All user reviews of 5/5 for the Gibson SG Standard

The Gibson SG Standard is made in the USA and has 23 frets on it. It has two Gibson made pick ups that each have knobs for volume and tone control. There is also a switch to choose between the pick ups, or to use them together. It has a beautiful chrome pattern on the inlay and the Heritage Cherry finish is probably the color that is most associated with this guitar.

UTILIZATION

The neck of the Gibson SG Standard feel really great on the fingers. It is easy to play because of this, whether you want to play lead or rhythm guitar. It is easy to access the top notes and to play all around the neck. The Gibson SG Standard isn't heavy, but isn't light and it has the shape and look that has become synonymous with the SG. Getting a nice sound is easy because the inherent tone is extremely full bodied and is packed with punch.

SOUNDS

The Gibson SG Standard is great playing rock music, especially for heavier rock because of the huge wall of sound that radiates from this instrument. The sound was made famous by Angus Young of ACDC and continues to be a mainstay in the world of guitars. I usually plug this guitar into a '76 Fender Twin Reverb or a Marshall JCM 800, depending on what type of sounding I'm going for. While the clean sound is definitely good sounding, this guitar really excels when you throw some distortion on your tone.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Gibson SG Standard for about five years and it is definitely one of my favorite guitars to use for recording rock music. The price of this guitar is very reasonable considering the top notch quality that come along with it. The crunch and bite from this guitar makes it perfect for rock and roll, even though it would work fine in other situations as well. This is a totally unique guitar that has been copied again and again, but can nothing can be like the real thing. If you are looking for a great guitar that will last a long time, the Gibson SG Standard is absolutely worth a try.

This guitar was made in the U.S.A. by one of the best in the business, Gibson USA. It has 22 frets, with the beautiful but not too flashy trapezoid fret inlays. It comes equipped with the stock 490R and 498T pickups for the neck and bridge respectively. The stock bridge and tailpiece are the standard Stopbar and Tunomatic bridge in chrome. It also comes with 4 black "witch hat" knobs, 1 volume and 1 tone for each pickup. Right next to those is the 3 way selector switch that comes with a cream tip. They come with a set neck which means that the neck was glued to the body which is harder to repair but reaps greater benefits for tone and sustain. Overall beautiful guitar that comes with everything you need to rock (Except for the talent and an amp.)

UTILIZATION

The neck is the reason I bought this guitar. It is so smooth and easy to play on, a baby could out-shred Eddie Van Halen on it. The neck is supposed to be a "thick 50's style" but I find the neck on mine to be more middle of the road. It is nice and wide like Gibson's necks in the 50's models. The frets are very well fitted. On some necks (especially the Gibson Faded Special line) you will find that the frets stick out and scratch your hand. On this guitar there are no such problems, you can slide your hand up and down the neck all day without even noticing. The access to the higher frets is another great feature to this guitar. Even the highest note rings loud and clear on this baby. The frets are also spaced well enough that you can hit that high note without any trouble either. Overall the finest neck I've ever played.

The size and shape of the SG Standard are extremely user friendly. When I wear on it onstage, it feels like an extension of my body. I'd say mine weighs only a few pounds which is nice because you get all that tone without it breaking your back like a Les Paul. The "devil horned" shape is a rock classic that most guitarists would be proud to own. Like I said earlier, the access to the higher frets is a big bonus on this guitar and it is due to the double cutaway.

In terms of acquiring a good sound, the SG excels. Every tone you get out of one of these is a rock classic. Just plug it right into the amp and you can dial in any riff or solo.

SOUNDS

The SG's pickups are very meaty and powerful. You will have no problem rocking hard with one. Through a clean channel you can get awesome jazz tones. They are very smooth and buttery. You just have to roll the volume and tone knobs back a little while using the neck pickup. You can also overdrive a clean channel with awesome results. With distortion this guitar really shines. You can do AC/DC riffs just like Angus Young on the bridge, or you can crank it up and roll the tone back a little bit for a buttery Eric Clapton tone.

I run it through a Fender Blues Deluxe for practicing at home and the humbuckers overdrive the amp perfectly. The distortion on the amp is nice but it shines when overdriving the clean channel. You can a great Rolling Stones type of overdrive. For band practice I run it through an old Marshall JCM head I have and it really rocks. Playing it clean is a little muddy but Marshall's specialize in distortion. A Gibson through a marshall is match made in rock heaven so I suggest you try it out.

For pedals I use a Earthbound Supercollider fuzz which allows me to get real heavy sludge rock types of sounds. I mainly use it for leads and when paired with regular distortion I get a cool Brian May flavored tone. I also use a Dunlop Cry Baby and while it doesn't cover Hendrix stuff the best, it can nail the solo in Thin Lizzy's "The Warrior" perfectly.

My favorite sounds are the Eric Clapton "woman tone" which can be attained by putting the pickup selector in the middle position and rolling both tone knobs back almost all the way. It's very thick and juicy. It is also very authentic. The other main sound I use is the George Harrison Revolver tone. To get this just put your pickup selector in the bridge position and roll the volume knob back a little bit and add some distortion. You will have the perfect "Rain" and "She Said She Said" guitar tone.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been playing this guitar for a year now exclusively and I love it more everyday. The neck is amazing, the tone is unmatched, and the craftsmanship is awe-inspiring. From the minute I picked up this guitar I knew I had a winner. I love everything about it except that the G tuning peg became slightly loose but I got it replaced at the store I bought it for free. I was going to buy a Les Paul Standard before I bought this. I had the money all ready and I was just waiting for the line in the store to die down. In the meantime I picked up the SG Standard I own now and immediately fell in love. It sounded just as good as the Les Paul except the neck was faster and the guitar didn't weigh anything. The Les Paul was 1400 used and the SG was 900 used but it amazing condition. I bought it without even playing the Les Paul again. I wish I could find another SG for 900, that was an amazing deal. I think they run at 1600 new now which isn't the worst.

If I were to lose this guitar, I would immediately buy another one. I've played other SG Standards and they all felt great. Another thing I love about them is that there aren't any cut corners. If you were to buy one of the nicer Gibson Models the only extra features would be that it looks vintage. Not only that, but there are a billion different replacement parts you can install to make this guitar everything you ever wanted. Enjoy!