Gibson SG Special Electric Guitar

When I decided to invest in a quality electric guitar, I didn't have more than a thousand dollars to spare. I wasn't necessarily looking for a bargain...just something I could afford at the time. So, I start trying out some Gibson SGs. As you can imagine, I fell in love with them immediately. Needless to say, I put my money on the SG Special. And here's why...

I got my SG in Ebony with chrome hardware. If you're concerned about attractiveness, you really can't go wrong with this style.

The body and neck are Mahogany. SG bodies are made from multi-piece mahogany with a one-piece neck. Now, you have to be careful with this kind of instrument. It's not like a Stratocaster...and by that, I mean that Strats are relatively indestructible. With an SG, you have to watch out for the neck. I've seen so many cases where the neck will crack. It's even happened to me. It can usually be glued and lacquered, but my point is that it's very delicate.

Also, Stratocasters have tilted cord plugs, where SGs have them right on the front of the body. Which means that if you're plugged in, and were to step on the cord, there's a risk that you could end up ripping the guts out of the guitar. Am I exaggerating? Well, I've seen it happen. However, it's more likely that the damage will only be to the cord. The solution is to simply tuck the cord over your guitar strap...which most live musicians do anyway.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, we can continue with why I love this guitar...

I prefer the placement of the tuners on the SG, as opposed to the six on one side deal. I find it more appealing. I've also found that the tuners are gentler, in the sense that they're smooth. With the Fenders I have, they tend to tighten up easily...leading to a less accurate tuning. It has a lot to do with the fact that I don't play them very often, but even when I've abandoned my SG for a long while, I never have a problem.

Here's the best part about an SG. You can breathe on this guitar...and it will play. It has beautiful and versatile tone, which makes it a good choice for a variety of styles. It's also a very sensitive instrument. Not a buzzing and static sensitive. I'd been playing a Fender before I bought the SG, so I had grown accustomed to heavy movement and hard pressing. Granted, these things can be adjusted, or I could have changed the strings and so on. But even with all the settings in place for my playing preferences, it was a cold feeling. (I wasn't playing a top of the line Strat, but it was rather comparable to the SG. Things of course get better as you pay more.) Then I picked up the SG. I was quite impressed by the sound I got out of it. I was able to focus more on my playing, and less on trying to force something out of it.

The guitar body and neck are relatively thin, which is my personal preference. The guitar is rather light as well. If you plan to play sitting down, its contour makes the SG more fitting than a Fender.


For some vital information, here are some important specs...

Body - Mahogany

Neck - Mahogany

Fingerboard - Rosewood

Inlay - Dot

Bridge/Tailpiece - Tune-O-Matic/Stop bar

Hardware - Chrome on Ebony or Gold on Cream

Pickups - Rhythm: 490R Alnico magnet humbucker
Treble: 490T Alnico magnet humbucker

Controls - Two volume, two tone, three-way switch


I play the guitar often, and it holds tuning well. I usually play it through a Marshall VS65R. With that, I can get some nice, crunchy distortion. I still prefer effects pedals, which I use, and which work well with the SG. It's perfect for the bassy, crunchy, distorted muting (which I use a lot of), because of the sensitivity. I don't necessarily recommend this amp (it's about as small as you can get away with for gigging), but it's what I've got...so it's what I use.

The dependability is good. I've been around with the SG, and the only problem I've had is the cracked neck incident. You're probably thinking that's a big deal then, right? Yes and no. Yes because well, it's a cracked neck! And no because it happened when I wasn't around. So there's no knowing what went on, who touched it, who dropped it, you know.

As for the Warranty, I haven't had to use it. The cracked neck wasn't a factory defect.


Important Precautions...

As I said before, be careful with it! I recommend a hard case if you plan to travel with it, and a neckless stand for keeping it on. If you need to lean the guitar neck on something briefly, lean it string side down. Don't do anything that would promote cracking.

If the neck does crack (it is a common problem), leave the strings on! A lot of people rush to take the strings off, thinking the pressure will cause the neck to continue splitting. When in fact, taking the strings off for an extended period of time can cause the neck to bend. Guitars are made to have strings on them. All you have to do is take it somewhere for someone to epoxy and lacquer it.


Price...

It retails over 1,000 dollars, but you won't end up paying over 800 for it. So, it's relatively inexpensive when you look at the other SG models. It all depends on how much you have to spend towards it. Of course, if you have the money, I would absolutely suggest that you try out the higher end SGs (if only for the inlay). Whichever one you get, you'll have the awesome SG quality.


I recommend it for?

If you're looking for a high quality guitar with a good value, the SG Special is a perfect consideration. Of course, Gibson makes other models in the SG line, so I'd check those out as well.

In terms of musical style, this guitar will fit most anything. I play mostly heavy, distorted, industrial guitar parts. I also use it for some clean melodies. I'd say it can go from hardcore to prog-rock solo. The sound quality is excellent, so it's all up to the player to choose the right effects, amps, and whatnot.

As for level, I wouldn't recommend you to buy this for your kid's first electric guitar. It's not a good starter. Why? This is a delicate instrument, and it needs proper care. If you're looking to start your son or daughter on the electric guitar, I'd steer you more towards a Fender Squier. Those guitars are made with beginners in mind.