Gibson SG Standard

Same set up as a LP except the switch is at the bottom which I love, no more switching into the neck pick up on accident.

This guitar sounds amazing, I have been playing on fender tele customs with the humbuckers. They are great guitars but this guitar kills them. So crunchy. My amp is a Crate V30(EL84 Head) through a Madison Custom 4x12. Keep it simple. I play high energy rock stuff ala Bad Wizard, Electric Frankenstien, Motorhead, AC/DC kind of stuff. It works so well for this kind of music, great gain, the blues influced rock solos sound amazing through this amp and cut through so well.

The action on this guitar on like the few Les Pauls i have had kicked ass right out of the box. Was it everything I wanted? No, of course I had to lower it some, but man can you get them strings right on the board right now fret buzz. The finish is flawless, the neck binding is unreal.

I have no idea as of yet, I have only used it in the studio and the record won't be done until the fall. Limited gigs this month and on the road in the fall, guess I will really be able to awnser this once we get back.

I have actually dealt with gibson themselves a couple times and they rocked. I had a simple question about one of my older les pauls and they got back to me asap! No other company has ever been like they are.

This guitar rocks, I couldn't ask for more, light, crunchy and full sounding. Perfect.

2005 model I believe; left-handed version. Standard SG in Heritage Cherry finish with chrome hardware and a choice mahogany body/neck. Came with a hardshell case made by TKL with a combination lock (which you don't want to forget or you're gonna have to F up your case to retrieve your prize!)

Being used to playing Fenders, I was not sure how the Gibson would sound to my ears. As soon as I plugged it in, it sang. This guitar is amongst the best quality instruments built. The neck has awesome sustain, playability is great, the tone is exceptional. You can get everything from AC/DC rock to ES335-type jazz tones. It is a very quiet guitar; I play it through a Fender Deluxe Reverb. The tone itself is on the dark side, which is what makes some people hate the Gibson sound, but I think that the quality of wood used and the proper craftsmanship that went into creating the guitar contributes greatly to its "smooth" tone. It is a nice change from the bright Fender sound. I am in the process of deciding on new overdrive pedals to use with the SG. I know there's a magic pedal out there for my style and I am still trying to find it.

I'm a left-handed player and therefore I am really not able to demo a few different guitars before deciding on one. At the same time I would much rather mail order or special order a guitar because it means it will come to me clean and ding-free. I hate going into the store and seeing the 13 year-old shredder wannabes grabbing the $1200 Gibson and beating it around. The last time I bought anything off the floor was my amp and it has a bad tube ring which I never got fixed after 4 years, and didn't come with the cover (not that that's important but you know that it will probably cost me upwards of 40 bucks to get one now). So anyway, I ordered the guitar through Musicians Friend, and it came to me in perfect condition with the sweet mahogany smell eminating off of it. I was very happy with the factory setup too, though I'm sure that if I bring it to a tech he can set it up a little better. The only thing that sucks is that the pickguard and the headstock scratch easily, so it will wear out quickly. Luckily if need be, you can always replace that for cheap. On the other hand, the headstock may require a little more care and I recommend being extremely careful when changing strings so they don't "slap" the headstock as you're winding.

I don't play live with an electric right now, so I'm sure this will hold up just fine. I think I will make a habit of keeping it in its case so it doesn't get worn or warp. The finish is thin, and I can imagine after years of playing it may rub off a little where your arm rests but right now I'm not concerned. I stay in the habit also of cleaning the finish after I play it, just so that layer of film doesn't build up and become difficult later. I am also told to get locking strap buttons, but this seems like a logical addition being that it's not a cheap instument and the last thing you want is for it to slip out and hit the ground. I feel it's a dependable instrument, solid and well built for many future years of gigging or just home use. As a general rule you should never have a gig wihtout a backup, thus being the same case here, but I'd only have a backup just incase I break a string.

I have not needed Gibson for technical support, but so far after e-mailing them a few times to ask questions I have gotten personal responses from them within 24 hours. Believe me, that says a lot about a company.

I've been playing for 12 years now, and I have acquired lots of different equipment over those years. My guitars now including the SG are a Fender '68 reissue Stratocaster, 70's reissue Telecaster blonde, Ibanez AEL10 acoustic, and GSR200L bass. I play through a Fender Deluxe Reverb and my pedals are as follows: EH Small Stone, EH Small Clone, Ibanez TS9, Chandler Tube Driver, ProCo Rat, Danelectro Reel-Echo, MXR 1500 Delay. This guitar makes a very nice addition to my collection and to my everyday playing. I'm not a supurb guitar player by any means. I just love to have a nice instrument that gives off a beautiful tone and works well with my style of music. And so far, the SG is cutting it.

It's a standard sg (2005) cherry red finish...what more can I say.

I play 70-80's style metal and hard rock mostly (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon,...) and this guitar has the perfect sound for that kind of music.It gives me the classic metal-sound I wanted and not that modern sound most bands use these days.I don't use it for playing clean as that is the guitars weakest point, but that's not why I bought it anyway.It has a great range for solo's and it's made to rock!!!

I had the set-up done at the local guitarshop where I bought it, so it was the way I like it and I don't know what the factory set-up was like.
Bridge pickup wasn't adjusted properly though, so I'm gonna have that fixed later on, but as it doesn't affect the sound I'm not that bothered about it.
The thing that bothers me most is that this isn't a single piece guitar. The body is made out of 2 pieces and I didn't notice it until I owned it for about 2 weeks. I didn't notice this at the shop (wasn't looking for it either) but for a guitar this expensive it should have been made out of a single piece. Afterwards I heard most standards are made out of 2 pieces,but most of the time they try to match the pieces so you don't really notice.

G-string (I know...)is difficult to get in tune but once it's in tune, it stays. I play this guitar about 2 hours a day and it has stayed in tune for the past month so I can't complain about that.
Finish is great, replace the strap buttons or it will fall!!!Otherwise this is a reliable guitar

never dealt with them(hopefully never will)

I've been playing for quite a few years know, but this is only my second guitar, the other one being a mex strat. I tried several guitars before buying and I'm really satisfied with it. It sounds great and seems reliable except for some minor flaws. If it were stolen I would buy it again.

Solid mahogany body, 2 alnico pups, 490r at neck position and 498t at the bridge. mahogany neck, rosewod fingerboard with binding. stop tailpiece, 2 volume and 2 tones etc....... not the most technicaly advanced guitar in teh world but bear in mind it was designed in 1960 and it has everything you could possibly need to rock out!!!
Mine is a 2000 nashville model in heritage cherry. the gibson tan and pink case is awesome quality.

my music style is based around blues rock and hard rock, think Led Zep, Deep Purple, ACDC, The Darkness (dont laugh!!) etc and this axe fits hte bill perfectly. it has the greatest tone i have ever heard and i have played some top quality guitars, including a PRS singlecut i borrowed for a few weeks, Tom Anderson Droptop, and Les paul 1959 reissure and i prefer this guitar to all of them. hte overall tonality is lighter than the les paul and nowhere near as thick as the singlecu which i prefer for rock as it cuts through a mix better and gets a nice trebly old-school crunch. i have read reviews on this guitar saying it can sound hollow and "spoony", but i can only assume this is due to tone deaf reviewers and poor quality amplification. to all those who slate this axes ability to rock - it is not gonna sound good through some pisspot 15 watt tranny combo and played by some 2-minute wonder hammering out Blink 182 tunes, this is a grownup and sophisticated guitar. If its good enough for Duane Allman, Eric clapton and Angus young it should be goodenough for almost anyone else!
On the Bridge pickup through my Marshall JCM 800 and 1960 cabs this guitar can totally destroy al in its path! going up in gain from the beatles jangle to oasis, Jimmy page and Blackmore all the way up to metallica. the neck and middle positions on the switch give you texas blues, bb king style cool tone and also a fairly good jazz tone. i must stress however that if you're looking for a guitar to play metal on then look elsewhere, the SG will dissappoint, bearing in mind that its pickups are not designed for this and with HUGE amounts of gain you may find that it mushes up. this axe can do almost anything else thrown at it!!!

this is my problem with this guitar. the action was not too great on mine (this is a review of MY guitar - dont think theyre all like this) and even now after 2 visits toa tech it is still not what i'd call a 'low action' the lowest i can get it is 2.4mm from 12th fret on low e. this suits me wel however as i dont like shredder style actions as i feel this affects tone and sustain.
Everything else on the guitar is perfect, excellent quality and no problems. Mine has some buckle marks - wood dents and not lacquer scratches - but apart from that its fine and its had a hard life!

this guitar will withstand gigs and it has. the hardware is typical gibson - solid and simple and basically theres nothing top go wrong. the finish is good but it is nitrocellulose and so will chip easily. just be careful. youve got a gibson - look after it lol.
BIG TIP - LISTEN IN!!! GET STRAPLOCKS!!! the stock strap buttons are very small and as the guitar is neck heavy and has a strap button on the neck heel it is very prone to falling off. this coupled with the fact that SGs are notorious for headstock breakage ives a very dangerous situation.
i would never gig without backup on principle but this guitar is wel up to gigging as there is noting to go wrong.

I'v been playing for 5 years now and i also own a fender standard mex strat, a 72 thinline tele, a genuine '58 tele, a JCM800 50 watt head and 2 1960 cabs. if this axe got stolen i would hunt down who did it and get it back, and then kill them. This axe has HUUUUGE sentimental value as it was purchased as a gift. this guitar is ncomparible for oozing pure rock attitude and heritage and is totally awesome - a lifelong partner for me!

2006 GIBSON SG STANDARD, HERITAGE CHERRY, MAHOGONY BODY, TYPICAL P/UPS & SET-UP...SEE GIBSON SITE FOR SPECS.

I fell in love with this SG at first sight...stunning lil' devil!!!

I play classic-rock & blues...this guitar is THE tone-machine for the music I love, so although I've played Strat for a dozen years (and still love that one, too!), I'm finding this a real gas to wail on!

I had to set this guitar up myself...it wasn't done at the factory...only took me 10 minutes...no big deal! I see from other reviews that folks have has issues with Gibson's quality control...in this case, they did a good job...no visible flaws or technical problems so far. I have noticed the fact that Gibson instruments have a wide variation in quality, and one should definately try out a bunch of 'em before pulling the trigger!

I had strap locks installed by Washington Music Center, where I purchased it...always a good idea, IMO. The guitar is solid, great-playing, and very versatile...I'd use it without a backup, in fact I just did last night!

Gibson blows as a customer-service company...they don't offer any warranty, leaving it up to the retailer to stand behind their products. If I had a music store, I'd sell Fenders...they have a great warranty!
I'm hoping I never have to get involved with Gibson...that being said, I still love Gibson guitars, just hate the creeps that make 'em...

I've been playing for 35 years...classic-rock, blues & country, used mostly Fender Strats, although I had an ES-335 for a long spell, and loved it. I play through a Fender Deluxe Reverb '65 Reissue, a great amp that works well with just about any guitar. This SG sounds like a sonic lollypop...sweet, with a chewy middle, and plenty of crunch if you need it! I may put a Bigsby on it at some point...I miss my wigglestick! I can't believe I never had one of these till now...I love every aspect of its' sound & feel...I'd absolutely replace it if stolen or damaged.

2005 SG Standard in natural finish. Made in USA. All mahagony body and neck with killer looking nitro finish. 490/498T pickup configuration, 3 way switch, tune-o-matic bridge, yada yada yada.

Like most SG owners will agree, this guitar can play anything. From Jazz and Blues to Rock and Metal. It covers a lot of territory and it does it well. I play it through a 100 watt Crate Blue Voodoo with Electro Harmonix tubes, Crate 4x12 cab with vintage 30 speakers and a Zoom GFX-1 multi-effects processor and various other Boss pedals. The SG is made to be overdriven, however, the pickups can handle only so much gain or else you'll experience annoying feedback. To be fair, the Blue Voodoo is packing some serious gain to begin with and should be played with a guitar that has active EMG pickups when playing with the gain way up. Simply do what I do and add a noisegate....problem solved. Of course, feedback is only a problem when I'm playing death metal, which I rarely do anyway. Every other effect I've used sounds amazing. The pickups are really focused and tight, nice fat, juicy tones. I would never swap them out for after-market pups. My favorite is the neck pickup (490). It's so warm and creamy and bending notes into the stratosphere is awesome....sustain for days. I love that all mahagony tone.

The action was setup up pretty good, but I'm one of those players that needs it to be setup a certain way....I'm picky like that. I setup my own guitars and in no way fault Gibson for not setting it up how I like it. I'm sure most people will be satisfied with the way it was setup. I love the neck, nice and fat, yet easy to play up and down the entire fretboard.

All the hardware is shiny and new. No complaints there. Selector switch is fine, no popping or cracking. A lot of people complain about the Deluxe Tuners found on most Gibson's, but mine are rock solid and tight. No reason to change them.

There are a few complaints however.

For one, the body consists of three pieces glued together. For the price I paid, it should have been one solid piece. It's not all that big of a deal, but guitars with a transparent finish should be one solid piece. Save the multi-piece bodies for the solid color finishes. Again, to be fair, I didn't notice it was three separate pieces until months later when I was meticulously admiring and cleaning it. Gibson did an excellent job of fitting three separate pieces together to look like one, so I guess what bothers me is I feel like I was deceived :-)

Second, the nut was cut horribly. Before I bought my SG, I read reviews that Gibson was having problems with poorly cut nuts. Low and behold I got one with a nut that would snag the G string and it kept going out of tune. I tried nut lube and the pencil trick, even tried to file it myself, but it was no use, it was just plain bad. So I took it down to my luthier buddy and he swapped it out for a custom made bone nut and did a killer job....thanks Jeff! Now she stays in tune forever. Seriously, I play at least two hours everyday and maybe tune it twice a week.

Overall, I'm happy with what I got. After fixing the nut, this guitar is probably one of the best sounding and playable guitars I've ever owned.

The SG will definitely withstand playing on the road and any punishment you can dish out. Even though it's light in weight, the guitar as a whole is built solid and tough as nails. However, the nitro finish is more fragile than a poly finish and is prone to dings and scratches. The plus side is the nitro allows the wood to be more resonant, thus, better tone and that's what it's really all about, right? The finish will last you a lifetime if you're willing to take care of it, but for those of us who have toured, that's near to impossible. Still, the SG can handle the road and still play like the first day you got it.

The first thing I did when I bought my SG was replace the strap buttons. I've dropped one too many guitars because of those stupid non-locking buttons. All my guitars have Schaller locking buttons and I recommend you do the same.

This is a very dependable guitar. I would definitely used it for a gig without a back-up.

Gibson offers a limited Lifetime warranty, but not sure of the details. I've never had a reason to contact Gibson's CS.

I've been playing for 22 years. I also own a Gibson Les Paul Standard in Honeyburst finish, a Gibson Flying V in Ebony finish, a Fender American Deluxe Fat Strat in Amberburst finish and a reissue '72 Fender Telecaster Deluxe in Black finish.

If the SG were ever stolen I would most definitely buy a new one. The SG has become my main axe and I cannot live without her. In my opinion, the only guitar that compares to the SG is a Les Paul, but if you've ever played a Les Paul then you know it's a lot heavier and bulkier, and playing the upper register is nowhere as accessible as with the SG. The Les Paul may have a slightly bigger tone, but not enough to make it better. I love everything about the SG, the looks, the tone, the playability, the versatility, everything.

Manufactured in: Nashville, TN
BODY
Body Species: Mahogany
NECK
Species: Mahogany
Profile: Rounded
Peghead Pitch: 17
Thickness at 1st Fret: 0.818
Thickness at 12th Fret: 0.963
Heel Length: 0.625
Neck Joint Location: 19
Head Inlay: Crest
FINGERBOARD
Species: Rosewood
Scale Length: 243/4"
Total Length: 18.157
Number of Frets: 22
Nut Width: 111/16"
Width at 12th Fret: 2.062
Inlays: Pearloid Trapezoid
Fingerboard Bind: single-ply
HARDWARE
Plating Finish: Chrome
Tailpiece: Stopbar
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Knobs: Black Top Hat with silver insert
Tuners: Schaller Green Key
ELECTRONICS
Neck Pickups: 490R Alnico magnet humbucker
Bridge Pickups: 498T Alnico magnet humbucker
Controls: Two volume, two tone, three-way switch

i play anything from blues to metal, it does it all, i hear people say strats are the most versitile guitars, i donnt agree this sg handles it it all perfectly giving me a full tone when clean for sum blues soloing and improv to hardcore balls for when it cums to teh metal on the bridge when the amps cranked! the real let down is my $%^& amp n efects unit which really do let it down and i may upgrade to a fender hot rod deluxe or marhsall dsl( which i tried it out on in the shop when purchasing)

i like everything except teh neck pickup gets a bit to muddywhen its distorted thats all

in the shop the action was a bit to high for my liking so i got it lowered at the shop but they put it as low as it went which causd fret buzz (annoying) so i fixed it myself when i got home n it didnt have to be raised much to stop it. and it was still easy to play.

bridge pickup was way to high but again not a problem
finnish is perfect! no flaws what so ever and as i can see the grain i can see no imperfections in the wood. its beautiful

however i have noticed that the binding on the neck in one place has not been exactly finnished correct in one place BUT it is noticable unless you are looking closely and does not affect the playing

everything else is fine

yeah this would stand live playing no problem its what its made for!
the hardware though could seem a bit dodgy, the other day i was jus playin in my room when the bridge pup seemed not to make a noise i had to flick the selector switch a couple of times before it did. no idea went wrong hasnt happened again but very concerning as i havent mishanddled teh guitar and havent had it very long. strap buttons are solid. and i would have to use this without a back up as i got rid of my old one. it was shit. apart from th pickups this things built to rock !

have used um

ive been playin just over 2 years ( i know it doesnt seem long but ive wanted this for ages and teh chance came where i could get it and well what do u expect) i swear this guitar has already helped my playing not only because of its nice tone and action but by teh fact that it single handedly makes me want to play more.

if it were stolen or lost i would cry for along time as i couldnt afford a new one. if i could i dunno i might try an lp standard just for kicks but id miss the easy acces to uper frets.

USA Made, of course. Great binding and nice inlays. Not so great tuners, but everything else isn't worth changing. No tremelo, however a bigsby works fine if you want it.

Great sound! It sounds full and rich, but brighter than the Les Paul. Probably the best overdriven sound of any guitar I've played. I use a small fender Blues Jr. tube amp and a Boss GT-8 and Big Muff pedal and I can still get HUGE sound coming out of the little amp. The humbuckers give little to no feedback and it plays clean better than most guitars.

The action was just the way I liked it, however I had to change the pickups a little bit, which I did at the store. There were no flaws otherwise.

Though the guitar is light (a big plus) it can withstand just about anything. The strap buttons are reliable. The hardware is all tight and I would use it at a gig without any other guitar with me.

I've been playing for about 5 years, and I've been playing the SG for about 2. My favorite features are its action and power when distorted or overdriven. Its sound is brighter than the Les Paul but richer than a Strat. If it was stolen I'd buy the same guitar. I used to play an Epiphone Les Paul but this blows it out of the water.

2005, Made in USA.

Solid Mahogany body (double cutaway) & neck. High gloss Heritage Cherry finish (looks more wine, than cherry). Trapezoid pearl inlays, Gibson Logo, & Crown. "SG" stamped in white on truss rod cover (wrench included in case).

22-Frets, 2-Volume & 2-Tone knobs (chrome tops), 3-way pickup selector switch, Tune-O-Matic Bridge, Gibson Tuners & Hardshell Case (plush interior).

The only reason I didn't give it a 10-rating is the oversight of no binding around the headstock. This would have really set this beauty off.

Behringer V-Tone GM-110 amp gives me a nice variety of sounds. Brights, midrange, and bass are all there; No complaints.

Since my primary experience is with an acoustic I'll give this category a 9 instead of 10. So far it's exceeded my expectations. However, you might want to read reviews of the more experienced electric players for a more acurate evaluation.

Came perfectly setup from the factory, which is where I tracked it from during the shipping process. I changed to a lighter gauge string & lowered the action even more myself (probably too much though). I did this primarily because I've been "out of the loop" for about ten years, and just getting toughened up again. Experienced players would have probably left it as is.

Thin fast neck that I could play all day if I had the time, and my fingers are still tender. I'm used to an acoustic so this thing is really easy to play for me.

I'm definately not a pro musician, but I can tell the difference (by trial & error with other cheaper equipment) between quality & junk. This thing cries quality from top to bottom. No flaws whatsoever, and I'm considered a pefectionist by those closest to me.

Hopefully, I won't need any. I'll have to rate lower here since I haven't used support. Because of the absolute pefection in the quality of this instrument I have to give them 9.

It must be an old wive's tale concerning Gibson's Quality Control. I traded an SG-Special (Satin) for this one, and found nothing wrong with it either. I simply wanted the gloss finish and thinner neck of the Standard.

I would definately replace if lost or stolen.

Like I said, I'm no pro; but if I can find as much time to spend playing the "SG" as I did my acoustic, (you never know) I might become one.

Lightweight, more balanced, and faster neck (to me) compared to the American made Fenders (that I've tried). I like the design of the Strat body a little better though, but not that much.

I always had a bad impression of Gibson guitars in general, because of what other musicians (hobbyists like me though) would say about over-pricing and lack of quality. I was lucky enough to have a friend who is experienced and very knowledgeable when it comes to guitars. He swore by the Gibsons, and really talked up the "SG" model. He was right and we "were" wrong. Now I swear by them.

If you're thinking of a gift for your teenager, you might also consider this. My nephew took a peek inside the black hardshell case and then replied, "Wow! I thought you just owned a Gibson. That's an "SG".

This is a 2005 model purchased brand new from Guitar Center. Heritage Cherry finish. Came with the black hardshell case made by TKL. 22 frets, solid top, all stock. Tuners are Gibson Deluxe.

I play primarily funk, fusion and blues and this is a great guitar for me. I know lots of people choose this guitar for its great tone when overdriven/distorted, but I play this almost exclusively clean, maybe with a little bit of overdrive from the amp for some mustard. The tone is warm, full and rich, but not sterile or dull - the pickups have a singing quality to them. The tone also seems to be focused, almost tight (in comparison to my other electric, an Epiphone Dot semi-hollowbody, which sounds huge).

I play this through a guyatone wah rocker, a budda bud-wah and an electro-harmonix small stone into a fender hot rod deluxe.

Despite the action being a tad high, the guitar was set up extremely well. There's just a slight bow in the neck - perfect. Now a couple complaints. The price tag on the guitar was knocked down to $999 from $1269 because apparently when the guitar arrived from the Gibson factory, the neck pickup was not set right in its cavity. Nice. Next, the nut slot for the low E string is too high, and as a result, the string doesn't quite wobble correctly - the vibration doesn't look right. A minor quip that doesn't affect playability, and that could easily be fixed by a tech. Third and most importantly, the inlay at the 15th fret is not flush with the neck. As a result, the note directly above it is a dead spot. Not life threatening, but not very cool either. I've owned two separate Fender American Standard Strats, what I would consider Fender's counterpart for this American made guitar, and both of them were absolutely flawless in every way. In the end, this particular guitar spoke to me so I chose it, and I'm willing to overlook this issue. Also, I assume this is again something a tech could fix. But it shouldn't be an issue from a $1K+, American made guitar.

All that said, the guitar is beautiful and I love looking at it. I don't know whether to hang it on the wall and stare or play the hell out of it. The cherry finish is beautiful and flawless. Gibsons are the best looking guitars around in my opinion, with the bound necks, the inlays and the headstock. I am very happy and thankful that one of them is sitting in my apartment.

In addition, it is so darn playable, as it's lightweight and the body is small and slightly contoured. The shape will work for some and won't for others - it is a bit neck-heavy. The neck itself is somewhat beefy but I've gotten used to the feel and like it.

I have my first gig with this thing next week and I can't wait to open her up past bedroom volumes. Hardware and finish seem durable. I will continue to baby it because you need to be careful with set necks, and because this is a thin body. But it's an electric guitar, so it's made to withstand some wear and tear.

N/A

I have been playing for 16 years. I also play bass, using a Fender MIM p-bass, and also have an Epiphone Dot that I will now use as a back-up. I am thankful to have such an exquisite looking and sounding guitar, and one that has so much history to it. It's a Gibson. Cool. I love how playable it is, the neck, the fretboard. It's a joy to play and the tone is great. Wish I had known about that inlay and the resulting dead spot, but I think I might have just bought the guitar anyways.