SG's through the different decades?

Clockworkmike said:
Thats the Supra right? Was looking it up, neat guitar. From what i read it had the TogPot like you mentioned that can blend in the middle pickup, which is neat, plus its 24 fret. It said that it also has a piezo pickup under the bridge?
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Yep, one of the pots blends that in too. Also has an ebony board, which I love. Great playing guitar with lots of various tones.
 
Don O said:
Yep, one of the pots blends that in too. Also has an ebony board, which I love. Great playing guitar with lots of various tones.
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Thats awesome! Always hated that the Standards and 61 reissues were the only ones that didnt have Ebony fretboards, while the Customs, special editions like yours and even the regular specials came with them stock. Rosewood is fine but I definitely love the ebony better. Sleeker and faster playing
 
If my blurry memory serves me correctly, in the seventies... Gibson kind of lost it's way. To be kind. With the exception of a few remarkable models.

In the eighties, they really started listening to their customers. Some of the attention to detail in Les Pauls and Korina models were amazing between '80 and '85. But they were using the SG to compete with the "Super Strats" and other "high Profile" guitars of the time. It was a good platform for many pickup combinations, tremolos, and other "innovations" at the time. Unfortunately for Gibson, the customers weren't lining up. It wasn't until after popularity for Gibsons returned in the late eighties (and a change of ownership), before you saw a return to the classic (or more period correct) SG designs to return.
 
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Beagle said:
My 70s SG fell down the cellar steps in the 70s. I found out that they don't travel well. The three pieces were glued, screwed and traded in pronto :p I've never had the SG urge since.
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Going by type, SG's are my favorite guitars. They are also the only guitars I won't buy unseen because they are simply too finicky. It' s like they balance right on the edge, when they are good they are great but a lot are lemons, probably a far larger percentage than any other type of guitars. Weak headstocks, weak neck joints, neck dives, necks that are riddled with dead spots etc.

That lovely pelham blue special I had suffered from neck dive, I could live with that, it went half a step put of tune if I didn't hold it completely upright or if I grabbed the neck too hard, I could live with that too because of the early 60's neck joint that provided unhindered access all the way up. What I couldn't live with was the dead spots, every single f-note on the fretboard was dead with only a few seconds sustain. If I played it with fuzz or overdrive the f's would die out into wolf tones (actually sounded cool but couldn't be controlled). If I put the headstock against a wall I had wonderful, full sustain all over the neck but if I removed the headstock from the wall while the note rang out I could feel a very distinct "boooiiinnnggg" throughoutvthe guitar as the entire neck staryed to vibrate, killing the sound.

It was my own fault, I played it before I bought it but didn't do a good enough job, now I check all SG's for those very "flaws". My current 2011 Std has no neckdive at all, it had a stable neck and doesn't go out of tune if I grab it hard, it does have slightly less sustain from F-notes but not enough so to make a difference. If I ever buy another SG again it will be in person or a new one with a very good return policy.
 
Astral. Buying in person and with a thorough testing is the best way. I would also go one step farther if I knew of a particular model that I also knew a good number of owners who know their way around a guitar like you or me and we all had good experiences witbh that particular model.
SG Faded Specials comes to mind. Also SG Classics are well known for being of good and reliable quality. I own one of each, and bought both in person.
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
Astral. Buying in person and with a thorough testing is the best way. I would also go one step farther if I knew of a particular model that I also knew a good number of owners who know their way around a guitar like you or me and we all had good experiences witbh that particular model.
SG Faded Specials comes to mind. Also SG Classics are well known for being of good and reliable quality. I own one of each, and bought both in person.
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Yep! Unfortunately it's not always possible to buy in person but with a good return policy it's more of a hassle than a problem. If my Pelham Blue Special hadn't misbehaved I would never have complained about it over at the SG forum and you'd never have brought me over here :)
 
Astral, I truly understand your findings and experiences with the Pelham and the actions you took to verify what your ears and fingers were telling you. I likely would have done the same as you. So, to have you post of this here does us all a service to hear of issues when one of us experiences them.

I got incredibly lucky with my first ever SG purchase. Ebay, and I even got what I call one of the unusual ones. 1987 Sg Special, No guard, 3 knobs, Bill Lawrence Circuit Board pickups. This thing is a no nonsense, feels like a dream guitar and like i said, I was lucky since I never really tried and SG before buying this one as my first ever. It did however lead to the future purchases of the Faded and Classic that I mentioned.
 
Now I don't like to play LP's although this is insanely beautiful. It does give an insight to what Maybach do though.

 
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