I finally got my hands on one of these for an unbelievable price, ( even though I wish I could have got it many years ago when I first started looking) and I am completely satisfied. Before I picked this up, I was playing with an American Deluxe strat for everything but metal, which I used my Jackson Kelly for. That strat could pull out any tone imaginable, except that Gibson "honk" that comes from that solid, Mahogany body and Gibson pickups. I've always wanted a Les Paul, but didn't want to pay the ridiculous price for one, not too mention the chiropractor bills after a night on stage due to the LPs weight. You can get one of these for around 2 thousand online, or you can do your research and you may see one locally somewhere if you live in a decent sized city or a town that is big on music. But there are music lovers and collectors everywhere!

UTILIZATION

I decided to try an SG and fell completely in love with them. The '61 reissue covers that classic rock n roll sound perfectly. The pickups are, surprisingly, not muddy. The neck pickups has tons of clarity and brightness, unlike the often dark and undefined tones of most Les Pauls on the neck pickups. When playing both pickups, this guitar's "wood" sound stands out as a nice contrast to both pickups on their own, especially as you adjust volume on one of the pickups to pull one out in front of the other. The warmness of the 57 Classics is instantly noticeable. The double cutaway allows for immediate access to the upper registers. The guitar's intonation was also spot on, and the strings weren't sticking in the nut, surprisingly.

SOUNDS

I love how the distorted sounds are, they are amazing!

OVERALL OPINION

I would highly recommend this for anyone wanting a classic instrument that will be a lifelong companion and investment. Beats any Les Paul, in my opinion, and gives you more bang for the buck. No pun intended towards Les Paul.