22 out of 22 people found this review helpful.
SG Simplicity
Date of Review: May 25, 2001
The Bottom Line: The SG Special is a great overall guitar at an affordable price for a Gibson. If you need Gibson tone for under $700.00, then this might be your ticket.
Tony Iommi. Angus Young. Carols Santana. What do all of these names evoke in the guitar player's mind? The Gibson SG, of course. Each of the above skilled players, and many not named, gave the Gibson SG its popularity and stage character in the 60?s and 70's. But it wasn?t on the little devil-horned look alone that the SG became and still is one of the best Gibsons money can buy. These guitars are full of rich tone and are very comfortable to play. If you like simplicity, the SG Special can be had for about $700.00. Not bad considering most Gibson tone at this level costs twice that.
The superior neck and body are the true benefits of owning an SG. The body, first of all, is a very thin cut of mahogany. It is wide and flat; therefore, it fits easily in your lap for playing in a seated position. Although the mahogany is thinner than a Les Paul, the tone is quite similar in color and character. I own a Les Paul Studio. The SG almost sounds identical but has a little more top end. Mahogany in the SG creates wonderful sustain that lasts for what seems like infinity. The neck is mahogany as well and is glued in a set joint. This neck is not quite a ?59 rounded Les Paul neck, but it feels like a mix between the ?60s slim-taper and the ?59 rounded ? definitely the chunky neck we Gibson players all know and love.
The 490R in the neck is warm and jazzy when played clean. When distorted, the 490R sings a bassy lead line much like a Les Paul. In the bridge position sits a 490T, a medium-output, trebly/middy pickup with subtle bottom end. Combined, these pickups add a depth and character of tone that screams Gibson.
The overall look of the guitar is appealing and, I think, one of the more popular characteristics of this instrument. Mine is ebony, a deep, rich black that looks great close up and far away, even without any binding. The only unappealing physical characteristic is the dot inlays. The Standard SG carries the trapezoid inlays -- what a difference in look. But for $700.00 less, I choose the dot inlays.
The chrome stop tailpiece and Tune-o-Matic bridge promote sustain and easy adjustment. Have you ever tried to change strings on a Floyd Rose or standard tremolo? If so, you know the extreme difficulty. With this guitar, string changes are actually enjoyable thanks to the stop tailpiece.
Tuners are one of the most important parts of a guitar, for they keep you in tune. Kluson tuners, which come standard on the SG Special, are unreliable and bring the guitar out of tune often. Why Gibson insists on putting these ?vintage? tuners on their guitars is beyond me. I wish they would get with the times, like they did with most of the Les Pauls, and include Grover Rotomatics on all of their instruments. With a $40.00 investment, you can put your own Grovers on and have a perfect guitar.
The SG Special is ?somethin? special.? It has all of the good qualities of a true made-in-the-USA Gibson. All of this and the SG Special is in the sub-$700.00 price range, something that is hard to find from Gibson. Although I highly recommend first trying out an SG and assessing your playing needs, you should consider this a sensible addition to your guitar collection.
