Gibson SG Standard

Well, after so many people writed reviews for that guitar, i think everyone knows about the feautures, so that i won't mention them farther again.
Very classical.

I personally love this guitar. I play mostly stuff by Gary Moore or AC/DC, but with the right amp settings on my ENGL screamer and the tone-knop turned down to five it can also do some satisfying Satriani or Petrucci sounds.
Nevertheless it sounds a bit too dark for rythm, prefer soloing on it, good sustain, comfortable neck. After so many people complainded about the pick-ups, i must negotiate that; don't sound microphonic at all, very natural, rich sound.
Think i will give it a 9.

Hmmmm...
The first SG standard i got (musicstore) had several, little mistakes like loosen tone-potis, and the toogle switch didn't work properly.
Sent it back and got an new one, everything was fine, except the setting.
In my opinion Gibson works a little careless refering to that, pick ups and bridge weren't adjusted at all, but if you have some experience with set up your guitars that wont be a problem at all.

I think this guitar will last until the day i die, seems to be very solid, if you don't treat it that bad.
The only thing is the nitro finish, which gets scratched and worn off very easily, but that gives your guitar character.
To those people who complain about that: You don't have a clue at all. Nitro is much more resistable than any other finishes, just more flexible and will never break off.

Never dealed with them

I am playing since 6 years now and i am totally satisfied. I think I've fallen in love with this guitar, i couldn't live a day without it.
If stolen or lost, i would kill myself or get a new one

standard sg features, 2 humbuckers, two tone knobs, two volumes. 22 frets i think.

i play rock, and this guitar sounds great for that. stuff like dire straits will not work well on this guitar, but for punch and power this guitar is great. also nice clean sound to bring out the more "jazzy" side of me. the guitar is very responsive and therefore easy to play. i play it threw a vavstate 100 watt marshall head and pedals such as an ibanez reissue tube screamer, boss blues driver, boss flanger, boss delay.

the guitar isnt noisy.

the sound is full with lots of sustain. lots of bass, nice bell like tone in the middle position, not bright - a good frequency balance. the pic's attack is nicely noticeable. its nicely agressive, the sound jumps out. killer rock sound.

the tradeoffs of having an sg are that it doesnt have a whammy bar, and it doesnt have a middle out of phase position like a strat or an ibanez.

i bought it second hand and th setup is fine. no string buzzing, nice action. theres a rattle in the neck pickup since it is suspended on two screws which dont seem to hold the pickup firmly. the guitar had no flaws, finish looks great, no paint spills or anything else weird. the neck isnt a thin one, but thats how these guitar are.

everything looks solid on this guitar, im allways extra cautios with it coz i saw too many gibsons with broken necks.

i have been playing over twenty years, i play well but im not a pro.

i used to be a strat guy for many years and this was a change for me to get a gibson. the guitar is realy great, but i wouldnt be happy with only a gibson, i also have a strat and an ibanez with a floyd and a godin sdxt. for distortion it kicks the rest out of the window. it is so powerfull that it brings to life alot of equipment i thought sucked, for example a boss ds 1 i have which sounded useless with my other guitars suddenly sounds good. the distortion channel on my amp sounded okay, but the sg makes it really excellent. i knew this guitar wouldnt do everything, but when you plug in it just works with you. i had to take a break from the strat bulls****for a while.

2006, Heritage Cherry, all mahogany. SG Rounded neck profile - nice and beefy. Typical SG specs - you know exactly what you're getting!

I use this through the Normal Channel of a '65 Bassman head (Bright switch ON), into a Marshall JCM900 1960A with stock Celestion G12's. Sometimes a modestly-sized pedalboard in the chain, but usually just guitar->amp->speakers. Very full-sounding, not overly noisy.

Compared to an equivalent Les Paul, the SG has a much smoother attack which sits better with a more responsive amp like the Bassman. Though generally considered to be the inferior instrument, I find the inherent warmth of the SG far more suited to my playing style - skanky/bluesy/indie rock.

Set up with 9s at the factory... I play with 12s in Standard. The bottom E string saddle doesn't have quite enough travel to intonate properly with a .056, so I had to flip it around. The pickups needed a bit of tweaking, but a perfect balance can be achieved if you take the time.

Cosmetics let this instrument down somewhat - I have played and owned Chinese guitars that were better appointed. The finish is perfect, except for a few places where it actually goes OVER the fingerboard binding. A minor detail, but if they can get it right in the third world... The fingerboard binding is unshaped, typical for Gibson, but is somewhat rough between the frets. The nubs that extend up over the fret ends, while being an impressive reminder of the handmade nature of the instrument, actually impede playing on occasion. The nut is made of some kind of seam-y, porous plastic that looks artificially bright next to the vintage cream of the binding - again a minor detail, but when you can expect such appointments on a Chinese guitar it really makes the corporations look a bit lax. Same with the white layers in the 5-ply pickguard - cream would have matched the binding and lent a far more elgant touch.

This guitar withstands live playing very well - my band gigs weekly, and my backup hasn't been out of its case in some 12 months. Some of the pickguard and pickup screws already rusting a bit, but I sweat profusely and don't clean it as often as I probably should. It's all mojo anyway. I did swap out the strap buttons for some Dunlops, the originals were a bit too small to feel secure.

I've been playing 18 years, the only superior instrument I have is a classical guitar handmade to my specification. I've bought and sold many electrics, however I anticiapte keeping the SG longer than any others I've had. I'm considering getting a refret to dispense with the binding nubs - sometimes they really are that annoying. That's about my only qualm; even the much-maligned SG neck heaviness is nice - with a leather strap and locks it sits perfectly; you always know exactly where everything is. Some pointers on the knobs wouldn't go astray either - I use my volume and tone knobs a great deal, and often in the heat of the moment it's hard to preset the other pickup to the right volume before you flick the switch.

Bought this is 2004, cherryburst finish, with stock pickups, made in the US. I think everyone knows the rest of the details. The features are more than enough, considering what this guitar should and shouldn't do.

For rock music this thing is unbeatable. Both stock humbuckers sound great, I don't think its necessary to switch them out. However, to each their own. All three position (B, BN, N) all sound good depending on the style. This is not as "meaty" as the LP, but considering the weight difference I think its a wash. Has good sustain and control. Tone and volume control could be a little more responsive, but that also has to do with the amp your plugged into. Can handle rhythm and solo's with ease. This guitar can sound okay for blues, rockabilly, country etc. But this really shines for rock, classic rock, and can venture into metal if your a good clean player.

Factory out of box was very impressive, no flaws and looked as beautiful as ever.

I try not use this except when gigging, and take extremely good care of all my equipment. So far so good, no issues whatsoever.

Quick recap- Out of box this thing is ready to rock and roll, and I mean that literally. We all know the legends who've used this and the list is endless. Great rock guitar, can be used for other styles if necessary.

Mine is a 2001 made in the U.S of A with the usual number of frets (22) and a solid top and all the usual tone, volume etc controls.
It has the standard Gibson pickups that come on the standard (490R bridge and 498T neck)which sound great. I think it's all mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard. It's in heritage cherry (as it should be)
It came with a tanned brown hard-case and with strap locks.

I play with the usual hard rock set up of gibson + marshall to play ac/dc, gnr, metallica but occassionally softer stuff like floyd and fleetwood mac. When i first got it (about 3 months ago) there was a bit of crackling on one of the tone controls, but it soon went after use. It gives an enormous range of sounds. Sparkling, distortion drenched chords with bridge pick-up and on flat out, or haunting echoes with the tone turned right down on the neck pick-up. whatever you want to play, it's capable. Not much to dislike. Have a les paul studio as well, which has a more meaty sound, gives a much more soulful feel, where-as the sg is full out rock.

I bought it from a student who had been playing pop music on it, so it wasn't too well set-up action-wise, but a quick truss rod adjustment did the trick. Apart from that I also put 010s on it, as it helps to give a bigger sound at the top end. There were a couple of dings on the body, but hey, who cares? It's a rock n roll guitar, it's gonna get knocks! I couldn't live with a brand new, pristine guitar. I wouldn't play it.

I bought this guitar with the intention of keeping it forever, it's the only guitar i've ever really wanted (i had a cheap copy before) and i expect it to last forever. Obviously i wouldn't throw it at the floor and assume it won't break, but i can see a great deal of use out of the old thing yet. Everything seems in working order, and doesn't seem to need replacing. As i have mentioned, strap-locks are a good idea. I recently saw maiden, and the amount of guitars they would break if they didn't have strap-locks is astronomical! I would trust this guitar with my life. It was my second love (girlfriend comes a close first).

never needed

Been playing 4 years, just started regular gigging with a marshall JCM 900, which perfectly complements the SG. I'd defintely replace it if it was stolen with another SG, but maybe pay a bit more to get the supreme, which would offer more of a les paul sound with the maple top.

Everyone knows the features of a Gibson SG Standard! Mine is EBONY and a 2006 model which I bought used from a fellow who didn't play the guitar at all. MINT COND. Excellent set-up now with very low action. The Gibson is QC'd perfect[have to watch this with GIBSON] The SG was all stock when I bought with very low miles. No fret wear and a excellent fret-job, I polished the frets. Adjusted the Truss-Rod, Intonated the guitar, and basically did a complete set-up. Now its PEFECT at 6lbs and its not neck heavy? Good job with this one Gibson

SGs NEVER were quite right to me. And its not the guitar, Its the 490-498 pick-up set. Be it a SG or a Les-Paul, they just do not sound RIGHT. But I learned a VERY GOOD trick to fix this.

Fisrt off you need to eliminate the 490. Its a ALNICO II magnet and it just doesn't agree with the 498 which is a ALNICO V. So I de-solderd the 490 and replaced it with a New BB-PRO. WOW what a difference in Tone. The BB-Pro is without a doubt the best neck pick-up Gibson has produced in years. Even better than the 57s which I keep in my ES-series Gibsons. But the real magic is adding the BVB-Pro alonmg with the 498 whch is also a Alnico V. For all of you who THOUGHT you didn't like the 498? Wait till you hear this set! Great Harmoncs, good Clear, clean Tones, nice and edgy and Raw set of Gibson Pick-ups. GIBSON seriously ought to use this set stock, The 490 just is too muddy and the bridge BB-Pro just is to Brittle with not enough power. This set is the BOMB!

I've owned two SG Standards over the years and regret selling the first one. It was so damn good of a playing guitar. Well when I finally stumbled across the BB-Pro-498 set-up on a Les-Paul Studio I own, I KNEW it was time for another SG Standard. I knew I could finally amke it sound RIGHT. Its a give in that they are GREAT feeling playing guitars. Just never sounded right to me.

Man I just LOVE his SG. It immediatly went to my #1 humbucker Axe!

Its a GIBSON! They will last a lifetime if you atke care of it!

PERFECT, Just give them a call or E-Mal them.

The people whom you read below with their 1 and 2 and 3 ratings? And the ones that tell younto buy a no-name brand? You'll like it better? I doubt any of them REALLY OWN a GIBSON. Because they really are the Top Dog in the USA for Production Line guitar. And NO these are not USA Custom Shop guitars. So there will be QC issues. Don't buy ON-LINE and pick out a WINNER? That simple. Then you won;t be here crying about how Gibson sold you a Lemon. When in REALITY, you were to STUPID to realize you can't buy Fenders and Gibsons sight unseen?

A brief intro to my Gibson SG Standard '96 is that no, I didn't buy it new...I got it off Craigslist for $600 used. So I expected it to be beat up to some extent. Boy was I wrong.

The guy told me he got the SG back in '96, so the guitar is literally 12 years old. A lot of things can happen in 12 years, and this guy (from my point of view) looked as if he would take care of his instrument while also taking it out to gigs.

The SG was in GREAT tune. I wouldn't say it was perfectly in tune, but the action was great, the frets were great, everything was in great playable order. Aside from replacing a tuner head, he hadn't had the guitar set up since he got it 12 years prior. It still kept in shape!

You may already know what features this guitar has in terms of pickups (which I still retain the original 490s). You may already know about the neck profile and everything else. But what you need to know is that the craftsmanship of this guitar is unbelievably insane. This is definitely the player's guitar. It's light, great light/hard sound, and looks amazing.

I retain the original factory pups (although tempted to either go burstbuckers or something else). They sound fantastic...with quite a load when played with moderate distortion. Love the AC/DC sound, but that just might be myself imagining it b/c of the guitar.

The only thing, according to the person that I spoke with, that this guitar needed in its 12 year lifespan was one replaced tuner head and an initial set up. The guitar is PROUDLY crafted in the USofA.

12 years of gigging and other related live playing. What can I say? It has lasted this long, why not longer? USA...keep that in mind.

N/A -> I'm sure they'd be happy to help

Perfect guitar for beginners/intermediates/experts/whatever category you figure yourself in. Very easy to play b/c it's super light with such a great sound. This guitar was made to be taken around place to place. It just looks so freaking sweet. Seriously, just look at some pics of either the ebony or red finishes....modern classic.

Gibson SG Standard 2008
Color: Natural Burst
Great guitar... so far so good.
Maybe the case had bad quality materials...

Sound amazing! I play Les Pauls, strats ant Tele??s and this guitar soun like no other. Excelent for Blues and Rock.
The pickups sound great, but, maybe, with a pair of Seymour Duncan...

The action its just perfect. Confortably, smooth.
Maybe one of the most confortably instrument i ever played.
Excelent finish!

I had a problema. The nut just break in the 3rd string. The nut is the worst I ever see. But its the onl problem. I put a brass nut. Ready... go!

Great Guitar. MUCH BETTER AND MUCH CHEAP THAN A LES PAUL

I purchased my 2007 SG Standard brand new. It came with a neck, body, 2 pick-ups and controls for tone and volume. "Standard" all the way through with no unusual "feautures" I can think of! I rated it a 10 because I am not sure what else anyone could expect when they buy a SG Standard.

Standard Gibson HB pickups ensure no annoying buzz. The sound is all Gibson with plenty of bite where it is needed along with nice mellow tones that are not that much different from a much heavier Les Paul.

Gibson have evidently tighened up on their QC over the past few years as mine is flawless. The neck action is the reason I bought the guitar--it is low and without any buzzing. I only have one small complaint and it is the usual one: the tuning goes out occasionally on the G. No idea why it does this as it seemed to plague all my other Gibsons too. They should dump the green tuners and switch over to a quality product made by Grover for example. I rated the SG 9 in the category for this reason. My strat never goes out of tune and neither does my Grover fitted Martin acoustic (if they are Grovers). The Standard 60's style neck is particularly good for me as I am used to playing a Strat and prefer a slightly wider neck without too much rounding such as you find on a Les Paul Studio for example. The SG is a much more comfortable guitar to play than a Les Paul not only because of its light weight but also due to the shaping that does not cut into your ribs as a LP does. I know the image of a SG is more for the metal fans but for me it makes a lot more sense as my back is susceptible to injury from heavy weights and I like to be different anyway! The difference in tone and sustain compared with a heavier LP may be more myth than reality to the average person with average hearing.

I cannot see any reason why this guitar should not stay the course for decades. It is a pro guitar.

I have owned quite a few Gibsons over the years including an ES335, Barney Kessel, a Les Paul Standard, LP Studio and a 12 String Acoustic. The only one to come to grief was the 12 string which had to be fitted with a tail-piece as it was not taking the strain of the 12 strings too well. I think I am going to enjoy my SG the most of any of them.

I really like my SG. I would buy it again if it got lost or stolen. I paid $1300 for it brand new and consider that price to be excellent compared with the competition (PRS or Fender). It is a very different guitar to my Fender standard American Strat and a perfect compliment when I want the unique Strat "twang" or single coil sound. I also have a Martin Acoustic Electric and a Yamaha Classic electric so with all 4 I have it all covered. I miss the image of a Les Paul a little (used to have a Standard and later a Studio which I did not like due to the overly rounded neck and chintzy appearance with the gold PUs)but am settling in well with the SG--although it does cry out for spandex and big hair sometimes.

Date produced 28 Feb 2004 - USA. Bought second hand. Mahogany body and set mahogany neck. Gibson Kluson tuners. 490R and 498T Humbucker pickups. Heritage cherry finish with nice wood grain. Rosewood fretboard with Gibson trap inlays. Two tone and two volume controls. Stop bar bridge. Three way pickup selector. Scale Length: 24 3/4". Number of Frets: 22.

I had a chance encounter with an SG Standard and knew I had to have one on the basis of the first note I played - this has never happened to me before in over 30 years of using electric guitars. When I got the opportunity to get a second hand model later the sound was as good, so not a one off. Great tone even played clean and really clear chord voicings. I do not know why the SG often seems to be sold and seen as a guitar to be only used with huge levels of distortion, although I agree it can do that very effectively. A really big range of sounds are available from vary near acoustic guitar sound up to the howling doom-ridden power chords - Live at Leeds by the Who showed this tonal range, particularly in that performance of Tommy. Great for sustain and for fat blues sounds. Sounds good whatever amp / pedal it goes through.

Absolutely perfect on action, although having got it second hand I cannot say if this was the factory, shop, or previous player. Playing hammer ons and pull offs is so easy, and the guitar sometimes seems to be playing itself. Really low action helps and there is no problem with buzzing etc anywhere on the neck even with the low action. Quality of finish is high and also long lasting - it has the associated dings and scratches with several years of use but otherwise shows no sign of wear. Well balanced for pickups. No signs of inferior workmanship.

Have had no problems with it and I believe it was much used by the previous owner. Gives the feel of a workhorse with lots of stamina. The set neck could be a problem if dropped and I would recommend fitting some firmer support for the strap buttons - I got a supply of hose washers just the right size which hang on to the pegs like limpets and anchor the strap really firmly - this avoids having to screw in new strap locks. I am sure this SG will last a long time and will not lose much value.

Never used them - never needed to.

When a guitar has such an impact that you need to get one after playing only one note it is difficult to rate it at anything less than 10. I am not a Gibson acolyte - and do not accept the argument that the SG Special is as good a sound as the SG Standard but just a cheaper finish, unless your own ears tell you so - my ears told me otherwise - I tried 3 SG specials and was not impressed - I would rate them well below my Vintage V100 which is less than a third of the price. I suppose I could mark the SG Standard down for looking a bit more like a workhorse than the more ???stylish??? guitars, but then I cannot see much of the guitar when I play it. The SG Standard also has the virtue of a light weight and, even better, makes me sound a better player than any other guitar I have ever owned or played.

2007 Heritage Cherry. I rated it a 10 for features as it has 2 pick-ups, a neck, a body and controls for volume and tone. What else is there?

Standard Gibson humbucker sound. The reason I bought the guitar. It will join my Standard American Strat which is better for cleaner twangier sounds and that special 2nd and 4th position twang that Gibsons cannot emulate. Burstbuckers may have been a better option but then it will not be an SG but a LP DC or something else in the Gibson line. But...the most important aspect is the sustain. I always test a guitar unplugged and if it sounds good that way it is likely to sound good plugged. My SG sustains for ages, more than my Fender Strat and almost as much as my late Les Paul Standard.

The fit and finish is excellent. I cannot find any issues and it seems that recent Gibsons have been improved. Possibly as a result of the complaints on forums and send-backs by dealers. Mine was set up perfectly because I bought it from a specialist. The action is SG all the way. Easy access to the high notes, perfectly rounded neck that is similar to my strat--not too deep. I used to own a Les Paul studio but found the neck on that model too rounded and awkward to play. I like the relatively light weight of the SG over the Les Paul due to some back issues. The SG is even lighter than my Strat.

I have owned quite a few Gibsons over the years and have never experienced any durability issues. The SG is made from a solid piece of mahogany with nickel plated hardware. It is difficult to see how anything could go wrong with it other than wiring issues which I assume would be easily corrected if problems occurred. For a sub-$1500 guitar it is excellent value. If I have a complaint it is the usual one in relation to the tuners. Grovers would be best but then that would make it something other than a SG standard.

Never used it.

My first Gibson was a fabulous Barney Kessel. I bought an ES335 in the 1980's and a Les Paul Standard in the late 1990's. More recently I have owned a Les Paul Studio which I did not care for as it didn't seem "authentic" and the neck shape was wrong for me. I just had to own another Gibson and missed my Standard but didn't want the same weight again. The SG Standard seemed to be the best candidate as it is a "classic" and the Heritage Cherry looks authentic Gibson. I think I am going to like my SG more than all of the other Gibsons I have owned as it just "feels right." The Les Paul always felt too heavy and was uncomfortable to play for extended periods. The light weight of the SG combined with fabulous ergonomics and classic looks and sound about sums it all up. I have noticed a few more players using SG's lately and wonder if they are undergoing a resurgence or is it more Baby boomers unable to carry the weight of a Les Paul?

this is a USA 2005 SG Standard, cherry, same specs as everyone elses for the most part(besides what I've altered on it).I'm not crazy about the frets that came on it.

One of the reasons I wanted this guitar is because it seamed like the neck was very playable especially the higher registers, allowing for the shred licks and fast blues licks that I fancy. the benefit of the SG is that while it the neck (i feel) is quite shredorific, the guitar itself is classic rock and roll.

From what I understand this guitar was developed partly as an alternative to the strat. IMHO the single coils on a strat allow for more expressiveness when you play with clean tone as apposed to this beast. With that said, this guitar sounds killer, but i wouldn't suggest it for anyone looking for great sparkling clean tone.
the guitar sounds best distorted, or dirty at least. I play it through my marshall 50w jcm800 halfstack and my nos blues jr. with w and w/ out a TS808, and its unbelievable. rock riffing sounds very rude on the bridge pickup. The neck pickup allows for sweet round single note lines. I feel this guitar sounds best for people trying to emulate Page or Gibbons or Slash or A.Young(dont worry! you wont ever sound EXACTLY like them). Clean tone fun can be had on this guitar but I think you need some reverb or some other effect maybe. I love the sg sound for rock, but when I play blues (leads)on it i feel the sound coming from those humbuckers is a bit too compressed. I've never had complaints though. Now that I think about it, open chords sound amazing especially with clean tone.

I had a les paul studio before this axe, and i ran into a bit of a problem with the bridges on both guitars. I feel that the bridge ends are very sharp and this can contributte to string breakage, it would be nice if it came a bit flatter from the factory.
I will say that one thing that holds this guitar back are the teeny weeny sized frets that come on it standard. its a shame that such a shredtastic neck comes with these puny little things. So... I dropped $300.00 and had dunlop 6000 fretwire installed. now my freinds this thing is ready to rock. If you too are like me, and enjoy your SG's and Les Pauls, do yourself a favor and have some jumbo frets put on it. Its like bending, vibrato and sustain on steroids. the guys at gibsone should catch a clue on this one. the 61 reisue has taller frets but the dunlop 6000's or something like them should come from the factory.

one problem I can think of is that the pickguard was put on a bit hastily. with a couple of the edges poking up awy from the body. I dont mind though.

The 61 reisue SG is overpriced, i dont see what the big deal is. the Standard has a sturdier neck/heel joint, so it is less flimsy. also the standard is ballanced properly due to the thinkness of the body; the 61 reisue is top heavy. I would still be carefull with the neck, but it is way more sturdy than the flimsy 61.

no problems yet so i dont have an opinion.

This is a great alterenative to the les paul. I see many people playing les pauls for heavy rock and a les paul sure is HEAVY. if you are into fretboard accrobatics and you want something light, and classic looking this axe is great. if i had to do it all over again though i would have taken a hard look at the sg classic, its cheaper, maybe not as pretty, but its got p90s so probbably sounds a but more expressive, i'd drop a pair of seymour duncan stack p90's and get the even bigger dunlop frets installed on it.
ps i am really stoked on the jumbo frets, look into it.

made in 2006 Gibson SG Standard, Heritage Cherry, trapazoid inlays. Mahogany body. Hardshell case.

The guitar sounds very good for crunch. The clean sounds are very strong as well I can see why it is a standard for rock musicians. I use the guitar primarily for coming up with ideas for songs. it honestly has more balls than either of my 2 explorers. the guitar is a work horse.

The action is great, the laquer on the neck is really thick and gets dirty quickly, however, I bought the guitar as an impulse buy. I walked into Musicstop to purchase some picks (3.00 worth) and left with an 1800.00 guitar. The neck on this guitar is the best neck I've ever felt on any guitar... it's wonderous. the action isn't fast... if your looking for a crisp rock/metal machine this might not be your choice. the neck and headstock look absolutely awesome... the wood grain makes this guitar an absolute looker.

I'm not a gigging musician, I've got a 32 track and I record music. I'm not going to be able to give you the standard "I would never gig without a back up" or "I gig without a back up all the time"... sorry. honestly if I gigged I wouldn't gig without a back up... I like guitars too much so I'd probably gig with 4 or 5 back ups.

I've been playing for 13 years. this was the first Gibson I owned... right after I bought the SG I purchased an Ebony V and Ebony Explorer (and put EMGs in them, then I bought an Ebony Firebird Studio (gold hardware) and a White Les Paul Studio (Gold Hardware), Then I bought a White Explorer, then I bought a northern Jumbo and a White Flying V. all within a 5 month period... I love all my gibsons.

Mine is a 2007 model and the 3rd SG standard ive owned in 22 years. same features the SG has had for a long time. 2 humbuckers, a tune-o-matic and some strings. I dont rate features on a guitar...its either got what you need or it doesn't. I don't get people who buy something totally inappropriate for what they play and then give it a bad rating. (" just got a 52 tele reissue and it sucks..has no features and sounds like shit...I play death metal") Why buy it?

I play an assortment of music and have been since the mid eighties. currently use a Mesa F-30 combo and a EQ. Sometimes use an old modded crybaby (not much for effects..not my thing). Here is where it gets weird for me. the pickups on this particular guitar sound like crap.Especially the bridge. they are microphonic as hell the have horrible harmonic overtones and pick up every damn noise around..yes I wax potted them helped very little. I was surprised. put in some S.D. pearly gates and it sounds like it should. got the nice thick tone an SG should have. (for $200 more). Store was no help, guitar center sucks..they'll take it back in 30 days no problem but after that good luck! 2 with stock pickups 8 with S.D.s

First off the action was decent played smooth and the frets were finished nice.The neck is the nicest I've had. now for more bad news..I do my own set-ups so when i got home first thing was to change strings etc. Put on DR pure nickel .10s (excellent strings..give em a try!) tried to set the intonation..bridge was not installed at the proper angle so the high e string saddle is maxed out and the intonation is not quite there. hmm.. Also the finish wasn't allowed to cure before they stuck it in the case so the tacky lacquer had fuzzies on it. buffed em out. the binding looks like a monkey installed it. Chinese epiphones have nicer neck binding. The out put jack was loose as well. Why the hell do people like the damn Kluson green key tuners?? is it because everyone gets all misty eyed over vintage stuff? Isnt the point of a tuner to TUNE your guitar and keep it there? these things have always sucked..Buy Grover rotomatics (my choice) or Schallers. I am very disappointed in Gibson's quality control they are too big to care ..people will buy their stuff because the name Gibson is on it anyway. This is my last new Gibson.

Pickup problems aside this will probably be as durable as any SG...just dont drop it!! headstocks break easier than any other guitar.

HAH HAH HAH...big companies aside from Mesa Boogie are a joke. They dont give a fuck if YOU dont buy from them again, someone else will. (Ask General Motors how that philosophy works!) I was told the pickups sounded "...acceptable.." UH..yeah ok whatever you guys say.

Been playin long enough to know when something is wrong! I have played or owned a bunch of guitars and currently have this SG and a beat up Telecaster. I like the neck and frets on this guitar and the upper register access is awesome on SGs but I think my Gibson days are over.

early 2006 model, purchased unused in late 2006, heritage cherry, good features really, very comfortable neck angle, tuners work and last if you keep the strings fresh, you can bring the action down and you wont get buzzing (if its set up appropriately), some people are alergic to satin finishes so the nitro cellulose finish is good, in the first months the neck maybe a bit sticky so you'll have to keep it clean but after a while it just stops. i guess its caus the finish has time to settle in. the pickups are fantastic, very warm yet very sweet sounding guitar, and never short of balls. good sustain, the weight is fantastic, alot of cheap guitars which are light feel like shit, but this guitar just feels perfect and at the same time good on the ol' back. great fret access, i've never felt limited despite the longer neck joint than the '61 reissue (which is over priced), i much prefer the larger batwing style pickguard, just seems more hardcore than the flimsy looking '61 reissue (dont get me wrong, lovely guitar). some people who i've let play my guitar have said the neck's too thick for their liking, which is sad because you wont ever feel better than when you're playing this guitar

never noisy like a strat, and doesn't get that scratchy sound when you rub your fingers along the strings. downside is that you cant really get controlled feedback as easily as you could with a fender at moderate gain levels (ACDC crunch) because the humbuckers are just too anti-noise. at the moment i use an AVT150 and often practise with many low end marshalls such as MGs and ValveStates. have yet to plug into a proper valve amp from marshall with this guitar. like i said, its got real balls that you just cant get with a fender type guitar (unless you have shit loads of drive pedals)

now, here is, and i will point out my only, problem with this guitar. the body is supposed to be a one piece, but it seems to be a fair few pieces blocked together. everything else is top build on this guitar, but my heart always sinks when i think about the multt piece body. having said that, good tone woods are becoming hard to get, so it was predictable that they'd start making the guitars with multi piece bodies just so they could get some proper wood in there, i'd rather have a multipieced body of decent wood than a single piece of shit wood. also its not as if its gonna fall apart any time soon, its not pritt stick they use. infact i should think the glue they use is stronger than the wood. the neck however is a one piece i'm glad to say, and its a beauty, proper bit of rosewood for the fretboard and the inlaiys are finished perfectly. i got mine from a local guitar shop so it was set up nicely, action could be lower, but i dont like the action to be too low. i'd give it 10, but that multi piece body gets on my nerves so i'll give it 7

never gone out of tune at a gig, except one time when i replaced the strings on the same day (big mistake). if you're going into regular giging always replace the strings the day before the gig and stretch the shit out of them in a side to side manner (if that makes sence). good strong hardware, i sweat alot and i've shown it a fair thrashing and only the screws have rusted which i shall replace. again i'd give it 10, but it's an SG and if you dont watch it like you would your own offspring it will likely have an accident (mahogany neck glued in!!!!)

my local shop will do one free set up (nothing special) but i'd rather have a professional set up for such a special guitar.

awesome awesome awesome, apart from the multipiece body, but that really doesn't effect it in the slightest in terms of strength or sound, and when i'm playing live i never notice it. remember, only a gibson is good enough!!

this is a Gibson SG standard. just flick on MTV, and youll see one for yourself. beautiful finish that seems to age well. i replaced the stock tuners for Sperzels after knocking one against something and bending the crap out of it. it was my fault, drunk and not paying attention. cant really fault the guitar for that. mine is the dark walnut model, 2002 i believe. has striking cosmetic looks. one of my friend has named it 'the devil shaped hershey bar.' how can something so sweet look so devilishly good?

the sound knocks my socks off. the humbuckers sound great, the wood only exagerates its already wonderful tone. you can achieve limitless sounds for limitless styles of play. the tone controls are great for darkening or brightening, and the volume is very interactive in a different way than say, my fender tele. they seem to only lower the actual volume at the bottom of the dial while everything in between acts as a 'cleaner-upper' great with distortion and leads. i usually use my tele for clean because it is a much brighter guitar. thats just my taste, though. this guitar is still super versatile. awesome.

well, here is where it gets ugly: im convinced that the Gibson people just slap some strings on these instruments and send them off. i expect to make some adjustments to any new guitar i purchase, but this thing was horrible. bad intonation, fret buzzing. the bridge pickup almost touched the strings! however, a professional set-up is a cheap affair (maybe 30 bucks or so), and even less costly if you can do it yourself. the guitar was truly unplayable when i first brought it home. if i had never played one before, i would have left it hanging on the wall at the music store. but since i had already experienced a friends properly adjusted SG, i knew that some patience and tinkering would pay off. the hardware is solid, and easy to set. dont be put off by this: once its set, its golden!

hmm. . . so far so good. ive had this guitar for about 4 years, and i dont really baby my guitars. sure, i take care of them. . . but if this guitar were a goldfish, it would be belly-up by now! these have a reputation for being fragile (i guess the headstock is easily broken) but as long as you dont leave it in the sun or drop it, it ought to be fine. one of the volume controls developed a dust spot, but this may be due to my own lack of maintenence. and, even though it sucks, it too is an easy fix.

i paid just under 900 for my guitar and it came with the case. i dont mind setting up guitars; it helps me to bond with the instrument. but if youre impatient and want something to play NOW, you might want to pass.

im giving this a 10, perhaps out of sentiment. for me, this is the best guitar ive ever played. i own a bunch of differenr guitars and this one will never be let go of, no matter what. if you want it, youll have to pry it from my cold dead hands.

but, as with anything, try before you buy. listen for tone. im sure the set-up will suck.

Gibson.com for the features as I won't bore you with that, I am sure you know what the features are.

I play the rock music and this thing is the "standard". I have wanted this guitar since I started playing 13 years ago, 2 years ago my dream was realized when I had enough money and I committed to buy my first Gibson. Excellent sound from full to bright, full chords to harmonics it can handle it all!

I originally wanted the Wine Red which Gibson made for at least the 90s when I first fell in love with the SG Standard. Mine is a 2005 Heritage Cherry model - beautiful. I think I actually like this better than the Wine Red now, go figure. Factory set up was ok, what do you expect? A guitar should not ship from Gibson to a retailer to you and be in tune and completely set up to your liking. I will admit I did buy a Flying V and it was set up perfectly for me (needed tuning obviously) but for the most part they will need to be adjusted.

I record, gig and practice with this guitar and it holds up very well. It is started to age primarly due to my heavy playing with the guitar but its ok. I love that I actually play enough to age a guitar, doesn't affect the sound but the look. Extremely reliabile and durable.

Gibson is fantastic!

I got mine a few years ago before Gibson's price increase although I would still spend the extra few hundred for another SG Standard, its a great guitar. I would have loved to have bought one of the Classic White ones offered a while ago but other models won the affection of cash.

The Gibson SG:
Mahogany body and set mahogany neck.
Gibson Kluson tuners.
490r and 498t pickups.
Heritage cherry finish.
Rosewood fretboard with Gibson trap inlays.
Two tone and two volume controls.
Stop bar bridge.
Three way pickup selector.

This is my second Gibson SG. My first was stolen while I was at college 20 years ago. It was my fault for bringing it. Well, this guitar is totally awesome and absolutely perfect for that vintage classic rock or blues sound. It's sound is very similar to the Gibson Les Paul Standard but the SG is much lighter in weight. Good slide guitar as well. It is a good all around guitar and made by he best!

I thought my SG was setup well but after I was convinced to let my local music store do a few minor corrections to it I was completely amazed. It now sounds and plays better than ever. The pickups needed a little adjustment but after the height was set it was better. This guitar, In my opinion does not need any modifications at all as far as upgrading th pickups, replacing the tuners, etc. It only needed a few minor adjustments that took about 20 minutes to do. All stock!

I use this guitar as my main guitar. I do have a Fender Strat as well for a backup even though it doesn't sound anything like my SG but a backup is not needed. This is a very well put together guitar. It will last a lifetime if you take care of it and keep it from getting stolen. Remember to wipe it down after playing to remove all of the fingerprints and acid/sweat. I would imaginge that the ebonty finish would be harder to keep the finger prints off.

Never had to deal with customer support. Hopefully, I never will.

I play this SG thru an older Peavey Mace 2X12 160 watt all tube amp and I am instantly transported back into the 70's. i also play it thru a Marshall JCM 900 head and it sounds just as good. Awesome sustain. The neck pickup is perfect for that fat sound for blues leads and what have ya. I highly reccommend the Gibson SG standard (not the faded pick of crap). It is a great substitute for the Les Paul.

Standard SG model, in heritage cherry (nitro) finish.
Body and neck are made of mahogany. If you look closely, the body seems to be made out of 3 pieces (!!). Still, it is so well done that you wouldn't notice this.
Tune-O-Matic bridge, stopbar, 490R and 498T humbucker pickups, white plastic three-way switch, two volume and two tone knobs, Gibson "deluxe" green key tuners, 0.10 brite wires installed.
Includes a beatiful canadian-made, black hard case.
Made in USA, June 2007 I guess (from the serial number).

I always wanted to have the Angus guitar, so basically I went for it as soon as I had the money. I have a Peavey amp and a Digitech multi-efects but now prefer to use TonePort and my computer for practical reasons.
This Gibson SG sounds more modern than classic. As they say regarding their gear, the 498T has more output for modern music, so if you are looking for a "vintage" sound like 70's ACDC you might try a '61 reissue or a Special with P90 pickups.
Still, this Standard SG sounds great and I did not notice anything strange. Both pickups seem to do their work fine, of course they sound much better than Epiphones' but haven't compared with other custom pickups. Probably the best thing is the high output but anyway I am a quiet guy ;), so I don't need more.
It has the simple tonal variety of two humbucking pickups, three-way switching positions, so that is what I expected. Treble is clear and cutting, Rythm is sweet and both together are a little muddy.
My advice: shredders, get away from this one!

Factory set-up seemed to be ok, anyway I got it adjusted at the shop. No complaints about the action and pickup height is correct. The fretboard is incredible and very easy to play, the creamy binding looks very nice and only adds more comfort. The neck is soft and fast, too.
NOW... I didn't know that the finish would be soooo delicate. The body is covered by a thin (very thin) nitrocellulose layer and will easily chip. The dealer told me that my guitar was just out of the box (and indeed it was still sticky and had a strong lacquer smell). But I noticed some marks on the body edges most likely caused by the hard case itself: you have to push and press the guitar to make it fit inside! I have a cheaper SG hard case and it fits much better there...
Don't get me wrong, the guitar looks beatiful and you can clearly see the wood grain and the soft red paint under the lacquer. But it is a annoying to inspect the guitar any time you grab it, to make sure you didn't scratch it. I bought Gibson polishing and am currently cleaning and cleaning it, let's see.
Another thing: it had a little scratch close to the jack input. Probably the typical idiot that tries but not buys guitars had the time to play it just before me that day.
In general, all pieces look perfectly assembled and haven't noticed any flaw, besides the finish weaknesses.
Anyway I will not return or have it replaced; they told me that it would take other 2 months to receive a new one, it seems that Gibson distribution in Spain is slow and many people is waiting to buy one.

It is a Gibson, so it MUST withstand live playing (otherwise I will give bad publicity). In general this guitar looks like it will last with proper care and the hardware seems to be very strong.
Again, the only thing is the finish, that unfortunately will wear and fade in a few years. My guitar value will increase for sure, but the money I paid still hurts too much to have it scratched or damaged, so I will keep it at home for a while before playing live.
It is absolutely dependable for live playing and girl attracting ;)
The three-way-switch should not be abused, of course. And unless you change strings too fast, you should always have a backup guitar.
Concerning strap buttons, the are solid but smaller than Fenders. I would not remove them to install strap locks, but would definitely use a very good leather strap with tight button holes.

It's new and works fine, so no need to contact them yet. Being out of the U.S., local support is given by the retailer.
It states a 2-year warranty period.

Well, now I have my "dream" guitar and am very satisfied with it. Not only visually, but it sounds and performs very well. I can play from ACDC to Led Zep or Santana and get the right tone.
I am not a "material guy" and never give things more value than they actually have. In that sense, I don't care about exotic woods, custom pickups, luxury details, etc. I like simplicity and functional design, that's why my other guitar is a Fender Stratocaster. I like this guitar over the Les Paul because it is red, it looks like a little devil, it looks classic but modern, you can easily access all frets, it sounds like Hells Bells, it is thin, and comfortable, it is light so it won't hurt your back... and is not as expensive as other custom models!
However, I read that the Gibson Standards are "mid-priced" guitars. Hmmm, to me, 1350 euro is not that mid-priced. It is a month salary! The guy at the shop told me that only the Gibson hard-case is 200 euro. Well, I'd rather have the guitar itself and paying 1150 instead, as my old, cheap case fits better.
My overall rating is an 8. It is a very good purchase, if you like classic rock you will love this one and keep it for a long time, if not forever. Just polish and take or care it as much as you can and if someone asks to borrow it from you, say NO!!

It has all the features standard. 3-way selector switch, H/H with 2 tone and 2 Vol controls Prics around $1500

The pickups sound great. I play all types of music from Jazz to country to AC/DC

Here is were it all falls apart. When I got the guitar the finish wasn't curred yet!! It was still tacky on the neck and the padding on my guitar rest stuck to it! Ripped right off the stand and stuck to the guitar!! After lots of buffing and rubbing you can still see where it was. Also teh low E string won't intonate. the bridge seems to be drilled too close to the nut. Lastly I already had to resolder the wires to the switch because of poor workmanship. I really did expect more from Gibson. Just a note the finish is now just fine, they just let it go out the door too soon the QC at Gibson should hang his/her head in shame.

All in all I think it will last. I would only buy one from your local dealer so any isues like the intonation will be found before you even get it home.

didn't use

overall I think there is a lot better deals for the buck out there. If this one was ever lose or stolen I don't think I would replace it.

Gibson SG Standard 2003 Ebony

All the usual stuff from Gibson, which isn't much. Any guitar player knows that "Gibsons Standards" are really "Below Standards".

Now, this is the least bad part. It sounds like a Gibson, but not an old Gibson. If you're wanting to buy this guitar because of the people who've played it and the sounds they were able to get from it, you'll without a doubt be dissapointed, it's not anywhere near that. When I got this I was stupid enough to care about the brand on the headstock and that's what you're paying for. Go for a much cheaper, no name guitar, and you'll be way more satisfied with it than I am with this state-of-the-art bullshit.
The sound from the pickups was too muddy and noisy compared to the price I payed for it and that only lasted untill one of the pickups and the selector switch stopped working. Very embarrasing Gibson.

This is the best part. First of all, the laquer finish on the guitar is horrible. It can be scrapped off with your nails if you wanted to and it started FALLING OFF around the places where the bridge was mounted with screws. Then three of the tuners slowly started loosening. You see, the Gibson tuners (which aren't very good to begin with anyway) consist of two parts that are glued together and that makes them very sensitive. The one part of the tuner that is holding the plastic things will simply fall off with time. Way to go Gibson.
As mentioned above the electronics stopped working and to fix this I unscrewed the backplate for the first time, only to discover what a great job Gibson had done on the interior of the guitar. Wood was actually falling of and they hadn't even bothered soldering the electronics in a way so that it would last. Enough said.

I think this was described in detail above. I have a lesser risk of breaking a string than the guitar and the tuners are being held together with duct tape and super glue.

Called Gibson about the tuners and finish, told me that the warranty was worthless because I had soldered the components myself when the pickup stopped working.

I made the mistake of falling for the Gibson brand. I wrote this review to warn people about it and not doing the same. As you can see in my and other peoples reviews, Gibson Guitars aren't what they used to be and this is too embarrasing for Gibson to even describe in words. Just do me a favor and ban them for the rest of your life.

I'm giving an 8 because it doesn't have a tremolo. I know, it's not supossed to, but hard rock / metal guitars should have tremolos, and this guitar is for hard rock & metal.

This guitar sounds fricking amazing. The pickups are tight, raw, loud and prominent in a band setting. Solos sound amazing. Neck is resonenet and the nitro finish/mahogony body combo adds alot of raw tone. Definitely the best sounding stock guitar I've ever played.

Not the best. The finish, being nitro and Gibson, is a bit sloppy. You might have a space where the wood is showing. The binding might be a bit sloppy. This guitar will scratch very easily because of the nitro finish, but who wants a new looking guitar forever anyway? Gibson is also a bit sloppy with fret inlays - play and look before you buy.

The headstock breaking is a big problem. It happens alot, don't think it can't happen to you. My wife was cleaning and the guitar fell over on it's face and the headstock broke - $150 repair. It's not a huge deal, but compared to a Strat that wouldn't break if Al Gore sat on it like a swing, you have to be careful with this thing.

Ha!

This guitar is cool and a serious classic. Nitro finish, great pickups, (relatively) slim feeling neck, enough frets... And if you play rock or metal, this guitar sounds RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME. You just can't treat it like a strat, and when you feel like grabbing that whammy bar it just isn't there.

It's a Gibson SG, Angus Young, George Harrison, Eric Clapton. You know and love it. All mahogany, save for the rosewood fingerboard. I got mine used but the guy I got it from never really played it much, so it was pretty much mint and I got one of those fancy "Gibson USA" hardshell cases with it. The guitar is a 2005 model so it's a fairly recently made guitar

I got this guitar by an even trade with a Gretsch Sparkle Jet with which I never could bond, it just wasn't my guitar. The guy with which I made the trade said that his band plays surf style music like the Ventures and the Shadows and said that you just can't play that on a Gibson SG. You CAN however play that kind of music on a Gretsch Sparkle Jet so we both got the better deal of it. My band plays heavy metal in the style of Iron Maiden and iced earth and this little Gibson shines in that kind of music. Both in clean passages and full on balls to the wall distortion, it takes it all with a vengeance. At the first rehearsel that I took it with me others already gave it the affectionate nickname "Odie" because another guitarplayer they have worked with had an SG with a Sticker of the Garfield character Odie.

I got this guitar used so I can't really tell anything on how it was set up from the factory. But it plays really nice, I love the fat wide neck which enables me to do some complex fingering which would feel cramped on any other guitar. The only thing I had to do adjustment wise was oiling the fingerboard which was bone dry.

I never play live without Backup guitars, it's not uncommon to see me on stage with three guitars leaning against my amps, a backup for the backup, better safe than sorry. My Backups are my Epiphone Les Paul Custom (Modified with Seymour Duncan 59 humbuckers) and my Squier Telecaster (also modified with seymour Duncan 59 humbuckers) but I hope that I never have to use either of them because this SG blows both of them out of the water in both sound and feel. I know that SG's have a name for being fragile, so in an effort to steer disaster away I replaced the stock strapbuttons with Schaller locking straplocks and I wear the guitar using a sturdy Stevie Ray Vaughan approved Black Leather with white music notes strap, so it's a very unlikely thing that the guitar would ever break while I'm playing it.

I don't deal with Gibson. I'll just play their guitars.

This is one of those "Magical" ones. One of those guitars that you pick up and go "Yeah." I haven't found any flaw yet, well maybe apart from the fact that you just can't play texas blues like the fabulous Thunderbirds on it. But maybe if I changed the setting on my amp a bit...
The only other guitar I ever found that had that "Magical" thing was my 1989 Squier Stratocaster which I bought new on my fifteenth Birthday in 1991, I walked into the store, saw that red and white one grabbed it and instantly felt at home. "Screw all the other guitars, this one is meant to be mine."

If it were stolen I'd be pretty bummed, I could go out and buy myself another but I doubt if they would be as nice as this is.

Well this is a 1999 SG Standard in Ebony thios review is about. I have been waiting on a decent SG for some time. I've had a Gothic and a Epi G-400 before but didn't care for either and let them go. The Wood and Electronics have been well described so I won't bore anyone with that. I will say that around 99-2000 Gibson was using different parts on different guitars. For EXAMPLE. My SG Standard SHOULD have a T.O.M. Bridge. It doesn't have the Nashville style Tune-O-Matic, I have a ABR-1 on my SG. I have to tell you...I LOVE this Bridge on this guitar and REALLY believe it helps the tone ALOT. I own several Gibsons 3 Les-Pauls and a ES-135 and a ES-335. From experience with Both bridge's I know the ABR sounds slightly Cleaner. This SG sounds absolutly GREAT with the 490/498 pick-ups. I never really cared for them and have BB-Pro's on my Pauls, But in this SG the 490-498 set sound great. very Clean no muddiness at all. The do get a nice fat chunky grind in thre Neck position if desired and the bridge 498 is a great Rock and Roll lead pick-up. MUCH nicer than Duncans famous JB! The Neck on my SG is much Fatter than the 60 profile I thought the Standards came with. I really like the neck. Its ACTION is unbelievable and as good as any electric i EVER PLAYED. I bought the SG used from the original owner and he hardly played it ever, since he prefered his LP. So my fretwork is like new and a super job also. I polished the frets and cleaned the fretboard. All it needed. The weight on my SG is 6.3 pounds and one of the lightest eletrics I ever owned. It was just slightly neck heavy so I took ofg the Gibson knobs and added Fender Chrome Telecaster knobs. Now the SG's balence is PERFECT. Love the guitar!

This SG is an AWESOME sounding Gibson. I have played many SG's over the years and have never played one as versitile as this one. Or that had a set of 490/498 pups that sound this good. And I owned a Gothic SG with a Ebony fretboard and it was muddy compared to this Standard. It almost go'sinto a Fat Strat tone. And of course is right at home Rocking hard on the neck of bridge, And the middle position with Dual Tone controls? You couldn't ask for a more versitile set-up.

Action on this SG is unbelievable. I have the strings very low and there is not a buzz anywhere. Everthing about this Standard was done dead-right by Gibon. I know they can screw up a guitar from time to time. Not the case here. Someone must have really gotten into building this one. Cause its SWEET!

Always have to watch out for the headstock/neck area with Gibson. But aside from that is a known fact Gibsons will last a lifetime!

I own 5 other Gibsons and Gibson Customer Support has always been GREAT with me. My LP-DC Special had a Crack in the PG. Gibson sentme a new guard on just call. No complaints from me!

I really dig this SG and without a doubt its a keeper. I know the ABR bridge on mine is definatly a helpfull addition and quite possibly the missing link to make these a little better sounding. Because this one sounds BIG clean and OD'd. Vry happy with my Baby!

ebony gibson sg standard. rounded neck. 2003.

this amp's sound is UGLY. i've had this guitar for 4 years and ive never been satisfied with it. I've played it through a variety od different amps such as peavey bandit 112, marshall jcm 900, marshall jcm 2000, fender twin reverb, etc. it has NEVER sounded good. the pickups on the standard are way too dark, way too muddy and lack that searing SG tone. the clean is brittle is always either brittle as hell or muddy as hell. if you're gonna go SG do it right and go for the SG 61' Reissue. I am currently selling my standard and buying one.

when i first bought this guitar it looked fine but i eventually discovered that the paint came off around one of the bolts. the action is OK. REMEMBER that if you wanna really wail, this guitar can be extremely annoying due to the fat neck. Also the bridge saddles were extremely sharp and kept breaking my strings and i had to get them filed down.

it's been reliable, except for the bridge problem.

noooooooooo idea.

I have been playing guitar for 6 years. I definately should have payed the extra few hundred for the SG 61' reissue the first time.

Body: Mahogany

NECK
Species: Mahogany
Profile: Rounded, very similar to the Gibson 50's LP neck
Neck Joint Location: 19
Head Inlay: Crest

FINGERBOARD
Species: Rosewood
Scale Length: 24 3/4"
Number of Frets: 22
Nut Width: 1.695"
Inlays: Trapezoid
Fingerboard Binding: single-ply

HARDWARE
Plating Finish: Chrome
Tailpiece: Stopbar
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Knobs: Black Top Hat with silver insert
Tuners: 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 Rock, Hard Rock, Alternative, and Metal. This guitar suits me well. I mostly play through modeling amps, i.e. Tech 21 Trademark and Digitech GNX3.

I also play an EBMM Petrucci. The SG Standard is defiantly a darker sounding guitar than my Ernie Ball Musicman Petrucci guitar. I would say if I had to rate the SG Standard sound as far as:

highs / midrange / lows
5 7 8

With the right amp settings you can dial out some of the midrange. I can even get a decent Van Halen tone out of it.

I would say this guitar excels at Classic Rock but can easily cover a lot of other kinds of music.

The neck pickup is very warm and is good for this type of guitar. I feel that the Bridge pickup could be hotter and should have less mids and tighter bass.

Gibson also uses 300k pots so that contributes to a slighly darker sound.

Action from the factory was insanely high. This was easily fixed by lowering the bridge. The nut is cut somewhat high but I like a medium action so its not a problem for me but if you prefer a real low action then you will definately need a setup.

Bridge saddles are cut a little shallow especially the high E string saddle. Most Gibsons I have seen suffer from paint chipping under the back tail piece but its not noticable unless you look really hard.

I had to return 2 other SGs due to Gibson QC issues. One had a major electronics issue and serious finish flaws i.e. hazing. The one I have now close to perfect, finish and sound wise.

The finish on Gibsons' is very thin and scratches very easily.

The guitar came set up for .010s.

As stated earlier SGs have a longer feel in the neck due to the way its joined at the body (19th fret). I'm mostly a strat player but have owned SGs in the past. It doesn't take that long to get used to.

Also the neck is slightly wider than a standard 1 11/16 (1.6875") neck. Its rated at 1.695" @ the nut. Its not overly wide though. I also used to own a PRS Custom 22 w. the Wide Fat neck and I agree that the Gibson neck is wider. Compared to a Ernie Ball Axis or Peavey Wolfgang this neck will definately feel wide.

The scale length is the Gibson standard 24.75" which is very comfortable. It makes power and barre chords much easier to hold.

The fretboard radius is very flat. It feels almost like a 15" fretboard radius. The neck thickness is similar to the Les Paul 50's carve. Its thicker than the Gibson 59' carve though. If you have ever played a Les Paul Studio and found that neck to be too thick then this guitar is not for you. Get the 61' Reissue instead.

The thickest Gibson neck I have played is the 57' Reissue Les Paul and that was like a beer bottle cut in half!

The case is very good. It has a faux black aligator skin, combo lock, and is very tight fitting. They also got rid of that annoying silk cover that goes over the guitar in the case.

I haven't owned mine that long to give an accurate durability report however I can make a few comments.

The hardware seems very durable. My PRS hardware tarnished very quickly with moderate playing. So far my SG's hardware still looks new after some playing. This is due to Chrome vs. Nickel.

Tuners work well. Input jack is still tight and the 3 way switch seems durable although it doesn't provide much resistance when switching it.

Haven't had to use it, knock on wood. I believe the warranty is limited lifetime.

Playing for 19 years. Own a Martin D-15 Custom Spruce and Rosewood, Ibanez RG 470, and Ernie Ball Petrucci.

Overall I really like the SG Standard. Its light, comfortable to play, and sounds great. It covers a lot of territory and I think it would make an excellent blues guitar.

Only things I don't like is the neck is a little long. I would prefer a narrower neck with a slighly slimmer neck carve. My ideal neck is the Ernie Ball Axis and Peavey Wolfgang.

Bridge pickup could use less mids, a little more highs, and tighter bass. If you play classic rock then the bridge pickup is ideal.

An 9 - but carries all it needs...

Heritage Cherry Finish.

Mine is USA made in 1999/2000. Owned from new. Paid ??750 then via mail order. They are a bit dearer now. Gibson deluxe tuners. 22 frets. All mahogany, solid body guitar.

Two Alnico Humbuckers. Tone and volume on each. Rythm/treble/both pickup selector options. Standard Gibson stuff...

This is where the SG really excels and outclasses the others. I have owned all sorts over the years and surprisingly even my fender USA strat comes nowhere near!

There is such a punch to the sound. Very "ballsy" but clear and defined at the same time. Good for most playing syles really. Played it through a Marshall Valvestate (the older ones) for years playing modern and classic rock stuff. It sounded fine. Recently replaced the Marshall amp for an all valve amp (Fender Hot rod Deville 212) and WOW, it really accentuates the warmth and ballsy bite of the SG.
Now playing Rockabilly/rock n roll and it nails that genre too, but to be fair the valve amp helps.

Before saving up for the Gibson SG standard I bought a G400 Ephiphone one (copy of the Gibson SG). My advice is dont. It sounded pants. Very "Wooly" sound. No definition. I was so dissapointed. Sorry if thats not what you want to hear/(read!) but there is such a difference - one that the price differential does easily justify. And the reason is largely the quality of sound output.

Sorry if it's overkill on sound but it's so good it seemed prudent to bang on. Havn't bettered it in 10 years of playing.

Action is fine. Factory setup was OK. I set mine up myself.

The only thing to bear in mind with the SG is that the neck is very long! Stand it up (arse end on the floor) next to a strat or a les paul and the first fret on the SG is almost like an extra one! (If that makes sense?!) This is because the neck is set out further away from the body and pickups. This does provide excellent coverage to all frets high up the neck, but it can take some getting used to, as it means you've got further to go with your fretting hand to play open chords. One aclimatised it's fine, and great for solos for obvois reasons.

No flaws on the finish or fittings. Well made. All you'd expect from a Gibson guitar. It does seem to get through strings faster than any other guitar I've had, Why? I don't know! But they loose their "ring" earlier, so seem to need replacing quite regularly. (This might just be mine though?)

Gigged with from day one (So nearly 7 years now). Well looked after mind, but absolutely no problems at all. Always take a backup now, but only for a string breakage. Wouldnt expect to call in it for any other reason.

Hard wearing frets. Never touched a strap button etc...

People do seem to replace tuners with SGs? Bear that in mind. But mine have been no problem. Very sound at staying in tune by the way.

N/A

Have no doubt about the quality of this instrument. Can't give it a ten as i've put some 9s in. Sound is the MAJOR MAJOR stand out feature of brilliance. Been unable to match it in 10 years of playing.

Seriously - don't get a cheaper copy, they really don't cut the mustard.

If it got nicked I'd get another one tomorrow. Even If I had to sell both my fender strats (and possibly an aunty).

You may email if I've missed something etc..

Hope this is helpful to someone.

Finish: Trans Red
Body Style: Double cutaway solidbody
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
Tuners: Gibson deluxe
Neck/Scale: 22 jumbo fret/Fat mahogany neck
Made: 2006 in Nashville TN
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
Pickups: 490/498T humbuckers
Body and neck wood: mahogany/mahogany

I play blues/country/jazz/rock/rockabilly, pretty much everything except punk or emo. I am currently in a band that is considered adult contemporary (think counting crows/cracker) and I needed a guitar that could cut through the mix. I was using a PRS CE-22 and while the PRS had a wonderful playability, my solos never cut through and the rhythms came out muddy and weak. I decided enough is enough and it was time for a change. I am a huge fan of having a double cut design due to as much fretting I do above the 14th fret. I currently own a variety of guitars from strats to teles to p-90 equipped guitars but I needed something with some balls to stand out and this thing definitely does it. I run it through a Boss CS-3, Rocktron Nitro for boost and TS-9 into a Fender Blues JR.

First let me say that it took a little while to get used to the neck. If you are used to playing a fender or similar this guitar will take you a while to get used to. The neck is much wider that even the PRS "wide fat" neck but still slim enough to wrap your thumb around. It gets very comfortable with time. The pickups are a lot smoother of a tone than the classic 57's in the 61' reissue and have plenty of punch (thanks in part to the amount of wood on this guitar). It packs plenty of sustain, even without the compressor on. Rolling back the volume still gives a lot of tone and doesn't kill the high end as much as I'm used to with my other guitars. I don't think I'll even have to modify the taper of the pots. Overall, very pleased after I did my own setup and some fret clean up (further listed below).

When I first played the SG, it had old crappy Gibson strings, high action and the pickups were way too high. I replaced the strings with DR 10's, oiled and steel wooled the frets/fretboard and set the action nice and low and set the intonation. After lowering the pickups, I got a lot more of an open natural tone without loosing much punch. The one thing I've had a problem with this one was the frets (as is with most Gibsons). After a little leveling and a nice round dressing it was a lot better, not perfect, but better. I know that Gibson puts binding around their frets, but it's still very poorly cut and dressed and polished. After some good ol' TLC, it plays very nicely now but you still have to work for that good dug in blues tone but once you get it, you get it.

This guitar will definitely withstand live playing. I look forward to puting it to the test. It is very solid, although I can see how some people would want to change the strap buttons since the front button is located right at the heel of the neck and can slip off if you are not careful or have a worn out strap. It is very dependable, with the usual Gibson problems of course, and i mena the g strign slipping out of tune on occasion. I don't think I have ever played a Gibson or even Heritage that didn't do it, no matter what the nut material was made of (graphite, bone, tusq, plastic). You may want to have a backup just in case, in my ten years of experience, better safe than sorry.

I am a guitar/bass/amp tech at a local shop so I highly doubt that I will ever worry about warranty or anything like that. Other than that, it has the usual manufacturer defect warranty. I have never dealt with Gibson since most people don't bother with them either, they just take their guitars to me.

Overall, I would have to say that this is an good guitar, excelent with a good setup and some work. Since I have owned it, I have played roots blues, jazz, country, rock and slide on it and every time passed with tonal flying colors. If it were stolen, I would probably replace it. Compared to a Les Paul, it is less chunky, lighter, and slightly brighter tone out of the neck positionl. Compared to a PRS, it has a higher mid range and thicker tone, although in my opinion the PRS still has the better playability. The only thing I wish it had was a little more wood towards the rear or a slightly slimmer neck to balance it out so that the neck doesn't want to dip down on you as much.

Made in 2006, brand spanking new, Gibson SG Standard. Cherry red nitro finish (Adds resonance, but can wear a little thin a little too quickly) Mine seems to be a bit of a lighter red than most of the other ones i've seen. Tune-O-matic bridge, Gibson tuners, fairly fat neck made of mahogany, rosewood fretboard. Made in Nashville, U.S.A. 22 frets, 2 volume, 2 tone knobs, 3-way selector switch, 490R and 498T humbuckers, passive electrnics, Mahogany body. Usual Gibson materials.

I play damn near anything, though mostly classic and hard rock (ie. Metallica, AC/DC, Black Sabbath) pretty much right up this guitar's alley. I use a crappy ass Traynor Reverb Mate 30, and it still sounds good. Nice, rich tone, not as thick as a Les Paul, and not as thin sounding as a strat. It's a very nice compromise. This thing handles distortion like a champ. Clean it up, and it's not as amazing, but still fairly nice.

I got the guitar fresh in it's case, fresh in it's box, ordered it in at Long&McQuade (Canada's big music chain). The action was perfect, which is pretty rare, but maybe I got lucky. Pickups are set well. From the other reviews I've read on here, i seem to have gotten really lucky with mine. I can't find any flaws, not a one, other than the slightly lighter finish, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the finish. Who knows, maybe Gibson's finally adressing their quality-control issues.

This guitar feels light, much lighter than my Les Paul, but it feels solid as a rock. The nitro finish will of course wear out, but the guitar feels built to last. Straplocks are a must, since the front button is on the back of the guitar. I just bought some cheap ass clip on locks, lets me keep my original buttons. I can definitely depend on this beast, although i'd be reluctant to gig with any guiar without a backup.

Dunno what Gibson has, but Long&McQuade gave me a year warranty, threw in the straplocks and a tuner, and were extremely friendly and knew their stuff.

This guitar is great. I've been playing for almost 4 years now, and I always used Epiphones. I finally decided to try a Gibson, and i'm glad I did. If it were stolen, I'd get anoher one for free, thanks to my warranty.

I had to replace all the hardware myself, all I bought was the body and neck !!!
I put geniune Gibson parts back into it, except the pick ups. i used Seymour Duncans and I really like the sound of them. They sound like vintage Gibson to my ears anyway. took it into a local music shop I trust for wiring and set up, and now a fantastic solid body for the fraction of what a new one costs.
I can understand why people pay so much for these though, they are fantastic as far as I'm concerned !!! I love mine.

I play blues, rockabilly, and jazz. It is actually quite versatile as far as blues and rockabilly go, but jazz is definetly out of the question. That isn't why I wanted it. I picked it up for blues mostly.
It fills that niche beautifully.
I use an Fender Stage Deluxe 212, it sounds like heaven on slow blues.
Very rich, full tone and really sings/cries. Beautiful Gibson sound.
I play it mostly on the rhythm setting, or with both pick ups on.

I got this guitar used and it had a neck repair done on it right up by the nut. I guess this is common, I've seen a few that the necks have broken on them. It was repaired well, but not finished very well.
Again, this isn't from the factory.
also the binding on the side of the neck is not white , but black.
Very strange. The only other SG's I've seen like that are Specials and the Epiphones line.
All the factory parts I installed in it all work great so I have no complaints, and I set the action up myself so I'm to blame if it isn't to my liking !!! hehehe

This guitar is a work horse ! I can see why they are so popular and remain so.
I use it as a back up on stage, but depending on the set it could be the number 1 choice no problem.
I use more than one guitar on stage always just for tonal variety.
It doesn't sound like a hollowbody archtop after all !!!

They just helped me date it with the serial # when I bought it.
No warranty.
This guitar was repaired, but not by the factory I'm sure.

I've been playing over 20 years, I have an couple of archtops, and a semi hollowbody. I like Gibsons and Epiphones really, no use for Fenders.
If it were lost or stolen , I 'd like to have another one.
A good friend of mine has a 1979 Les Paul Custom that I measure all other solid body guitars against, and this one measures up very well, and actually sounds better to me. I'm very happy with it.

Finish: Natural Burst;
Body Stlye: SG - Solid Guitar;
Bridge Style: Tune-O-Matic;
Tuners: Schaller Green Key;
Neck/Scale: 22 Jumbo frets (fat and low), Rosewood fretboard, 24-3/4" Scale;
Inlcuded Accessories: Gibson Hardshell Case with Combination-Lock;
Year Made and Where: December 2003, Memphis, TN, USA;
Solid Top; Mahogany Body and Neck;
Controls: 2-Volume pots, 2-Tone pots, 1 3-way pickup selector switch;
Pickup Configuration: H/H;
Make and Model of Pickups: 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 QC 4x4 CTD... Oh, you mean the guitar's pickups, 490R & 498T Gibson humbuckers;
Passive Electronics

I've yet to find a musical style that this guitar cannot do. It can be dark and dirty or crisp and clean, depending on how you set the tone and the strings used, and of course playing style. Playing this guitar through a Peavey Triple XXX 212 Combo, the tonal possibilities are practically limitless. As for noise, the humbuckers are as quiet as a church mouse.

The action was set up with the innotation spot-on from the factory. The pickups were a bit loose in their mounting, as it came from the Gibson factory, and the pickup selector switch has a bit of noise when swithing settings, hence the rating of 7. Everything else was perfect, the Natural Burst finish was flawless, as was the rest of the fit and finish.

I've been playing this guitar for over a year and a half without any problems, I don't forsee any issues with it in the near future. Gibson guitars will last a player's lifetime or longer, if properly cared for. The finish hasn't seen any visible wear, and the strap buttons seem to hold Levy's leather straps on very solidly.

I would never play any gig without a backup guitar no matter how good of quality it is. That would be like driving across the country without a spare tire, it just isn't too smart.

Had to deal with Gibson one time trying to get a new bridge for a Gibson Vintage J-45 Deluxe. The people there were very helpful and friendly and helped my resolve my situation without any problems.

I've been playing the guitar for about 25 years now and am very satisfied with the guitar. It is everything I need it to be, and more. I didn't compare the guitar with any others as I knew what I wanted and I bought it. I would eventually like to add a diamond-plate polished-aluminum pick-guard to the guitar, but that's about it. If I ever have any problems with the stock humbuckers I will upgrade them to '57 humbuckers. If it were lost or stolen I would probably buy a Les Paul Standard instead, just for a change, nothing against the SG though.

Standard, Trapazoid Inlays, bound fingerboard, Ebony, 2006 model. Neck is fat and meaty, I love it.

The ultimat Rock and Roll guitar. Amazing sustain and drive out of the stock pick ups. Can't believe my ears. Blows my USA Stratocaster away playing heavey rock and roll (KISS, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, etc.) I play through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or a DigiTeck RP200 with headphones. Sounds better than a Les Pual and weighs & costs a fraction.

Serial number stamped so that I can't read last 3 digits. Low e string set on saddle improperly reulting in a second croove in the seat. No big deal. Action and intonation set up perfect out of the box. I tested it with a meter after an hour to break in the strings. Not a single imperfection in the finish (Ebony). Kinda cheapo case with a fancy lock. The tuners are as smooth as I've ever seen.

Judging e-bay, they seem to last forever. Hope mine does. It's a Gibson right?

Hopefully I'll never find out.

I've been playing 21 years. I own a '58 Gretsch Anniversary, '60 Gretsch Double Anniversary, '99 American Standard Stratocaster, '80 MIJ Electa Les Paul copy. Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Amp and Tube Driver. I'm a closet hobbiest and play 5 or 6 hours a week. I think for Rock n Roll and a lot of blues styles, this is the ultimate guitar. It sounded good even playing some old country tunes (Luther Perkins). This is it, look no further.

Everybody knows what an SG looks like. It's just a straight up no frills electric guitar.

Rock and roll baby.
I use a peavey Triple XXX Tube screamer MXR phase 90 and wah.
This Guitar with the Triple XXX will do anything fron Waylon Country to Ass kicking heavy metal. I pity the fool who says it gets mushy with metal. What kind of amp are you using, a Crate?

I have bought guitars with Duncans in em and let me tell you this. There is no comparison. Now if you want a ZZ-Top sound yea, go ahead and use Pearly Gates but if you want to kick some booty stick with the stock pickups and USE A REAL AMP!!!

Now what is it with the tone Pot? If I roll off the tone knob on my LP with Burstbucker Pros, I can't get the old Clapton sound but Damn, this SG nails it down! Very versatile when it comes to tone!

I couldn't find a flaw on it.

I hate Les Pauls because you gotta use strap locks with em. Not so with SGs. Nitro Finish is thin but expensive. I guess it effects the tone quality somehow. Not as tough as a Les Paul but folks you need to treat your guitar with a little respect ok?

I hope I never have to use em.

I have been playing for 30 years and I have never and I mean never played a better combination than the SG Standard and The Peavey Triple XXX. You have got to trust me on this one. The Les Paul doesn't clean up as well, but This SG kicks just as hard as the LP. The LP might have just the slightest edge on harmonics though.

Finish is heritage cherry, but the color is rather dark, compared to the picture on Gibson?s website.
Serial number is: 90409449 so it?s made in 1999. And of course, in USA.
Made of mahogany as usual. 22 frets.
original pickups 490R & 498T, new Tony Iommi signatures.

And I got a beautiful, brown Gibson hard shell case with this baby. Purple/pink interior... Man, that?s hot!
(yet, ain?t it bit ironic -> TKL makes Gibson?s cases, so I have a Gibson USA guitar, in a case which has a big Gibson USA logo on top, and inside on the small hardware hatch, there is a small piece of leather (where you grap when you open the hatch) and it has TKL -logo on it and it says: "Made in Canada"...)

The sound of the original pickups (490R & 498T) was great and suited nicely for the type of music I play (somewhere between Black Sabbath and AC/DC with some added acoustic parts). But yet I decided to replace my them. I replaced them with Gibson Tony Iommi -signature pickups, and the main reason for doing this was that I?m such a huge Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi fan, and hey, the pickups were also f*ckin great!

With the new pickups, I have absolutely no (undesired) feedback problems. Well, to be fair, I didn?t have that too much with the original pickups either. I think the main difference between my old and new pickups is the power of the lower sounds, which is much richer, yet crystal with my new pickups.

I bought this guitar used, and it wasn?t in 10+ condition, but still very good. Some scratches, but that?s just normal in used guitars. The action was ok, could?ve been lower, but even now, it?s easy to play. I had some buzzing problems with the lower strings, but I lifted the brigde a bit to make it better, and it did.
One problem I had when I started playing this guitar, I found bending to be rather hard. First I wasn?t sure why it felt that way, but I think the main reason was that I got this guitar installed with 0.10 strings, but I?ve before used only 0.08 or 0.09 strings. But it just took a little time to get used to, and now it?s ok, and I didn?t even have to change my strings.

All the parts are (IMO) excellent quality. Controllers work the way they should without any extra noises. I think there is one cosmetic problem overall in this guitar. It is only my opinion, but I would like the headstock to have bingings, such as in some les pauls, or the new SG Supreme. But hey, that?s just a small thing.

This guitar is so excellent quality, that I would use this on a gig anytime without a backup guitar. I bought this used, and it was already played a lot, but still it was in good condition (made in 99, I got it in 06), so I think that with proper handling and caring, this guitar will last forever, or at least it will outlive me. I would say that you don?t have to take it to a guitar shop to be adjusted more than once a decade, if you handle it the way you should handle a Gibson, rock it hard, but with love.

The only actual flaw is the strap buttons. You HAVE TO buy straplocks, or you will accidentally drop the guitar and break the neck. And that don?t take much, ?cos the neck is made of one peace of mahogany. So buy straplocks, they are very cheap insurance.

Never dealt with them, but I sadly think, that because they are such a big corporation (I think) they may not have the time or interest to answer all our questions. Unless you?re a big rockstar of course.

And as I live in Finland, we don?t really have any store here, that would be authorised Gibson dealer, so...

I have been playing guitar for about 6 years now, and this is absolutely the best guitar I?ve ever played, and I?ve played somewhat many. Everything from Ibanez to Tokai, Epiphone to Fender, ESP to PRS and none of them compare with this baby. I even had a Gibson sg special faded, which was ok for it?s price, but nowhere near this baby.
And a great thing about this guitar is that (compared e.g. to Epiphone) it ain?t neck heavy, so even with a lighter strap, it won?t do the unpleasant neck diving.

I love everything about this guitar. The shape of this guitar is just so beautiful, yet so rock. And it weights just ok, some les pauls are way too heavy for me.

If this guitar would be stolen, I would be heart broken, and I would absolutely buy another one, no question about it. (or I would find the one that stole it, and hang him from his nuts).

2000, natural finish (refinish), 22 frets, mahogany body and neck, 4 pots, 3-way switch, Grover tuners, tune-o-matic bridge, all gold hardware, the usual. Plus a hardshell case. The kind with the awesome pink lining.

Well, the stock pickups sound beautiful. In my younger playing years, I decided to refinish the body and didn't think "hey, I can just de-solder the pickups at the pots!" because I was a moron. So I pulled the pickups apart and de-soldered at the poles. Biggest mistake of my life. I replaced them with Seymour Duncans and that turned out to be the second biggest mistake of my life. I got the 498T back in, but am looking to do a 500T and 490R combination once I get the money for it.
The body's tone is still astounding. Warm, rich, clean, beautiful. It has a very creamy but woody feel to it and can handle most every style (well, except for jazz now that I put back in the original bridge pickup). The mids and lows sustain like nothing else, and the highs have a great bell-like quality (as opposed to the harsher twang that you hear from some Gibsons). After getting this set up to where I want it, I have switched from playing at least 4 guitars regularly, to just playing this one. Hope to get another one soon for a backup.

This is the only thing I regularly have problems with. The action is alright if I take awhile to set it up. But after a string change, forget it. I have to set the whole guitar up basically every time the bridge is set free. I'm not sure why this is, but it's annoying. But oh well, it's still a great guitar that's close to my heart (awww!) and it's worth the extra maintenance.
The finish was fine when I got it (gloss black) and is even better now (oiled natural). Gibson did a great job with this guitar (except for the tenon, which has a very poorly done insert. No problems yet with that, so no worries).

I have gigged with this guitar for the past 6 years and I plan on doing it for the next however many more. It is a workhorse and has gone through so much abuse. It has been dropped on its headstock and suffered only a broken tuning gear (impressively, the string was still in tune). Has been punched in the output jack (with a cable plugged in) and only received a minor split in the grain in that section. I would trust this guitar with my life (although I don't see how that'd be possible).

Never had to deal with them, never will (since my warranty is over).

A+ Gibson! I got a good one!

2006, Ebony, Nitro Finish, 480 & 498 humbuckers, Tune-o-matic bridge, hardshell case. I really wish this thing had a tremolo but, like all Gibsons, you get the huge, old-man, shiney accoustic bridge thing...

Has the best tone of any guitar I've ever played for rock. The pickups are thick and meaty, MUCH better than whatever they put on the Special. This guitar has crazy sustain, and powerful, forceful tone. One of the best sounding guitars I've ever played.

Not finished well. Yes, Nitro is thin and scratches easily, blah blah. They actually missed some spots where I can see wood. I scratched it by wiping off some dirt with a cotton polishing rag. Who cares - the more scratches the better, but still...

Finish is finiky, but I like it. A guitar should wear well and Fenders with Nitro Finishes are rare and cost too much. Not sure about the switches and pots on Gibsons, but if they're anything like Epiphones then expect them to crack apart and disintegrate within 6 months. I'll asume they use better ones. Other than that, I plan to have this guitar forever - there's always a place for the SG in your lineup and the Standard is, in my opinion, the best.

N/A

I don't like Les Pauls. It's like trying to play a 40 pound log with gold plating and a baseball bat for a neck that doesn't even fit on your knee when you're sitting. Retarded. In fact, Gibson in general is kind of old school for my taste. Everything they make looks like a big, fancy, silly accoustic guitar with shiney stuff all over it, a thick neck and no tremolo...
I'm a Fender Strat guy, but strats simply don't compare when it comes to heavier sound that this SG can crank out. This SG is thin, light, looks cool as hell and sounds awesome. It's the only Gibson I will consider until I become too old to play fast scales, or arpeggios or bend notes down...

Pretty simple. A standard, classic instrument.

Great for rock and blues. I've heard the complaint that the sg doesn't have a good clean sound but I think it's fine. Of course, the humbuckers are great for all types of leads.

OK, here's the problem--the binding is tricky. I get an occasional clicking sound when the high e string rolls off of the fret (any fret) and onto the, slightly lower, binding. There wil be more on this in my review of customer service. Otherwise, everything's fine.

There are so many stories about gibsons cracking at the bottom of the headstock. I know that it's something that Gibson lovers have learned to live with and I thought I would too but it has been a bit of a drag always having to lug it around in it's hard case. I have an epiphone/gibson acoustic that sustained the crack in question so feel justified in making this complaint.

The folks at Gibson were plenty friendly and surprisingly prompt with their responses. However, they refused to offer any advice other than to go to a GIbson- approved service center (of which there are only 2 in all of new york city). I went to both to ask about my binding concerns and heard a suspiciously similar thing from eacch--:umm, I don't know but would you like to sepnd $150 for a setup?"

I think a new instrument at this price should be perfect and I bought it new becasue I wanted the peace of mind that the warranty would bring. The warranty has been useless so far and the opportunities to take advantage of it are limited at best. If you're on the fence about whether to buy a vintage or new sg, don't do whatI did- don't let the warranty give you a false sense of safety.

just got a 2006 heritage cherry SG, mahogany body, 498t and 490r pick-ups.. made in usa, 22 frets. come with a case..

I play hardcore to softer rock.. but even throw in some metal... so pretty much ne kind of rock, its perfrect.. the bridge pick-up is way bassier then my fenders and thats a great thing. the pickups are very quiet.. the pickup soak up every note.. and it holds them forever.

action is pretty good, i wish it had a tapered neck like my USA strat.. but still good, the pickups are set great.. with the bridge extremely close to the strings. I love it. the neck is beutiful with the inlays. the hardware is great and shiny.. and compliments the guitars look perfectly. everything seems to work great and quality seems awsome.

seems built great... the finish is so good, i dont even want to touch it in fear i might leave prints.. so beutiful. the strap buttons are good. but i was to scared about it coming off the back one.. so i put straplocks on it. This guitar is solid as a rock, wut can say..

havnt dealt with them

ive always been a fender guy.. i have an american fender fat strat.. american tele, and a mexican fender fat strat.. ive been playin for almost 4 years... i play through a mesa boogie dual rectifier head.. and a mesa boogie standard 4x12 cab with vintage 30s. i also have a fender hot rod deluxe i love to jam through. i would deffinetly replace this guitar if it were stolen. ITS MY FAVORITE GUITAR.. even better than my fenders.. ITS GREAT!!

2001 Cherry Red SG Standard. Features are the same as listed below. This guitar has everything you need - nothing more and nothing less. One nice feature that most people don't mention is the case. I do a lot of travelling and this case is well constructed and very stylish.

This guitar sounds amazing! I play classic rock and blues and this guitar was born to play both. I play through either a Fender Blues Junior or a Marshall DSL 401 combo. I only use a TS9 and Wah for effects, although sometimes I throw in an old Phase 90 and a Boss DD-3 when I?m in the mode. The SG sounds great through the Fender, especially with the TS9, but really takes-off when I plug it into the Marshall. It has a nice rich/full sound, especially when distorted. I was surprised at the range of sounds I can get out of this guitar. You can get a nice smooth tone when you use the neck pick-up with the tone rolled off and a balls-out rock lead tone with the bridge pick-up cranked.

I tried several different guitars before I bought this SG, including a Les Paul Classic and Standard, SG ?61 Re-issue, SG Special, PRS Standard 22 and PRS McCarty. The only guitar I liked more was the McCarty, but it was way too expensive. I found the SG actually sounded better than the other Gibson?s I tried and it was the least expensive of the bunch. The Les Paul?s just sounded a bit too muddy for my taste.

I?ll give it a 9 because nothing?s perfect, but if you like classic rock and blues, especially Cream, AC/DC, Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin, you can?t go wrong with an SG!

This guitar was in great shape when I bought it, but I think that?s a credit to the quality of the store not necessarily the Gibson factory. Everything was adjusted properly and there were no noticeable flaws. My only complaint is the loose toggle switch, but that seemed to be the case for most of the Gibson?s I tried out, so maybe that?s just the way it is.

I?ll give my SG a 9 in this category, however I must say that I tried several Gibson products from several different stores and the quality in workmanship definitely was not consistent. Some models, like a few Les Paul Classic?s that I tried, had obvious flaws in the finish and in one case the binding was starting to separate from the fingerboard! This is totally unaccepted for a $2000 guitar. I strongly recommend that you buy a guitar in person rather than buying it on-line. I played about 10 different Gibson?s before I bought this SG and at least 3 of them had obvious flaws. Those are not good odds when you?re paying thousands of dollars.

Also, I tried the SG Special and was disappoint in the fact that it was only $200 cheaper and you don?t any of the features of the standard (covered pick-ups, neck binding, trapezoid inlays, better finish) or the hard shell case. Either the Special is over priced or the Standard is a deal. Either way, if you?re thinking about the SG Special, I recommend saving up a few more bucks and getting the Standard. It?s definitely worth it!

If you treat this guitar well, or any quality guitar for that matter, it will last a lifetime. That being said, strap locks are a good investment. I don?t play live as much as I use to, but I think I could definitely depend of this guitar.

No need yet.

I?ve been playing for about 15 years. I also own a Fender Standard Strat (USA) and a Fender Standard Tele (USA). As mentioned earlier, I play through a Blues Junior and Marshall DSL 401. For effects I have a TS9, Dunlop Wah, Phase 90 and a Boss DD-3. I also have a Dyna Comp and a Boss CH-1, but I rarely use them. This guitar is a great match for my playing style. I routinely choose it over my Strat and Tele. I prefer the full/rich sound of humbuckers, although the Strat and Tele definitely have their place. If I had to choose one of the three I would definitely choose the SG. I love the way this guitar sounds! Just plug it in and play a few AC/DC or Zeppelin riffs and you?ll be in heaven. Plus you won?t break your back (or your wallet) like you will with a Les Paul. In the future I may replace the bridge pick-up with a Classic ?57, but only out of curiosity. The stock pick-ups are great! If I had to change something about the SG it would be to move the input jack to the bottom, like a Tele, and tighten up the toggle switch. Other than that I have no complaints about the SG. This guitar looks and sounds great. Think of all the great players that have played an SG at one point in their careers and you know you?ll be in good company with the SG Standard.

Gibson SG Standard 2006. Two alnico humbuckers, 22 frets. 2 volumes and two tones. Neck is not a slim taper but I guess it is not rounded either. It is kind of between two of them. A black one, and comes with a Tune-O-Matic bridge.

The sound is very good for my tastes. I have been playing mostly rock music. With a tiny practice amp or with a tube one, the sound is very good and bright but not bright you can get from Fenders. I simply can say, rich and bright sound it has. Clean tones are good. With overdrive and distortion the sound is amazing. It has little noise but I guess it is not a problem. I think, you can play all sorts of music with Gibson SG.

I think I was lucky, I did not adjust anything. With a factory settings, I started to play right away. I might little lower the action,though. The height of the pickups is alright. There is no flaw at all. Only one thing needs attention, it might have slight tuning problems. Again to me it is not a problem, cause I prefer Grovers, if I have to change them.

I don't have any idea I have not tested it yet.

No idea.

I have been playing more than 15 years. I have couple of ibanez guitars, a kramer, used to have Gibson LPs, a Carvin etc. I think SG suits me fine, it has everything what I was looking for. If LPs were not that heavy I probably would not have SG. If it was stolen or lost, I would definetly get me a new one. I personally think that SG can not be compared to other guitars because it has its unique features. I guess you will see what I mean when you have one. If you want high end guitar then you can buy Gibson LP or maybe a PRS. But I can assure you, SG has its own class and variety.

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.