Gibson Angus Young SG

I haven't been playing for a long time, so I don't know a lot of the technical aspects, but I can say that this guitar blew away any of the other SG's I tried. I don't use the vibrato, in fact, I removed the bar because it got in my way, but the Angus pickup added the ripping sound I was looking for.

Anyone looking to play pure hard rock will like this guitar. I use it through my Marshall half-stack and it is a perfect fit. I don't use hardly any effects, and the guitar/amp combo I have provide the exact full, rich sound I'm looking for.

I took this guitar to a tech about three months after I bought it for a check-up, and he didn't adjust a thing, I guess that means it was set up just right. I bought it new, and everything was perfect.

I've been gigging with this guitar for two years now, and I haven't had one problem. I've never had a backup when gigging, (which may be stupid), but hey, if this guitar went out, I would probably just cancel the gig...

No problems

I bought this guitar when it first came out, and I know I didn't get much of a deal on it, but I don't care.

I've been playing guitar for about 5 years now, and this was the first guitar I've purchased over $1000. I tried several Les Pauls and Fenders (which really suck), among others, and I can honestly say if I ever get a different guitar it will probably be a another SG. I like to spazz out on stage, and that's hard to do when you have a 40 lb. Les Paul on your shoulder. The SG's sound is excactly what I like, and I will stick with it. If Angus ever got lost or stolen, I'd buy another, then lock it in a fire-proof safe, buy one more, and play that one.

my angus young sig.series SG was completed in january 2001 ive owned it since oct. 2002. i like the tremelo feature. i dont bend the shit out of it, but it's a solid peice of steel so it looks like it can take a beating. love the sound of the pick-ups. two opposite sounds, my style of guitaring... no pedals needed. the case does its job it has a little lock on it... just enough to keep little fingers away from this rock guitar. this guitar is my second ( my 1st being a strat knock-off ) so my SG rules the planet as far as im concerned

like i said it suits my style perfectly. ive only used it on a large amp twice. i live in an apartment so i got a small fender amp. but the sound is there. this guitar screams "play me loud you bastard"

im not a guitar tec... so as far as im concerned its my baby... perfect. people that see the guitar are amazed with it. some are facinated by the body quality and others dont know what to say

im sure when i start playing live this thing'll kick ass. ive been told to get strap locks. id always carry a back-up in case of a busted string, but i use fat strings, and i'll play it hard wherever i am. ive got no questions about its durability.

sent an e-mail asking about my guitar, when it was born, how many were made... that kind of thing... i was totally satisfied with the responce. not sure about a warranty, i never looked into it... dont care to.

if this were lost or stolen, i already have a list of all the pawn shops with a fax ready to go out. the following days would be nerve racking... id probably kick puppies. would i buy another? i think so. i took me a total of 3 weeks to decide to purchase this guitar. i didnt know it existed till i went to gibson.com, then i asked about it at the store 2 weeks later, went home and my mind was made up.

My Angus was new this past Christmas (2001). I won't take your time describing the features because you can already read them several times over. The one thing I'll say is that the neck is the fastest, thinnest neck available on any new SG anywhere. Gibson told me it was once on the late 60's SG's, and has not appeared anywhere else except by special order. You have got to feel this neck if you haven't already. My only other opinion on features is that I find the "Angus"-engraved lyre trem OK, but the devil on the headstock is cheesy when comapred to the proper crown inlay.

When it comes to rock and blues, this guitar flat kicks ass. I have a '56 reissue Strat and an ES-335 DOT reissue, so I was surprised at how sweetly the Angus-signature bridge pickup cleans up.

This axe screams "Play Me"! You can feel its energy when you simply strum it, sans amp. Mine is a perfect specimen, but unlike what others have to say, I made Sam Ash show me 5 of these, IN BOX, before I found one that was perfect in appearance. I either found yellow color in the trapezoid inlays, or shallow lyre engraving that was almost imperceptible after the nickel was applied.

Once upon a time I played out and was very demanding. Today I'm an old duffer who has the money I never had when I played, so I collect vintage reissues (if I had serious money they'd be just plain vintage). My Angus feels just as road-ready as my '52 Tele, and way more durable than my RIC 381V69/12. It's iron-clad...but as someone else said, don't trust the neck-side strap button. Get straplocks.

Gibson has great warrantys. I have a great relationship with a Gibson-certified, 4-star luthier, who takes care of me at Gibson's expense. For instance, I thought my E-1st bridge saddle was cut too shallow and the string would pop out if I finger picked double-stops. The luthier replaced the entire bridge, no charge, and hand-cut all 6 new saddles for me.

It's everything you read here. Enjoy yours.

Gibson Angus Young SG made in 2000. Solid shaped mahagony body, custom finished in Aged Cherry stain. Two humbucking pickups - Angus Young Signature in bridge position, '57 Classic in neck position, 2 volume 2 tone controls and 3-way pickup selector switch. Neck is slim mahogany - 22 jumbo frets with bound rosewood fingerboard and trapezoidal pearl inlays. Angus headstock decal. Comes with engraved Maestro Lyre Vibrola and ABR bridge. Tuners are Gibson Std (Green knobs). All hardware is nickel. Custom Angus Young case included.

I play mainly blues/rock and heavy metal. It suits these styles perfectly. The bridge position pickup cuts through in any mix. I use it with a Fender PA135 valve head with Boss GEB7 EQ, Ibanez Tubescreamer TS9, Boss SD2 Dual Overdrive, Boss DS1 Distortion, Crybaby Wah and Boss CS2 Chorus effects and an Ampeg 4 x 10" cabinet.
The clean sound is good especially in the neck position.
This guitar lacks the versatility of say a Les Paul or a Strat I would say primarily this guitar is designed as a soloing instrument.
This is the kind of guitar that benefits from a selection of both amplifier gain and effects overdrive and distortion.

*** I purchased this guitar brand new in an UNOPENED Gibson box ***.

The action was acceptable but requires work. A little paint run on the treble side of the neck looks unsightly.
Most importantly the Maestro unit rattled uncontrolably whenever playing. Apart from being incredibly annoying, it was a real disappointment.

I haven't used this guitar live yet. I think this guitar will withstanded live playing (taking care). The hardware (Nickel) unlike chrome is hard to maintain - especially if you sweat a lot. Easiest way is to invest in a impregnated silver polish cloth. This makes keeping the pickup covers clean and shiny simple.
I will invest in some strap locks - There's something about an SG's front pin !
I break too many string to not use a back-up.

Refer to my comments on Action, Fit and Finish.

I reported the vibrola rattling problem to the sales agent. I returned the guitar and it was fixed immediately (while I waited)without question. I was impressed.

I've been playing guitar on and off for 10 years. I also own a '89 MIJ Fender Stratocaster and a '97 Gibson Les Paul DC Studio. I'm a former bass player so I'm still getting my head around the 6 strings. I bought this guitar on impulse - it was worth it. I love the fact it sounds more "organic and earthy" than the Les Paul and has a lot more "balls" than the Strat.

I love this service that Harmony Central provides thanks to all you good people who contribute, so I try to reciprocate whenever I can. I bought a new Gibson Angus Young SG for $1459 and it is close to the best guitar money I have ever spent. I went back and forth about just getting the 61 SG reissue w/ vibrato, but I played one and played an Angus side by side and the Angus was worth the extra $. I could have done w/out the devils and "Angus" stuff but, hey, its what sounds best right plus you really can't make out the devil on the headstock or the engraving from a distance. Somehow though it still looks HOT.

Great sound. These pickups are very nice, responsive, dial them in however you want. If this guitar is nothing else, it IS a great sounding Gibson. Pickups are smooth and sustain for days. This guitar makes any amp sound better and no need to add artificial gain, so you get the au natural souunds. Will play "Back in Black" like a "mother".

Gibson has done well the last few years and is doing better. This SG's finish, binding and other details are a thing of beauty. I love SG necks and this is no exception. It is identical to my 72 SG Standard (my first real guitar) that I sold in 1981.

Never had to have repair. Set up was good. THe only thing that i worry about is the Vibrato as I have'nt dealt with this type before.

Don't know.

An Sg in my opinion is a Gibson that is light but still can muster up the sound of the LP, though not as dark and smooth. It is a workhorse, light enough on stage for acrobatics with a neck that allows someone with smaller hands to do his/her thang. The Angus fits the "SG Bill" perfectly and better than any other SG sold today.

Well sorry, one of those "gushing" reviews I hate to read. All I can say is I have a number of trashing reviews on this board re: newer Gibsons. Hoped the signature SG would have more go than show, unlike alot of signature crap. Wanted vintage vibe, without the creeping crude of a 30 year old guitar. Dark, well finished cherry, nickel finish, classic lyre trem system, subtle ANGUS engravement on trem assembly and dark gold decal on headstock (not garish at all), black and black w/black liner case, Angus pickups, mahogany joined neck, mahogany body, thin neck, like other reviews have said. Refined and classic looking, does remind me of the standard SG I had, +lyre, but this one's got a decidedly better neck and pickups.

First, amazing sustain. Damn, I'm just really surprised how much sustain this thin, light-weight guitar generates. I kept comparing to my other Gibsons and thinking I must be really off. Using 10s. Plugged in, sustain for years. yea, it is a dark vibe, but will brighten up sufficiently with the bridge pu toned up. The gain sensitivity of the neck and bridge pickup is just perfect, assuming you want to go from deep/slightly overdriven to arena distortion. The heavy SG vibe is right on. This is sort of the anti-christ to single coils.

The quality is obvious, the binding, dressing and finish are well done. The body shaping is really first class, even down to the points on the cutways. The neck is thin, vaery close to my ES345. Not too narrow - I was worried about this after playing a slim-taper LP Re-Issue - yuk. This SG's got enough room for med-large fingers, good spacing at the nut. Great upper fret access. Best of all it's super comfortable for extended play, thin with good curves, not heavy. Frets are,,, medium jumbo I think I would have preferred thinner wire but at least its not the industrial jumbo that's in vogue now.

Well, it's thin and light with a minimum of neck support. When not around my neck it's going directly into the case. I consider SGs to be fragile guitars.

Would never call them. Have never submitted a warranty card.

Yea, I've got alot of gear, some 60's / 70's, some modern. Like guitars with real character, a unique voice and depth. Really pleased with this SG, frankly, surprised Gibson pulled it off as well as they did. Now I have to stop bashing Gibson, for a while anyway. Wished I had this a year or two ago, would have probably avoiding buying a selling a few guitars. Hey, if your looking for a quality and very playable guitar with genuine vibe you should search one of these bad boys out and give it a try. I think they're worth the price.

This is a very nice guitar. Year 2000 or 2001 Gibson 'Angus Young' signature SG. I think it is based on a SG standard but it has 1 or 2 refinements which give it a bit more character, and make it a little more special. Firstly, 1 piece of very nice mahogany for the body. The colour is very different from most newish cherry finish SG standards that i have seen. It is very dark cherry red, almost brown but not quite. The standard of finishing is very high and the grain of the wood shows through really well. The fingerboard, binding and frets are all quality and beautifully finished. 'Angus' engraved on the tremolo plate (big piece of metal) and large ivory coloured tip on the arm. Mr. Young signature pick-up in the bridge position and a '57' classic at the neck. The neck profile is slightly slimmer than on my SG standard which suits the small handed among us very nicely indeed. Headstock has the usual amount of machineheads and the 'Angus devil' motif on it for the finishing touch. VERY GOOD KIT !!

It sounds like a 'Angus Young' signature SG should sound. Like a big fat man who is feeling very fat after just winning a pie eating contest, it really does sound FAT!! On the bridge sig. pick-up, it does that 'loud and distorted sound that isn't really that distorted at all' (AC/DC fans will know what i mean)the classic 'Angus' sound. Turn up the gain (but not to much) a wee bit and it really sings. The '57' at the neck is a real 'sweetie', does jaaazzz club to a T. Very quiet all round, surprisingly versatile but built to ROCK !!

Factory set up was ok, but i will probably get the action lowered and intonation thouroughly checked if i start to use it often. The guitar has ZERO flaws and i have examined it all over. Whenever i buy a guitar, i'm always super critical over the condition of the instrument. From my experience and in my opinion, if you buy imperfection then it will just become more imperfect, be very fussy before you part with your big pile of wonger.

This guitar has never been gigged so i can't really comment on its durability. It is very well made and i think i would probably cry if it got damaged.

1 year warranty. I have called the UK importer once and found them helpful and not patronising. However, if i did have problems within the year, i would go through the retailer where i bought it from. Outside the year, i would use John Diggins (JayDee guitars) in Birmingham, England because he is the master of 6 string devilry.

I have not been playing long at all. However, i have been around guitars for about 15 years (my elder brother played in bands for a long time). To me, nice guitars are a joy to behold, more than just a tool to make a noise. Through patience and hard work, i have managed to obtain a fine if small collection of guitars, as follows: Ernie Ball Music Man EVH1 in translucent black (very rare colour in Europe apparently), made in 1995. This is my pride and joy. Peavey Wolfgang in translucent red, made in 2001. Beautiful guitar, unusual 'ripple type' quilt top. Cherry red Ltd. Edition Gibson SG standard with short Maestro trem. 'Angus SG' as detailed above and a Tokai Love Rock Les Paul in honeyburst (if interested, see my review under Tokai Love Rock). The 'Angus' SG is a damn fine guitar and if you could stretch to it, a better buy than a SG standard. Gibson prices seem to be going a bit mad in the UK again which brings me onto my final point. I bought my 'Angus' SG (and my SG standard) from a shop in West London called 'Peter Cook's guitar world'. I travelled from Worcester (about 120 miles) south and saved myself between #500-#700 ($700-$900). The train ticket cost me #18. I could not believe that shops in the west end of London could charge #700 more for this guitar than Peter Cook's. I got on a tube and 20 mins. later i was buying my SG and saving myself a whole load of dough. If you're in the market for a new Gibson and want to save yourself a 'few quid', and don't mind travelling (if you live outside London)go to Peter Cooks. Very friendly, no rush or pressure (unlike many music shops, patronising bastards). I don't work for Peter Cook's, this is my opinion and my experience.
One more thing, if anybody out there just wants to talk nice guitars, especially from the states, i'm all eyes and ears. E-mail below.
Cheers !!

Well,lets see.This is a 2000 model made in october.it has a cherry finish and has a maestro vibrola,i think.Two humbukers,the bridge being an angus signature model,tune-o-matic bridge.A very nice looking tone maker.Little devil on the head stock and his name engraved on the vibrola.The case is a very nice one indeed.A little too small though,you almost have to force it in at the body of the guitar,i hope it streches out over time.

I play rock,blues,metal and some country.Even a little jazz now and then,but this one is strickly rock and blues folks.with a marshall,it is easy to get angus tones,almost too easy.but crank the gain and you will get sabbath,lower the tone you get cream era clapton.this thing sounds real sweet.i normally run it with a marshall TSL 2000 combo,with a GT-5 from boss for effects.I usually bypass the effects with this one it just screams straight into the amp.not noisy either,the signature pickup is very good,he should sell those seperately.i don't use the bar on it too much,but it is nice to have,lets just say i wouldn't do dive bombs with it.all around sg sound.if you like SG's you will totally dig this one.Plugged into my recording set-up it sounds really nice as well.It is not an all around axe,but for rock and blues it is damn fine.....damn fine.

Action was set up nice.No fret buzz.Pickups set just right for me,but all that stuff is to be adjusted to suit the player.the wood is matched up nicely,and i see no glue on it anywhere.everything looks good,it looks like the guys at gibson paid attention to this one.

everything on it looks durable on it,but i have not had it long to judge this.i will say i think it is durable enough and that i can depend on it,only time will tell.

I own several gibsons and everytime i ask them something,be it by phone or e-mail,they respond quickly.all my guitars are under warranty.this has the gold warranty on it.Very friendly,i know some people don't care too much for their customer support,all i can say is they haven't let me down yet.

i have been playing for over ten years now,i own a jimmy page les paul,a les paul studio,a prs ce22,taylor 310ce,peavy wolfgang special,and now this one.i run them thru a marshall TSL-2000 combo,Peavy trans-fex pro 212s,fender vibro champ and a pod with a 2.0 upgrade.effects wise i have a gt-5,rockman sustainor/chorus/delay rack,and so many pedals i can't name them all,well not that many but i have a few.I went to sam ash just to look around and when i seen this beauty i had to have it.Kudos to the staff at Sam Ash in Nashville they were helpful and took care of me while i checked it out we even riffed on a few bars of shot down in flames.Well enough of that ,the bottom line is this,If you want an SG that sounds like it should,you should check this one out.i believe you get what you pay for and even though this is slightly expensive ,it is worth it. I believe Gibson is making fine guitars these days,especially in the past 5 years or so.And this one ranks as one of the best in their signature series.

Basically my 2000 Angus Young signature model SG is the only signature ANYTHING I'll ever own. It's pretty much a duplicate of his favorite '68 SG Standard, with a couple of "personal" appointments. It's your regular SG Standard setup (like the current late 60's style SG Std's), with the addition of the infamous lyre-plate long Maestro Vibrola. This vibrola is a little different, because it has 2 lightning bolts in place of the twig thingies engraved behind the harp/lyre, and in place of "Gibson" it says "Angus". Yeah, it's a little cheesy to some people, but I dig it. On the headstock there's a little gold screen decal of Angus' little Devil cartoon character instead of the inlaid crown. The volume and tone knobs are like on later 60's SGs (kinda look like Fender 70's amplifier knobs). The bridge position pickup is an "Angus Signature" pickup--this one sounds sorta like a beefed-up Classic PAF with more low's. Otherwise the layout is the same 2 humbucker, 3-way toggle, 4 knob, trapezoid inlaid SG Standard we've come to love. The color is "Aged Cherry", and is a wonderful medium dark shade of the famous "heritage" Cherry translucent finish. I will add that the body is a little more rounded at the edges than the stock Standards of today-this makes it a little more "vintage" in appearance, and thus more accurate a repro of Angus' own SG. The neck is sort of a cross between a slim taper and the regular '62 rounded style necks. The Angus case alone is really cool too. Outside it's all black, and the hardware and Gibson logo are all silver. The interior is all black, and on the little flip-out cover there is a silver screen-printed "Angus" cartoon devil like on the guitar's headstock. This case looks a billion times cooler than the brown & gold case with that gay pinkish-purple interior.

Since I play AC/DC-ish kind of hard-edged rhythm-&-blues based loud rock, this one's THE guitar! Paired up with my VOX and Fender amps (and a little help from "Ol' Yeller" (my old Boss overdrive), this thing gets a convincing Angus-tone (you'd never know it wasn't plugged into a Marshall JTM-45!), and with the Big Muff also can get great Tony Iommi or Monster Magnet type sounds. But I gotta give cred's to the clean tones too, cause with no gain and both pickups on, it gives a pleasant clean tone. I am one of the few people who aren't scared to USE the Maestro vibrola, so that lets me pretend I'm Gary from the Jayhawks for a few songs too! No complaints on the tone factor.

For once, I was actually pleased with NO complaints about a Gibson finish! This thing looks immaculate, and the underlying wood is beautiful. I will only fuss about a couple very minor things. First off, they put .009 gauge strings on it, and I'm used to .010's or .011's, so it feels a little to limp when bending and fretting. Not a major thing though. Next, the bridge pickup was a little high, as was the string action. But a little adjustment with the old screwdriver fixes that for good. Overall, still VERY satisfied.

I have always played SG's, and always relied on them without ant tests of faith. I'm not one of those dummies who purposely puts his guitars through unnecessary Hell, nor do I leave my high-end SG's leaning somewhere they could easily be tipped over or lying on the ground (headstocks are fragile, DUH!). This one will withstand reasonable live playing, and I will not feel the need to have a backup for it. It will get strap-locks to avoid dropping while doing the scoot or while spinning around on the floor. And although Gibson's finishes aren't the most durable, as long as you keep them reasonably clean and don't be too abusive they will last just fine (hell, ANGUS'S HAS!).

I have had minimal dealings with Gibson's Customer Relations. The few things I have dealt with them on were irrelevant to the quality of their guitars. I haven't ever encountered a serious quality issue with Gibson. The only things I have dealt with them on are certain aspects of the accuracy of their new Historic SG/Les Paul Standard reissues. I have one of those due in any day now, and will post a review as soon as I get it. They say if it does not meet my approval (I have owned literally dozens of 60's SGs and know what it SHOULD be like), they will make it right. If this is the case, I will give their Relations Dept rave reviews.

Having owned many SGs, I am extremely picky about SG reissues and similar instruments, but this one was a pleasant surprise. A great combination of vintage features and "signature" appointments make it a must have for AC/DC fans, or for those wanting a late 60's type SG with the long vibrola. I did not buy this one for vintage accuracy, but was pleased at how close this one really is to Angus' own '68. I will wait for my Historic SG Std. to be picky about historical accuracy. But for the money, this one's a keeper!