phase. Each mini humbucker had a switch for single or double coil. Black with gold hardware, ebony fretboard and mother of pearl inlays. The one bad issue and the reason I got rid of it was serious neck dive.
I bought one "in the blue" 😎, faded Pelham Blue to be exact. Got my Epiphone with P-90s as well so pretty much everything is different compared to my Les Paul and other guitars.
It makes me want to play Black Sabbath and AC/DC 🤘🤘🤘
Definitely feels a little weird when I first pick it up though.
You make a great observation near the end about how the feel of a guitar can change the way you play. I bought an old 60's 330 years ago and it had a narrow nut width. It totally changed my playing for the better. At first I hated it but it forced me into a new way of playing and using smaller voicings and made be a better single note player.
I must have gotten supremely lucky, my one and only Gibson SG, a Faded Special from ‘07 that I got as a bare body and neck and converted to P-90’s, it does not neck dive at all. One of my best balanced guitars, in fact. My Epiphone are ridiculous with the neck dive.
There is DEFINITELY an adjustment period going from a Les Paul to an SG, that neck shift is hard to get used to. Once you do, you don’t really notice it.
Addendum, I just picked up an Epiphone SG Special P90 in glorious Faded Pelham Blue, no neck dive with it either. And my iPad capitalized Faded Pelham Blue on it’s own. It knows 😆😆😆🤘
Right on Robert!! My Gibby 61’ reissue Maestro Vibrola.. ZERO NECK DIVE.. the extra tail end weight balance’s it out perfectly!! Great video!!
The best neck I have ever come across was on an SG.
As for the feel with everything being shifted, that is noticeable, but for me not an issue, however it is an issue for me with a Firebird, everything being moved to the left is bigger factor. (& feel huge to me)
My 84 SG standard does the trick for me especially when I'm playing Santana,BOC, ACDC or Black Sabbath
I bought my first gibson, and it's an sg 2019 tribute, it's been the best neck playability I've had! It put my number 1 guitar down to 2, which is a nitro satin strat. I love the action, the higher fret access, nice and light compared to my strat. Although I've been contemplating of dropping p90s into the sg.
In 1975 I walked into a local music store in Brooklyn NY and bought my baby brother his first guitar, a 60s era SG with a Bigsby for $250 with case, he still has it!
I have a recent 2021 SG and it’s great. I traded a Suhr Strat for it and I’m not the least upset about the price difference. The one I have is perfect. It’s got tone for days. And I had a Lp custom and a prs. And those don’t hold candle to the SG I have. And it’s a standard with the full scratch guard. I just wish Gibson would release one with SS frets. But I’m fine with what I have and then some.
Just got a Harley Benton SG custom style. Love it! Lighter than a Les Paul. Heavier tone than a Strat. Love to blend the middle humbucker to thin out the bridge and neck.
I'm not a gibson guy by any stretch but the two gibsons I've always been drawn to are the SG and the ES-335
why? They're great guitars. Just play it before you buy it and you can't go wrong.
@@pb12661 not sure. they're amazing and beautiful guitars but I just haven't played one yet that's spoken to me the way my strat and gretsch jet have
I have small hands and the Epi SG I have is much, much easier for me to play barre chords than on a Player Strat. Just love the feel of the fretboard.
I've had my first SG for over a year now. I'm so glad to have it. I used to love thin necks, but I really dig the fat neck now, so much that I prefer them over the thin necks of a Fender or Ibanez. Access to the higher register is so easy and comfortable. It's quite versatile once you learn the volume and tone knobs. The position of the guitar is odd at first. Playing near the nut feels like a stretch, however, it's such a vibrant and active guitar that likes to be played hard - well that's what I tell myself anyway. 😀I don't think I'll ever sell it - EVER!!
You can solve the SG cluttered control issue if you put the volume knob where the 3 way switch is, master tone where the bridge volume is and a blend pot for pickup selection where the bridge tone pot is. Then use a metal or nylon hole plug in the remaining holes. Works great, i did it to both of mine.
My first and second electric guitar were Epiphone SGs. A Special which I sold and a Goth G400 that I still have and love to the moon and back. :) I'm sorry that I sold the first one, though... It was far from perfect, but the clean sound it produced was incredible. G400 is awesome for my metal stuff, but its clean is a bit weak for me.
Both of them and all of the SGs have a very distingishable "bite" to their sound though which made them my favourites. :) ...and that shape ofc. :D
I have an ESP Viper1000, an SG copy with no neck dive and the jack socket where it should be.
If you must have Gibson on the headstock and can live with the SG's issues then fine.
There are plenty of copies at all price points, so as advised by Robert, try before you buy.
Actually SG is my favorite guitar in the Gibson line. Unfortunately i had sold my SG standard years ago, then i bought a special edition with mini humbuckers last year, possibly one of the best sounding and most comfortable guitar that i ever bought. I sold it a month or two later because it had lot of issues. In all honesty i wouldn't buy one now unless i get a special or lucky price because they're way overpriced these days, pretty much like every Gibson.
Carlos Santana,Soul Sacrifice,Woodstock-SG. Eric Clapton,Cream,Crossroads-SG. Duane Allman,Live at the filmore,Statesboro Blues-SG. Derek Trucks-SG. Frank Marino-SG. Hendrix for some blues tunes-Custom 3 pickup SG.
I have an Epiphone SG-400 Deluxe Pro. It has coil split and while I love the tones I can get from it, it did take a little getting use to playing as I was use to a strat. For me it is the neck reach. I have been strictly playing it for about an year now so I don't notice it as much anymore, until I pick up my strat.
I have the same one and love it!
Built my own SG “style” guitar and installed P94 pickups. The lightness creates a very unique resonance that I don’t get with a LP or a Strat. Especially tuned down (C#) I can feel the strings vibrating. I enjoy playing this guitar very much and it sounds great through a tube amp.
My first Gibson was a 2005 SG Special I got a little while back, as soon as I saw it in the guitar store and I played it, I immediately knew I had to have it. One of the only guitars I’ve had that really spoke to me before I even played it. It’s definitely one of my favorite guitars!
Lovely video Robert! Thanks. The best thing about an SG is Angus!!! I bought one in the early '70s because of Pete Townsend and have loved them ever since.
sg was my first Gibson, met a cork sniffer recently who said he can't own one because it only sounds like AC/DC which is hilarious because he loves a 335 because of cream...which was primarily recorded on an sg...just such obvious sheep mentality and listening with the eyes.
In 1975 I walked into a local music store in Brooklyn NY and bought my baby brother his first guitar, a 60s era SG with a Bigsby for $250 with case, he still has it!
@@kenburkard Nice!
just bought a Gibson SG. I never was a fan of how they look. Then I bought a $300 Epiphone SG on a lark. I couldn't stop playing it. So...I bought a Gibson SG Standard a few days ago. I absolutely love it. It just feels extra natural for me to play and I love the rounded neck. I am changing the pick ups to a set of Bare Knuckle Silo p/u, BK 550K pots, and Oil/paper caps. I'm also changing out the tuners for the locking version of the Grover Rotomatics. In my opinion, Locking tuners are a must if you ever plan to play on stage. Changing strings takes seconds, not minutes if you have locking tuners.
I believe in the 80’s Gibson made the SG standard with the output jack on the side of the guitar, instead of on top. That could be a good option, for those who like to use the tone and volume knobs on the fly. Anyways, great video as usual!