Gibson's Underdog - The SG

[Phil Owl]

What??? No mention of Mr. Zappa as an SG fan? He was a devout player if the pictures from the '70s are any indication. I know shit about guitars, but I've always loved the extreme double Florentine cutaway look. The devilish horns just say RAWK to me. I like the EB4 for the same reason...

How could I forget, Zappa loved 'em!!

You wanna know someting really funny, that walnut SG he used during the 70's was NOT an actual Gibson, but a lovingly crafted replica made and given to him by a fan in Arizona. The main difference between it and a normal Gibson was the fact it had one more fret than a standard SG. This was Frank's fave guitar for much of the 70's!

[sthslvrcnfsn]

Cover of Roxy and Elswhere has Zappa with a red SG, or maybe that fan-made guitar.

...So the guy from 5ive Style is playing in Fire Theft now. Interesting. I never drew any connections between Sunny Day and 5ive, though I only listened to the 5ive album once.

...Kings of Leon ... the next hype band. I did listen to their album on a listening station, and there were 2 or 3 decent songs. but that's ok, because who's concerned with actually writing a full album's worth of good songs.

jim the overposter

[Phil Owl]

I think the next two guitars I get are going to be an sg and a tele..I have had a bunch of les pauls and some fenders too including my first guitar a 1962 fender jaguar. Because i wanted to be just like Robert Smith. Do you guy and girls know if the necks are bolt on or glue on with the SG model?

All the Gibsons and the Epiphone G-400's and such are glued in necks just like a Les Paul.

However, there are a lower priced line of Epiphone SG's that are bolt on.

The only thing with most SG's I don't like, THE TUNING PEGS!!! It's puzzling to me, they make this killer guitar and then totally skimp on the tuners (what I'm referring to are the old vintage-style with the keystone-shaped keys, the look kinda cool but man, these pegs are just THE WORST!) I did notice with some very brand-new Epiphones, they're putting good Grover tuners on them now. I'm going to have to get my tuners replaced with either Grovers or Sperzel's!

[llllllllllllllllllllllll]

I play a Gibson SG Classic, which has P90s. They're pretty good guitars, but every Classic I've played has had the same problem---the bridge pickup is set waaaaaay low... the neck pickup is at a perfect height, but the bridge pickup is worthless. Gibsons are nice, but they (Gibson or the gutiar shops) should take the time to properly set them up.

[soundguy]

Kim Thayil played an epiphone SG. When soundgarden started rotating guitars alot towards the end, he always returned to that SG and I think actually he was involved in them reissuing the guitar. The guitarist from Clutch plays an SG. You couldnt get that Elephannt Riders sound on a different guitar. well, Im sure you could, but... The tone rolled all the way off on a P90 SG is a very special thing. early 70's groundhogs stuff had a lot of SG in it, SG and strat mix. Dont forget that Jimmy Page's double neck was a SG as well. I always find myself playing stuff on an SG that I dont play on other guitars. They make me look fat though. Gotta worry about the rock star vanity.

dave

[leeflier]

I have a cherry red '63 SG Jr. (single pickup, whammy bar) and I love it! I mean, Townshend and Angus Young... 'nuff said. The neck is fantastic, and it's got a lovely tone. Like others have said, it doesn't stay in tune for shit, but that's OK since I mainly use it for recording and as a backup for my main squeeze, a '52 Les Paul.

SG's are great though, I don't know why you don't see more of them around.

[gravy boat]

Kim Thayil played an epiphone SG. When soundgarden started rotating guitars alot towards the end, he always returned to that SG and I think actually he was involved in them reissuing the guitar. The guitarist from Clutch plays an SG. You couldnt get that Elephannt Riders sound on a different guitar. well, Im sure you could, but... The tone rolled all the way off on a P90 SG is a very special thing. early 70's groundhogs stuff had a lot of SG in it, SG and strat mix. Dont forget that Jimmy Page's double neck was a SG as well. I always find myself playing stuff on an SG that I dont play on other guitars. They make me look fat though. Gotta worry about the rock star vanity.

dave

Actually it's a Guild S100. Same basic design, mahogany body, etc. I have a 71' that is my favorite guitar off all time. I've owned 3 or 4 SGs, but once I got the S100, they were sold off. I'm trying to find another one as a back up. It has to be early 70's, no coil splitter but with the funky Hagstom trem set up (which is actually worthless, I took the arm off mine and locked it down). If anybody sees such a beast email me and I'll be forever greatfull.

[wrenhunter]

I was impressed that JB chose an SG for the School of Rock poster because: an SG is only for rocking. I am sure there are Berklee jokers who will tell you that the SG is a great jazz guitar, but they are wrong because it isn't. It is the only major guitar I can think of that is pure rock; even an Les Paul can get jazzy (cf. Les Paul himself, Johnny A, etc.).

I was just watching the new Kids Are Alright DVD earlier and still think that Pete is the best, though I saw the Angus Young model in the window on Denmark Street and got very excited.

P.S. Why is it that Gibsons get "initial cap" nicknames (SG, LP, ES) and Fenders get abbreviations?

[ahmedgarcia]

The only thing with most SG's I don't like, THE TUNING PEGS!!! It's puzzling to me, they make this killer guitar and then totally skimp on the tuners (what I'm referring to are the old vintage-style with the keystone-shaped keys, the look kinda cool but man, these pegs are just THE WORST!) I did notice with some very brand-new Epiphones, they're putting good Grover tuners on them now. I'm going to have to get my tuners replaced with either Grovers or Sperzel's!

Yea i have bought several SGs over the years. I noticed that the cheaper standard or some studio models, ($500) have Govers on them. I even bought extra grovers at a Guitar Convention in the event that I needed to change those "old timey" tuners with Govers.

I bought a re-issue 1967 SG ($1,200) and it had the "old timey" tuners and they actully work great, look cool, and stays in tune. And I play the #@#$ out of it and it still stays in tune. I was impressed, so I did not change the tuners.

You gotta try Rio Grande Bar-B-Q pickups on the SGs. It sounds great. I play hard and corrosive and I destroyed the original bridge pick-up on my 1990 Standard, so I replaced it with a Bar-B-Q and man it kicks as

[Phil Owl]

Thanks to everybody who posted on this thread!!! Good to see this axe does indeed have many fans!

[ulriggribbons]

I have a '78 SG, love it. Like my '69 thinline telecaster resissue better tho

Fav SG player: Jon Auer of the Posies. Plays it through a rackmount Mesa Head with Orange cabinets. The thing simply roasts.

fum

[XXGABEXX]

A lot of hardcore bands come through central FL nowadays. It occurs to me that if you play guitar in a hardcore band, you play an SG.

Bill Dolan from 5ive style/heroic doses.

After I saw Heroic Doses opening for SDRE, I began saving every penny I could for an SG. Many months later I had a brown '72 with the mini-humbuckers.

True story.

That same SG through my Marshall Plexi reissue and you would swear Robert Nanna (Braid/Hey Mercedes) left his rig at my house.

My next guitar will probably be a home-built Telecaster Deluxe. The originals are just getting outrageous price-wise.

-GABE

[codashome]

I bought my white '61 SG Special w/P90's in a pawn shop for $165. My luthier pal had just come back from Gibson factory training and called to find out the date, etc. Turns out it was made during the transition from LP to SG. He also got the word that pretty much what Les Paul had said in the interview, except the emphasis was on the divorce from Mary Ford. He didn't want her to get the money from roylaties. Look at old photos from the early and mid '60's, you'll see LP playing an SG Custom. Sure the necks are a bit spongy, but you really don't need a whammy bar. Just press against the neck or shake it for the coolest expression I've ever heard. Two problems with this design: hardtail combo tailpeice/bridge (no individual string length adjustment) and because of the neck sponginess, it goes out of tune really quick, even with upgraded tuners. You can almost breathe on it and throw it out of tune. I had to buy a Fender Squier Strat just so I had something that would stay in tune. I know, I know... I'm a bassist so the guitar is mostly just a composition tool. Still love the SG though.

[Phil Owl]

Kim Thayil played an epiphone SG. When soundgarden started rotating guitars alot towards the end, he always returned to that SG and I think actually he was involved in them reissuing the guitar. The guitarist from Clutch plays an SG. You couldnt get that Elephannt Riders sound on a different guitar. well, Im sure you could, but... The tone rolled all the way off on a P90 SG is a very special thing. early 70's groundhogs stuff had a lot of SG in it, SG and strat mix. Dont forget that Jimmy Page's double neck was a SG as well. I always find myself playing stuff on an SG that I dont play on other guitars. They make me look fat though. Gotta worry about the rock star vanity.

dave

Actually it's a Guild S100. Same basic design, mahogany body, etc. I have a 71' that is my favorite guitar off all time. I've owned 3 or 4 SGs, but once I got the S100, they were sold off. I'm trying to find another one as a back up. It has to be early 70's, no coil splitter but with the funky Hagstom trem set up (which is actually worthless, I took the arm off mine and locked it down). If anybody sees such a beast email me and I'll be forever greatfull.

Actually, this Guild SG-like axe you refer to is now back, but now as a D'Armond.