TBird
Wholenote
Posts: 298
Formerly Known As: greg1948
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Post by TBird on Apr 21, 2020 13:44:11 GMT -5
I recently acquired a very nice Gibson SG Elegant. It is a beauty with crimson quilted top, gold hardware, abalone inlays, etc., and sounds wonderful. Even with the good deal I got, it is an expensive guitar and I've been afraid to play it. But when I do, I find that whether seated or standing, the balance of the guitar is way different from most other guitars. It sits more forward, meaning the headstock is further to my left and so the 22nd frets are more to the left as well. Now, I do like that because it makes easier access to the highest frets. I don't seem to have a problem in reaching the low frets. The thing is, I tend to grab a whole step higher than I mean to. So I go by feel and play a C barre chord at 8th fret I find that I'm playing D. Disconcerting, to say the least. If I want to use this guitar in a band situation, I'll really have to watch where I am on the neck or things could go south real quick.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Apr 21, 2020 14:06:31 GMT -5
I do the same thing if I pick up an SG, but I eventually adapt. I'm also more used to adapting to different guitars than many, since I've been working on guitars for the last 18 years.
Are the side dots visible enough? You could put something on there as training wheels until you get the hang of it. Make sure whatever it is won't munge the lacquer too much, and/or take it off before too long.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Apr 21, 2020 15:28:22 GMT -5
It's easier when first starting on an SG to play seated because it moves all the geometry a little closer to most other electrics. I'm not recommending this because the more you play it standing up, the faster you'll adapt.
The Firebird is similar, along with certain versions of the 335--they push everything to the left when it's hanging on a strap.
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Post by HenryJ on Apr 22, 2020 7:03:11 GMT -5
My late Beatlemaniac brother had, in his lifetime, nearly every guitar ever played by George Harrison and John Lennon. He and our other brother and I used to jam every time we got together at Christmastime.
The best sounding guitar he ever had was a Gibson SG. I think he got rid of it because of the neck dive. But it certainly had a great tone.
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Post by neilp on Apr 22, 2020 12:55:58 GMT -5
I used to have an SG that I really liked in many ways. It was great to use it on the Cream stuff we covered in a former band, it nailed that sound so well. But I sold it in the end as it ended up always staying at home. I just found it too hard to "reprogram" my left hand to the neck being offset to the left when playing it. I had to be very wary of starting solos in the wrong key if not careful ... and that gets old, and embarrassing!
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Post by Seldom Seen on Apr 22, 2020 13:08:42 GMT -5
I’ve learned to adapt to my SG. It took some time playing it. For a while I raised the action and just played open-tuning slide but it limited what is truly a great guitar. Lower weight and great access to the upper registers are a thing of beauty.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2020 15:25:37 GMT -5
as mentioned side-markers help. One thing you can try is to dedicate one guitar strap to the SG and try to set it (no matter how high or low) to get close to the feel of your other guitars.
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Post by Seldom Seen on Apr 24, 2020 20:03:50 GMT -5
^Good idea^ and choose a leather strap with a heavy nappe.
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Post by LTB on Apr 24, 2020 23:13:08 GMT -5
The best sounding guitar he ever had was a Gibson SG. I think he got rid of it because of the neck dive. But it certainly had a great tone. You know how on many forums if someone refers to the Guitar's 1/4" Jack as an "input jack" and darts start flying from all directions toward that person? I try not to do that but find my brain "Knotting up into a ball" so to speak every time I hear about SG Neck dive as it is so easy to fix. Either hold the neck at a 20-30 degree upward angle or use a wider strap. Ok, I digress  As you were  |
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Post by LesTele on Apr 24, 2020 23:19:24 GMT -5
No one has mentioned ‘whippy necks’ yet.
I wasn’t delicate enough for the SG.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2020 10:45:32 GMT -5
I still have a '72 SG Deluxe that I sometimes play. The only complaint that I ever had would be again the head/neck weight that pulls the head down. I now play a LP mostly which sure doesn't share that problem.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Apr 25, 2020 17:30:45 GMT -5
The best sounding guitar he ever had was a Gibson SG. I think he got rid of it because of the neck dive. But it certainly had a great tone. You know how on many forums if someone refers to the Guitar's 1/4" Jack as an "input jack" and darts start flying from all directions toward that person? I try not to do that but find my brain "Knotting up into a ball" so to speak every time I hear about SG Neck dive as it is so easy to fix. Either hold the neck at a 20-30 degree upward angle or use a wider strap. Ok, I digress As you were Funny you should mention the "input jack" thing, because that's long been a pet peeve of mine, but I've never heard any one else call attention to it! It isn't as bad as saying Pee-zee-oh, or pie (like the dish)-zoh. Pee-Ay-Zoh. It isn't the average person saying that drives me nuts, it is when professionals like sales reps or 'journalists' can't seem to get it. Do some homework. Also, your shiny black short sleeve with your company logo doesn't look professional... you just look like a douchey bartender. Deep breaths. Anyway... I agree with the stuff on the straps. In fact, during my first music store job (meaning, when I was spending WAAAY too much money on gear and accessories) I tried a whole bunch and I found I greatly preferred straps with some grip to them. The nylon/seatbelty ones aren't my favorite. That way, barring extreme weight issues, if I set a guitar in a position, it stays there. My favorite is the Levy (also branded as Fender) leather and cotton one. |
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Post by HenryJ on Apr 25, 2020 17:41:43 GMT -5
You know how on many forums if someone refers to the Guitar's 1/4" Jack as an "input jack" and darts start flying from all directions toward that person? I try not to do that but find my brain "Knotting up into a ball" so to speak every time I hear about SG Neck dive as it is so easy to fix. Either hold the neck at a 20-30 degree upward angle or use a wider strap. Ok, I digress As you were Funny you should mention the "input jack" thing, because that's long been a pet peeve of mine, but I've never heard any one else call attention to it! It isn't as bad as saying Pee-zee-oh, or pie (like the dish)-zoh. Pee-Ay-Zoh. It isn't the average person saying that drives me nuts, it is when professionals like sales reps or 'journalists' can't seem to get it. Do some homework. Also, your shiny black short sleeve with your company logo doesn't look professional... you just look like a douchey bartender. Deep breaths. Anyway... I agree with the stuff on the straps. In fact, during my first music store job (meaning, when I was spending WAAAY too much money on gear and accessories) I tried a whole bunch and I found I greatly preferred straps with some grip to them. The nylon/seatbelty ones aren't my favorite. That way, barring extreme weight issues, if I set a guitar in a position, it stays there. My favorite is the Levy (also branded as Fender) leather and cotton one. Good to see Jeff and Dave back with us. The Muscato brothers.  Actually, I'm a spelling, pronunciation, punctuation, and usage police myself. |
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Post by LTB on Apr 25, 2020 21:17:26 GMT -5
No one has mentioned ‘whippy necks’ yet. I wasn’t delicate enough for the SG. Well then, now I know. I am a delicate flower   |
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Post by Duke on Apr 25, 2020 21:36:44 GMT -5
I wasn’t delicate enough for the SG. Yes, they can be very lightweight and the headstock angle especially is fragile. |
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Post by stratcowboy on Apr 25, 2020 22:37:14 GMT -5
Actually, I'm a spelling, pronunciation, punctuation, and usage police myself. Ditto. I'm a slave to my late mother's English major mentality. She kept the instruction going even at the dinner table. I see stuff in magazines, on the web, yes...here at Moe's, etc., that has poor spelling, punctuation and just funky grammar all around, and I really have to control myself to keep my mouth shut. Sorry to sidetrack. Please proceed, gentlemen (and ladies)... |
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Post by stratcowboy on Apr 25, 2020 22:38:36 GMT -5
Yes, they can be very lightweight and the headstock angle especially is fragile. Yup...definitely seen that happen. Snap! |
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Post by LTB on Apr 26, 2020 23:59:15 GMT -5
Yes, they can be very lightweight and the headstock angle especially is fragile. Yup...definitely seen that happen. Snap! Isn't that a typical Gibson issue to Les Paul's and others due to their headstock angle and not just SG? |
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Post by LTB on Apr 30, 2020 21:19:07 GMT -5
"Isn't headstock breaking a typical Gibson issue to Les Paul's and others due to their headstock angle and not just SG?"
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Apr 30, 2020 22:31:16 GMT -5
"Isn't headstock breaking a typical Gibson issue to Les Paul's and others due to their headstock angle and not just SG?" Correct. It is a combination of the peghead angle and how much wood is carved out for the truss rod cavity. I've personally seen more breaks on LPs than anything else, I suspect just because there are more LPs out there, and since they are heavier, when they fall they fall harder. That said, there was a stretch of time where SGs routinely had VERY skinny necks further exacerbating the breakage while Les Pauls weren't going super skinny, or had multi-piece maple necks or a volute. It is possible that in a certain time frame SGs were breaking more than LPs, but in present day stuff I imagine it would be about equal.
There might be something to be said for an SG being a bit more tipsy in a guitar stand, too. Many of those breaks involve a guitar stand being shoved from the back, sometimes by a dog.
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Post by LTB on May 1, 2020 16:47:41 GMT -5
"Isn't headstock breaking a typical Gibson issue to Les Paul's and others due to their headstock angle and not just SG?" Correct. It is a combination of the peghead angle and how much wood is carved out for the truss rod cavity. I've personally seen more breaks on LPs than anything else, I suspect just because there are more LPs out there, and since they are heavier, when they fall they fall harder. That said, there was a stretch of time where SGs routinely had VERY skinny necks further exacerbating the breakage while Les Pauls weren't going super skinny, or had multi-piece maple necks or a volute. It is possible that in a certain time frame SGs were breaking more than LPs, but in present day stuff I imagine it would be about equal.
There might be something to be said for an SG being a bit more tipsy in a guitar stand, too. Many of those breaks involve a guitar stand being shoved from the back, sometimes by a dog.
I have read in SG's early days there was a big problem with necks where they attached to the body's and some corrections had to be make. |
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Post by Mike the marksman on May 4, 2020 7:27:52 GMT -5
The biggest issue I have with my SG is the thin neck, which causes my hand to cramp something fierce when playing barre chords in the lower registers. It doesn't give any support and I have to hyper-extend my thumb on the back of the neck to get a good grip on the chords.
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Post by LTB on May 4, 2020 8:28:54 GMT -5
The biggest issue I have with my SG is the thin neck, which causes my hand to cramp something fierce when playing barre chords in the lower registers. It doesn't give any support and I have to hyper-extend my thumb on the back of the neck to get a good grip on the chords. So far that hasn’t happened to me and I hope it doesn’t. You are not the only one that has said that. |
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