All user reviews of 5/5 for the Epiphone SG Special

Purchased at an independant ma & pa shop. I had very little $$$ at the time and wanted a good guitar (who doesn't?) I paid $299.99 canadian.

The playability of this guitar is very good, regardless of price. It has a standard stoptail piece bridge which is very easy to use and intonate. The tuners are metal with a high ratio which kinda sucks but it is still usable (still way better than anything close to this price). The neck is bolt on but feels very solid. The neck is finished like the body too which you don't normally find on something this price.

There is nothing about it that is really awful. The drawbacks it does have are not even comparable in this price range; only if it were a $900 guitar or something.

The pickups are not the greatest sounding, but they do sound good. (www3.telus.net/mechatohm to listen to this guitar in action) The switch does cut out once in a blue moon. I can't quite get the low E string to fully intonate on lower tunings, it's damn close though. Oh, the color. I got the red and it's kind of a weird foggy purple/red. I don't like the color but oh well.

It is constructed quite well. It is light yet sturdy. Once again, put in relation to it's price category, in my opinion, it far surpasses any competition. Even though it is a bolt on neck, it has been very solid.

I have had this guitar for 4 odd years now. I will never sell/trade it. It never seems to let me down. That's pretty good because I play it a lot. For the money, it was an excellent value. The only real drawback I see is the finish. I really don't like it much at all, but hey, at least it's not pink or some damn thing like that!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this guitar at pheifers house of music (in stettler) for about 230$ (canadian.) I got it because it caught my eye and im tired of playing strats.

Keeps in tune for DAYS
Good action on the lower strings (E,A,D)
Really great sound
Really good pickups

Nothing important here.

Good constuction, everything seems to be put together nicely. The things u put the strap on arent even a little wobbly, and i dont ever expect them to be. For anyone who cant afford a gibson SG, this is the guitar for you.

Buy this guitar. It is well worth the money, and will last you a long time.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this guitar at Guitar Center during their Labor Day sale. The list price was 1400 dollars, but they had it for $799. I asked the worker there about it, and he said he would sell it to me for $470. Best deal I've ever seen.

The guitar for the most part is great. The body is extremely light compared to most other guitars. The tuners stay in tune for about a week. The pickups sound great, and there is a tone and volume knob for each pickup. They actually work too. Overall, a great axe.

There are only a few minor details that I don't like about the guitar. For one, there is a cheap-looking tape around the pickups to protect the coils. Also, the strings are a little too high on the bridge, but you can get used to that easily. (I played a strat before this, so it was a big difference to me).

So far everything has been in working order. No complaints here.

If you see this guitar and you need a new one, buy it! It has killer tone and a nice price tag, especially for a Gibson. Definitly worth the money.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this guitar at MusiciansFriend.com after the neck on my Hondo II broke. It was 150 dollars, about 160 after shipping. I was amazed at how quickly it shipped. I had ordered it on a Monday and it came Wednesday of the same week!

Everything!!! I expected the finish to be a cheezy bright red, but I was delighted to find that is was a dark, semi-transparent red, just like my friend's much more expensive G-400. There's only one volume knob and one tone knob, but in my opinion that is good, because if I wanted to use a vibrato effect with both pickups, a volume knob for each pickup would make that almost impossible. Neck is straight, tuners have a very smooth operation. In the pictures it doesn't have the little black ring around the toggle switch, but it came with that too!

Only the factroy installed strings. I'll probably put Slinky's on soon. And it sometimes picks up a radio signal.

It's amazingly solid. The pickups are good, I could talk forever about how nice it sounds. But like I said before, the strings aren't the best.

You know what they say, you get what you pay for. Well "They" obviosly haven't seen this guitar! With the quality of the unit at this price, it's the equivalent of buying a Ferrarri for $500. It's great guitar for AC/DC and Black Sabbath, but any I've played stuff from Santana to I Believe in a Thing Called Love, and this guitar sounds great all the way.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased this guitar used at a local guitar shop about a year ago for $650. I only played it for about 5 minutes before i fell in love with it. The pervious owner had hardly played it, so it was in mint condition.

The neck is the perfect size, and is lightning fast. The tuners never go out of tune, despite heavy playing. The body is light, so you can jump around and play at the same time, and not break your back. Sounds almost as good as a les paul, for about half the price!

The bridge pickup is a bit weak for my tastes, i plan on swapping it for a Gibson 498T sometime. Other than that, the guitar is perfect!

Since i got it so new, the bridge saddles had almost no indentation in them, so when i played really hard the strings would pop off the saddles. A trip to a tech set this straight, for 78 cents. Solid craftsmanship, meant to be played, and played hard.

I love this guitar! And at such a great price, it was well worth it. Sounds awesome for rock and hard, distorted music, especially through my mesa heartbreaker. But also sounds great for blues, through my friend's Vox AC110. I will never get rid of this guitar.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I picked up this piece at the local guitar center for a small $850.

First and for most this is one nice guitar. The finish is superb without flaws. I picked up the WIne Red and it is gorgeous. Another great feature is the neck. The rosewood fret board is smooth and the with the littlest application a string rings with pure sound. OVerall I am pleased at the gutiar itself. No questions asked.

None that I can really think of.

Its a Gibson. Need I say more. No place else can you get this quailty and pure sound.

As said before it is a Gibson. Gibson is known for quality and duration of life. I played a Schecter C-1 plus next to this gutiar and there was no comparison. Don't look over this you want a guitar and look no further.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Paid by credit card, for £469, on special offer at Academy of Sound on the opening weekend. Reduced by £100.

This guitar is the extreme versatile instrument! My music tastes range from heavy metal to classical rock, blues to ska, and everything in between, and there's not one thing I've found difficult to play. The two humbucker pickups sound amazing, the bridge pickup cutting through for lead players, the neck pickup for the nice warm tone and when you select the middle position on the pickup selector you get a crystal clear sound, which I commonly use for ska playing. You get absolutely no feedback when you don't want it, and when you do it comes out perfect. Gigs brilliantly.

The only complaint I have is the action was too high when I bought it.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I was looking for a really cheap guitar that sounded rather heavy to replace my blue Jackson that I hated. I ran across this Guitar at a good price at Guitar center and didn't buy it at the time, I felt a lot of other guitars and this had the best feel to me. My brother bought one in red and I played it on my dad's amp and I loved the sound. So a few weeks later, I went back and bought it for around 180$.

I play through a beginner setup with an Ibanez Tone Blaster 25, and zoom 505II pedal. With thick strings this thing sounds a lot heavier than I expected and that was what I was looking for. I really love the feel of the neck on here, I have small hands and fingers and it's very easy for me to play. This guitar is also very light, which I enjoy. Mine is black and it looks pretty mean, I read somewhere that if you put pickup covers on it, it enhances the look, so I think I'll try that. Overall my favorite part of this guitar is it's playability, between your right hand placement, and the neck shape and comfort it's an awsome guitar for a beginner or intermediate on a tight budget like me.

for under 200 dollars there's not much to not like... But to pick it apart: the strap often comes off of the holders, so just get quick locks. which are very cheap. I like to outfit mine with medium strings to keep it sounding heavy with the best tone I can get, I think this is result of the pickups, I am looking into replacing mine. Overall there's not much to dislike about this guitar... I've seen a few bad reviews that say this guitar is not as good as other sg's and the truth is it's at very least 100 dollars cheaper. So for the money it's awesome

I don't beat my stuff against a wall, but I do rock out pretty hard when I feel like it. I've dropped it a couple times, and all that happened was it got knocked out of tune. I think the overall construction is great for a cheap guitar. Very much worth the money you pay. Another small thing is the input screw comes loose but I just reach down with my hand and tighten it.

This is the best guitar I have played for under 200$ and maybe 250$. I personally think it's up to your own taste and the feel of the guitar, but for me this is hard to beat.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought the guitar from American Music Supply online new for 139.99(scratch and dent)Got the guitar expecting minor damage and when I pulled it from the box it looked good as new minus some very minor surface scratches from a belt on back of the body, buffed right out with blue magic. AMS is awesome!

This guitar is great, I originally bought a Washburn X-20 but due to the tremolo crap it wouldn't hold a tune. Love the tune o matic bridge, holds a tune for days. Awesome sound variance(far exceeds the X-20)Super lightweight and very easy to play. I got the vintage sunburst and I love the look(tired of the strat type body). Fixed tailpiece and adjustable neck a must(for you beginners who arent sure what to look for) this has both. Save yourself the shopping around and check out AMS online, great customer service!

wish the head was one sided don't like tuner hardware on both sides(minor)

Very sturdy, beautiful guitar!

I'm going to keep this guitar and upgrade pickups and thats about it, can't find a nicer body style at any price if you ask me!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this at a Sam Ash store for about $189. I needed a quality, yet cheap guitar, so i discovered this at the front of the store. I always knew Epiphones were noted as good guitars, so i gave this a try.

This is a wonderful guitar. I like the wonderful tone, and the nice humbucker pickups. The design of the guitar and hardware is also very nice. This guitar stays in tune well and delivers a nice, warm tone.

When i switch over to the treble pickup, it doesnt "switch over" easily. I often have to mess with the switch before it switches over. (this isnt a real big problem for me, because i often only use the rhythem pickup)

This guitar was constructed pretty good. However, the fretboard is kinda "worn down" looking even when i purchased it new. (discoloration, ect) I've had this guitar for 2 years now, and its still in very good working order

I recommend this guitar for those of you who need to save money and purchase a nice, yet cheap guitar. I love this guitar, it very well suits the style of music i play, which is ska/rocksteady

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this unit at Guitar Center in Bridgeton Missouri, for $179.99. I decided to go with Epiphone on the advice of a friend that is in a local band. Being a total beginner, I wanted a guitar on the low end of the price range, and he said that epiphone fit the bill, with decent quality added in.

The SG caught my eye imediately. Looks wise it was just fantastic, and after trying other epiphone models, the weight seemed perfect. The bridge is smooth and easy to handle, (I have Short fingers) and the body is thin and easy to hold. As I have said, I am a beginner, but the humbuckers sound fine to me, it seems to stay in tune very well considering my clumsy practicing.

The only drawback that I have found was the toggle switch. It seems a little light for the use that it will be put through. It has not given me a problem yet, but I might change it down the road.

As far as quality, besides the toggle that I mentioned, this is a beautiful guitar. The finish is spotless, everything fits together very tight. Came out of the box sounding great.

For a first electric guitar, I cannot think of a better choice. You are getting quite a good deal for the price. Quality, good sound, ease of handling, and not so many bells and whistles to confuse.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I did my homework on this one and played many different guitars at the Guitar Center over a 3 month period. This was simply the best in terms of playability. I tried Fenders, Ibanez, Epiphone, BC Rich, and Jacksons. I love the feel of the SG's but chose the special since I couldn't see that much of a difference between this and the SG Standard (about $400 more!). I got a great deal on this one for $690.

This guitar has a wine red, mahogany (double cutaway) body and neck. The fingerboard is Rosewood with dot inlays. The scale is 24.75" with a nut width of 11 11/16". The hardware is chrome (gold on cream finish). The pickups are Rhythm: 490R Alnico magnet humbucker and Treble: 490T Alnico magnet humbucker.

After a crappy setup at Guitar Center, I took this guitar to a "real" guitar tech for a proper setup. After the setup this guitar was fantastic. The action is low, the feel of the neck is smooth and comfortable. The body is so light that I feel I can play it all day standing up without getting a sore back! This is now the most playable guitar that I own (I also have a strat and two acoustics) and has a much better feel than many of the others that I've tried. Like I said before, I did my homework on this one and played many different guitars at the store over a 3 month period. This was simply the best in terms of playability.

This guitar has been very flexible. It is actually far more flexible than my strat (much to the dismay of many Fender fans!) and has very good pickups. The sound from the bass strings is excellent. This guitar is at its best when playing heavier tunes, good for palm muting, driving rhythms, and piercing leads.


Not much that I don't like about this. I haven't owned it long enough to accumulate complaints.

I play this through an Electar tube amp, a Squier solid state, and my instructor's Peavey. This guitar has very good pickups and a great neck (typical of most Gibson's). The sustain has been incredible. I expect to have this one for a very long time.

Like I said before, I did my homework on this one and played many different guitars at the store over a 3 month period. This was simply the best in terms of playability.

If this guitar were stolen, I would cry for days then buy a new one as soon as I got out of prison for killing the person that stole it!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

bought this guitar at mars music for $170 better than higher end guitars.

this guitar is the same quality as higher end epiphones. Sounds great clean and rocks hard distorted.

very plain. just add silver pickup covers and it looks great.

very high quality.excellent action great playability. stays in tune for days. pickups are powerfull and sound great.

excellent guitar for the money. i bought this guitar even though i had alot more to spend. i like this guitar more than most gibsons. just put some silver pick-up covers and you will have a good looking and great sounding guitar.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

- Made in China if I remember correctly.
- Mahogany body and another 22 boxes.
- 2 Epiphone humbuckers (I will change)
- Bridge I do not know the brand
- Change a volume, a Change tonalitbr /> - between jack plate
- Handle vissbr /> I put 10 for all that below 200 is really incredible.

UTILIZATION

Channel a little curve, perfect for the TDCA as the Raggae
- Of course with the low E in 22 is not easy but the whole remains ergonomic, at least the cutting of freight is quite decent (certainly more than that)
- Sound is not egg but more than adequate to play a few games raggae To Air (I'll put a Dimarzio Virtual Paf Neck for ca) if the distortions are really good in all (I'll put an Air Norton Dimarzio always) and fairly easy to find for aficionados of the stagg a first prize.
No 8 because the sound is not a reference but for other micro and taking into consideration the cheap cot of scratches

SOUNDS

- My style is eclectic (look in the dictionary), but here are just not playing petrucci (music man has two bricks ca ^ ^)
- I play with a Marshall Valvestate 40W lamps is only ca slaps not bad, but with the 1500G Korg pedal, the result is impressive, it follows very very very well for its status as a low-end.
- A small special mention to the distortion "low", it has something inimitable, n I've seen in any case that this scraper (or rather heard)
- Mention clearly very wrong in acute (all a bit of distortion and is a lover of al air, it sounds as bcp mieu dja +)
10 because it deserves surment nouvos with the mic, so no 9

OVERALL OPINION

- I have the last three weeks, time required for an avi more than adequate.
- I like the mouth, the little cot funky distortion of "low" and the small distortion (Kiss stuff for those who connaisent)
- I like the small problems of less acute in the clear but ca is perfected.
- I have tried many models LTD, Epiphone and brands, but in these the price, up to 400 (with microphones Juska 600 I think) is one of the best for the rock "Fort" and metallization, the sound is not very raggae, but there is the Les Paul for that.
- Report Qualit / or almost unbeatable price then
- After struggling for 1 year and a half to the guitar, bought the right stuff, I have fallen for it, and I've finally realized it was the first prize ptite stagg (really a crap) which killed the sound, and not too much in the way of jouer.Je would do such a choice without thinking.

All a little "Master of Puppets" gives out a 10 (because this song uses a lot of things in a guitar) for all more than acceptable to this guitar.
I will make an Edit to form a connection of microphones.