All user reviews for the Epiphone SG Special

I bought mine used, the guy said it was about a year or two old, I don't really remember. The guy asked $500 for the black Gibson SG Special and Peavey Bandit 112, knowing that was an awesome deal, I got him down to $300. Anyway, I got it home plugged it in and couldn't believe I finally owned my favorite guitar.

I love it, great playability, great sound, great sustain, great tone, especially compared to the cheap guitars I already owned.

Not much I don't like about it, except like someone said in another review, the kind of cheap looking tape around the pickups, but that doesn't affect anything. The only problem I have are the tuners, one of them was already broken when I bought it, but they tend to come out of tune with a lot of bending, but not too badly.

Very solid and LIGHT. I've accidentally dropped it and it's been hit a couple of time; it's withstood a lot of abuse, I'm sure even before I bought it. I take good care of my equipment, but accidents happen, and this guitar can take a beating.

I definitely recommend it, it sounds, looks and plays great. You might find a deal like I did, but even if you buy it new and retail it's a good price for what you're getting.

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

I bought this guitar as my first electric about three years ago from musicians friend for about $130, discounted because of the color. I ordered it from the phone.

I was skeptical about this guitar at first, but when I got it , i was amazed. Now I have a $700 Schecter, which is way better than this, of course it was 6 times more. Although, I do use this guitar for recording albums in my band, so I love it for recording. I also love the cheap humbuckers, because I play grunge (Nirvana, Soundgarden etc.) so i get lots and lots of feedback from it.

I dont like the body, because it is very light, and made of cheap plywood. The neck is light and cheap, and the guitar is not balanced correctly. Other than that, its fine.

The quality shows that epiphone has blind workers, because everything is loose out of the box. When and If u get this guitar, take it to a shop right away. The pickups are not good, however, if you are in a grunge band and feedback is your friend,they are great. The tuners do not stay in tune, so make sure you tune them

A final comment is to use a distortion pedal, like me, i use a death metal dist. pedal.if i had this guitar stolen, i wouldnt buy another one.

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 guitar at a local guitar shop for about 180 dollars because it was the best i could get for my money.

I really enjoy this product the way it plays and everything, i especially enjoy the tuners and how smooth the tunning nuts are. the neck is smooth and very easy to slide on and makes songs easier to perform.

the only thing that i do not like about this product is thati did not get it sooner

the quality is very nice it has a black body, and maple neck, very classy and very nice looking

if u have about 180 bucks and are begginning i highly suggest this guitar, it is easy and fun to use. it was deffinetly a good buy

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

Bought on ebay for $125

This guitar is well made and has excellent electronics. It is well balances and easy to play. Fast action.

The guitar doesn't stay in turn very long. I have to tune it just about every day. Could be me??

The Special is well made and has a lot of quality for the price you pay. It has a lot of the features of much more expensive guitars.

For the price you can't beat it. If you are looking for a quality guitar for little money, this is the one you are looking for. It has all you need to put out some fine sounding vibes.

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

Won this Guitar at an ebay auction for $125

This is a well made guitar for the price. Quality pickups and the neck seems to be very well built. It has good balance and is easy to play. I will keep this guitar for a long time. It will probably out last me!

The guitar has to be tuned a lot. I usually have to tune it before I practice every day. Also I did have a little probelm with where the cord plugs in but it was an easy fix, just a bent connector.

You know, for the price I don't think you can find a better made guitar. It is well made and plays fine. Just be sure you have a quick tuner available. I surely would purchase this guitar again now that I have owned one.

I really like this guitar. Sure, it's not what I'd play if I had loads of cash. But for what I paid, it is great! Perfect for the musician on a budget.

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

I bought it from a friend at about $180 (a pretty good deal if you ask me)

It's really comfortable, it's got a fat tone and a lot of sustain. sounds great live
I know it's supposed to be a cheap guitar but i think it works great.


can be a little bassy, you know, the low tones are predominant but that sounds good with distortion.
I use a boss ds-2 and it rocks.


Haven't found any major flaw in it

I like it, it's not the best guitar in the world but works great if you don't have $2000. Even if you have $2000 it should be on your stack.

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

i paid 179 dollars for this pice of sh!t

i do not like nothing about this guitar except the pickups are ok butt besides this guitar is the worst guitar i have evr played

ok ill start at the top the dam thing comes out of tune 3 or 4 times a day every time i play a song i have to tune it then usually in the middle of the song the g string pops out of tune and the wood is very shitty i was walking up my steps and it hit the wall and one of my spikes is almost gone it tore about 2 inches out of the spike. the pickups are ok for a 179 dollar guitar


the quality is very shitty i think they let stevie wonder build the damm guitar

butt other wise it is pretty good fire wood

please if you want to buy a cheap guitar dont buy this one buy a damm squier or something i would give this guitar a 0 butt there isint one butt do not buy this guitar it sucks

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