SonicPulverizer « Custom shop looks for a lot less cash »
Published on 10/02/12 at 03:04The Gibson Jeff Tweedy Sg is a collaboration between Gibson and the frontman for cult band Wilco. The guitar is modeled after a '61 SG with some unique refinements bespoke to this guitar. The Tweedy SG features a mahogany body and neck with rosewood fingerboard. The electronics consist of a pair of burst bucker pickups wired into separate tone and volume controls with a 3 way toggle. A Lyre Vibrola adds an amazing sense of class along with the blue mist finish. I greatly enjoy the pairing of the finish with the cream hardware.
UTILIZATION
The guitar is advertised to have a satin finish neck, but the model i received came with a glossed neck, albeit unpainted. The neck's shape is comfortable and not as thick as the current SG standards. Tuning stability is decent but the equipped vibrola must be used sparingly to maintain your sanity in live environment.
SOUNDS
I played the Tweedy SG through a variety of amps, all through a mesa boogie 4x12. No pedals.
The guitar plays like any old '61 SG would. It has bark and bite, great rock n' roll tone. The slightly under wound pickups deliver a sweet overdrive tone while also maintaining wonderful note separation. The guitar can be used for just about any style of music from country to aggressive metal. I liked the sound and action of the vibrola, however, anything more than subtle applications can lead to horrible tuning situations.
OVERALL OPINION
The Tweedy SG is a beautiful guitar with more class than anything else Gibson is offering in the price range. To get a '61 SG body with a bespoke finish, vibrola, and details like an unpainted neck-- should put you in the Gibson Custom Shop territory well above $2500. However, the Tweedy SG offers all of this in a sub $2000 price point coming in at $1699 on the new market. The guitar has some shortcomings, but all in all is an excellent value for money considering the whole of Gibson's current catalogue. The guitar has recently been discontinued and only a small selection are still available for purchase. This should strengthen the guitar's influence on the used market significantly.
UTILIZATION
The guitar is advertised to have a satin finish neck, but the model i received came with a glossed neck, albeit unpainted. The neck's shape is comfortable and not as thick as the current SG standards. Tuning stability is decent but the equipped vibrola must be used sparingly to maintain your sanity in live environment.
SOUNDS
I played the Tweedy SG through a variety of amps, all through a mesa boogie 4x12. No pedals.
The guitar plays like any old '61 SG would. It has bark and bite, great rock n' roll tone. The slightly under wound pickups deliver a sweet overdrive tone while also maintaining wonderful note separation. The guitar can be used for just about any style of music from country to aggressive metal. I liked the sound and action of the vibrola, however, anything more than subtle applications can lead to horrible tuning situations.
OVERALL OPINION
The Tweedy SG is a beautiful guitar with more class than anything else Gibson is offering in the price range. To get a '61 SG body with a bespoke finish, vibrola, and details like an unpainted neck-- should put you in the Gibson Custom Shop territory well above $2500. However, the Tweedy SG offers all of this in a sub $2000 price point coming in at $1699 on the new market. The guitar has some shortcomings, but all in all is an excellent value for money considering the whole of Gibson's current catalogue. The guitar has recently been discontinued and only a small selection are still available for purchase. This should strengthen the guitar's influence on the used market significantly.