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tjon901 « Low end Gibson SG »
Published on 06/22/11 at 07:51Some people just want a Gibson and they do not really care what the quality is. This guitar is one of the cheapest Gibson SG's you can get and the quality is not much better than an Epiphone. In reality I would recommend an Epiphone over this guitar. This Faded version is currently one of the most popular SG models right now. Gibson noticed that people were starting to like worn in looking guitars. They decided to start a line of Faded guitars that do not have the final clear coat on them to give guitar players a line of new guitars that look old. Not only does this give them a worn in look but it also saves Gibson a lot of money. The guitar is made from solid mahogany with a mahogany set neck. The neck is 22 frets with a rosewood fretboard. The neck is not bound. It has two volume knobs and one tone knob and a 3 way pickup selector. It has 496R and 500T ceramic magnet pickups in the neck and bridge respectively. These pickups are Gibsons own design. It has a traditional Les Paul style tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece.
UTILIZATION
Because this is a lower end Gibson model the quality control on these guitars are not as good. I have noticed many Faded series guitars have poor fretwork and really need a good setup and fret level right from the factory. The SG was designed in such a way to give better fret access than the earlier Les Paul. The neck is not mounted as deep into the body as is with the Les Paul. This design gives it a few problems. The neck joint on SG models is very weak compared to Les Pauls or even bolt on guitars. This weak neck joint makes some SG's prone to going out of tune. With the neck mounted so far out on the body and the body being so thin and light, SG's are prone to neck dive. When playing an SG standing up you may find yourself holding up the neck due to this awkward balance between the neck and the body.
SOUNDS
Fretwork aside this guitar sounds like how any SG should. With their thinner flatter bodies SG's tend to have a tone slightly thinner than that of a Les Paul. Some people say it sounds more like a Gibson Flying V than a Les Paul. The smaller body also helps make the tone different than that of a Les Paul. Gibson pickups are mainly designed for classic rock. These pickups tend to offer a medium output. If you are looking to play heavier music you may want to replace the pickups with aftermarket higher output models. I would recommend EMG pickups for heavier music. Gibson for a short time sold a variant of this guitars with EMG's from the factory. Active EMGs will give you great output and more clarity for metal.
OVERALL OPINION
Gibson has a good idea going with the Faded Series. People want worn in guitars that look played and Gibson likes to cut costs. This guitar does both. I only wish they did not cut costs in other areas of the guitar. The fretwork on high end Gibsons is great due to the machine based plek'ing process they go through. But on these models the fretwork is subpar. Its similar to what you would find on a mid-range Epiphone. If you are looking for a nice simple SG and do not mind getting it setup this guitar is a good choice.
UTILIZATION
Because this is a lower end Gibson model the quality control on these guitars are not as good. I have noticed many Faded series guitars have poor fretwork and really need a good setup and fret level right from the factory. The SG was designed in such a way to give better fret access than the earlier Les Paul. The neck is not mounted as deep into the body as is with the Les Paul. This design gives it a few problems. The neck joint on SG models is very weak compared to Les Pauls or even bolt on guitars. This weak neck joint makes some SG's prone to going out of tune. With the neck mounted so far out on the body and the body being so thin and light, SG's are prone to neck dive. When playing an SG standing up you may find yourself holding up the neck due to this awkward balance between the neck and the body.
SOUNDS
Fretwork aside this guitar sounds like how any SG should. With their thinner flatter bodies SG's tend to have a tone slightly thinner than that of a Les Paul. Some people say it sounds more like a Gibson Flying V than a Les Paul. The smaller body also helps make the tone different than that of a Les Paul. Gibson pickups are mainly designed for classic rock. These pickups tend to offer a medium output. If you are looking to play heavier music you may want to replace the pickups with aftermarket higher output models. I would recommend EMG pickups for heavier music. Gibson for a short time sold a variant of this guitars with EMG's from the factory. Active EMGs will give you great output and more clarity for metal.
OVERALL OPINION
Gibson has a good idea going with the Faded Series. People want worn in guitars that look played and Gibson likes to cut costs. This guitar does both. I only wish they did not cut costs in other areas of the guitar. The fretwork on high end Gibsons is great due to the machine based plek'ing process they go through. But on these models the fretwork is subpar. Its similar to what you would find on a mid-range Epiphone. If you are looking for a nice simple SG and do not mind getting it setup this guitar is a good choice.