SG Fret Reach
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NonsenseTele
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normal you mean gibson set neck? outstanding...
NonsenseTele
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How about going to a music store and try one? the tone is not the same...
rockskate4x
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The reach is great on a gibby style SG, but I feel that the relatively unstable neck joint and overall unbalanced nature of the guitar make this a major compromise in the design. I owned an SG for a long time and decided it would good for me to get used to the reach on bolt-ons than to deal with the SG's problems.
rockskate4x
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the upper strap button does not go far enough towards the headstock for the guitar to balance on my shoulder. I moved it to the upper horn eventually which improved balance, but it did not fix it. The les paul has a very long neck tenon which makes the neck joint much stronger than any SG. SG's have almost no neck tenon. The neck extends just beyond the 21st fret under the neck pickup, but not far enough. This neck joint is weak enough that if I tune the guitar with it laying down strings-up in my lap than it will go out of tune just from the guitar being put in the playing postion. This tuning instability is a big pain in the arse to me but it allows me to do artifitial dive bombs and things just by pushing on the back of the headstock.
erogenousjones17
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rockskate4x said:
I've got an old Telestar (Japanese guitar from the 60s, possibly made by Kawai) that does the same thing, but it's a bolt-on. It's got an oversized Strat-style headstock, and the neck pocket is very short and narrow, so there's very little contact area. The tuning thing is a pain in the neck, but that guitar is actually still pretty awesome.
I can also sympathize with not having a decent music store in your area, since it wasn't until I went to university that I saw a good music store (or what I thought was a good music store). When I moved here for grad school last year and found actual good music stores, I nearly went nuts!
And now back to the actual subject of this thread... :laughing7:
Idk what it is about SG's but I can't stand the feel of them. I was in a band where the lead singer insisted I use his SG to match the tones on the album that he recorded with a telecaster, and that he himself wasn't matching with his Eastwood Airline. Long story short, the SG really hurt my shoulder, was incredibly difficult to play, and his particular SG was terrible sounding. That being said the best feeling neck i've ever played was a really old SG at a guitar show. The $10,000 they wanted for it made me forget how nice the neck felt though...
As for the actual subject, the fret access is great, and the new zoot suit ones have 24 frets and are suprisingly good sounding.
As for the actual subject, the fret access is great, and the new zoot suit ones have 24 frets and are suprisingly good sounding.
Ace Flibble
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Typical SGs always seem nice in theory but in practise I can't get on with them either. The fret access is actually the one thing about them you don't need to worry about, they've got better fret access than any other guitar I've ever found (even my neck-through, contoured ESPs). The real problems they have though are close to countless. No matter where you place the strap buttons and even with the slimmest necks, they dive headstock-first to the floor every chance they get. The neck pickup tone tends to sound far weaker than on any Les Paul, PRS or thick-bodied super-Strat. Traditional Gibson ones do have horrible tuning issues, especially if you're a bit rough with your guitars on stage. The controls are cluttered for anyone with larger hands and the shallow body means you can be pretty limited in terms of extras you want to stick in 'em.
I keep thinking I'll build a Warmoth SG, since they make their bodies slightly thicker which gives you a better weight balance and more room in the control cavity, but every other SG I've tried has been such a lost cause I'm not sure I want to risk the money on a Warmoth which just might solve some of the worse problems SGs have.
Only exception I've found are the Gibson SG Goddess models, if you stick the strap button on the front horn. Those actually seem to at least balance better, but they're so stupidly thin all-round you get a crap tone out of 'em.
If you want Les Paul-ish tone with better fret access, try PRS guitars (or copies of them by brands like Tokai and Vintage if your budget can't stretch to what PRS ask). They are a touch thinner-toned and just a tiny bit brighter than LEs Pauls, but their usual double cutaway design really improves fret access without them having many of the problems SGs have. A Double Cut Les Paul might also be a good option though I don't know of too many good ones being made these days.
I keep thinking I'll build a Warmoth SG, since they make their bodies slightly thicker which gives you a better weight balance and more room in the control cavity, but every other SG I've tried has been such a lost cause I'm not sure I want to risk the money on a Warmoth which just might solve some of the worse problems SGs have.
Only exception I've found are the Gibson SG Goddess models, if you stick the strap button on the front horn. Those actually seem to at least balance better, but they're so stupidly thin all-round you get a crap tone out of 'em.
If you want Les Paul-ish tone with better fret access, try PRS guitars (or copies of them by brands like Tokai and Vintage if your budget can't stretch to what PRS ask). They are a touch thinner-toned and just a tiny bit brighter than LEs Pauls, but their usual double cutaway design really improves fret access without them having many of the problems SGs have. A Double Cut Les Paul might also be a good option though I don't know of too many good ones being made these days.
erogenousjones17
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Don't say old. Say "vintage" and it'll sound much more appealing. :icon_thumright:
Ace Flibble said:
Having owned 4 SG's....
Never had a neck dive problem - maybe its my strap, dunno, but I'm using an old Fender skinny one with a pad
Neck pickups sound fine, full, even toned... even the P90 is a joy. I'm using 490R on the one, P90 and Guild pickup on the 3rd one... #4 was also P90, but has moved on to better owners.
Never had a tuning issue. Never, ever ever, except EVERY Gibson I've gotten in the past 5 years - Three SG's, two ES-333's, two Les Pauls, an ES-135 and an ES-137.... all had a G string slot that was vee shaped, and bit the strings. A few light strokes of the nut slot file fixed every one of 'em.
The controls are really no more cluttered than Les Pauls... or ES-33x series. The thickness of the body is 1-5/8 inches, enough for a top mounted jack to fit with ease. In fact the only thing that doesn't fit well, that I know of, is push pull pots, but Gibson had some... may be some left.
Then again, I like SG's. Very nice to play, light on stage - no diving (really). With the back the way it is, I really like a light guitar when standing to play, and the SG's do it - and do it well.
Cagey
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I never had a neck dive problem with mine, either. But then, I never was one to dance around empty-handed while playing, and I generally keep hold of my guitar. I've seen more than one guitar get its neck broken from either the player or the strap letting go. Gotta hang on to your baby, and support its head! <grin>
buckallred
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I like SGs a lot, very light and resonant, the tone is different than an LP, but still full-tilt humbucker scream.
Never had any issues with tuning or neck diving on mine. Best thing about them is how light they are, the whole thing resonates, like it's alive when you play it. Great guitars!
Never had any issues with tuning or neck diving on mine. Best thing about them is how light they are, the whole thing resonates, like it's alive when you play it. Great guitars!
