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Hatsubai « The standard SG »
Published on 05/03/11 at 10:53The Gibson SG Standard is just that -- it's the standard SG that everybody thinks of when they think of SGs. It features a uniquely shaped mahogany body, mahogany set neck, a bound rosewood fretboard with 22 frets, special inlays, hard tail bridge, two humbuckers, a pickguard, two volume knobs, two tone knobs and a three way switch.
UTILIZATION
The SGs are really cool guitars that tend to stand out from the crowd. Whenever I think of SGs, I tend to think of either Frank Zappa or Angus Young, personally. However, the guitar has a few issues. For one, it's extremely neck heavy. This causes it to neck dive any time you play the guitar as the body is very lightweight. You'll be supporting the neck and playing it at the same time, so it can be a bit difficult to work. The upper fret access is also a bit dependent on how you play as the joint can get in the way.
SOUNDS
Gibson SGs are tonally somewhere between a Flying V and an Explorer. They have the thickness that you'd expect from something like the Explorer, but they also have that aggression and punchy sound that the Flying V delivers. This is mainly due to its smaller, light body. I'm not a huge fan of the stock humbuckers in this, so I tend to replace them with something else. Once replaced, however, this thing totally comes to life, and it's extremely versatile thanks to the control layout.
OVERALL OPINION
If you're looking for an SG, I highly recommend picking this one up over the other models. It looks great, sounds great and feels pretty nice too. Pay particular attention to the fretwork as Gibsons can be very hit or miss when it comes to fretwork. Also make sure it stays in tune as Gibsons tend to have issues with improperly cut nuts.
UTILIZATION
The SGs are really cool guitars that tend to stand out from the crowd. Whenever I think of SGs, I tend to think of either Frank Zappa or Angus Young, personally. However, the guitar has a few issues. For one, it's extremely neck heavy. This causes it to neck dive any time you play the guitar as the body is very lightweight. You'll be supporting the neck and playing it at the same time, so it can be a bit difficult to work. The upper fret access is also a bit dependent on how you play as the joint can get in the way.
SOUNDS
Gibson SGs are tonally somewhere between a Flying V and an Explorer. They have the thickness that you'd expect from something like the Explorer, but they also have that aggression and punchy sound that the Flying V delivers. This is mainly due to its smaller, light body. I'm not a huge fan of the stock humbuckers in this, so I tend to replace them with something else. Once replaced, however, this thing totally comes to life, and it's extremely versatile thanks to the control layout.
OVERALL OPINION
If you're looking for an SG, I highly recommend picking this one up over the other models. It looks great, sounds great and feels pretty nice too. Pay particular attention to the fretwork as Gibsons can be very hit or miss when it comes to fretwork. Also make sure it stays in tune as Gibsons tend to have issues with improperly cut nuts.