SG Special Faded Review

The Gibson SG Special Faded has the look of well-worn, well-loved instrument. This classic model features a Mahogany back and neck, Rosewood fingerboard, chrome hardware, 2 Alnico magnet humbuckers, and more.

Features:	8.5
Sound:	8.4
Action:	8.2
Reliability:	8.7
Impression:	8.6
Overall rating:	8.5
Users rating:	8.5
Comments:	124

overall: 9.6

Featured review by: les_kris, on may 04, 2005

Price paid: $ 915

Purchased from: Soundcontrol London

Features: New this year, american made. Basically your standard SG setup. 22 frets, stoptail, chrome hardware, Faded cherry. What else would you buy an SG for? // 8

Sound: I play hard rock, metalcore, nu-metal and blues, and this guitar is most suitable. Everyone who is anyone knows the tone for rock and metal that this guitar produces with its two overwhelmingly powerful humbuckers. However I was in shock at it's handling of my blues improv in the store and it stood up well against all others I tried, including Schecter C-1's (including plus', elites and the standard), Schecter S-1, Fender Thinline Tele. Unfortunately I am not currently running this guitar through a tube amp, though it deserves it. But the sound is still sharp responsive and controllable. When I tried it I knew, thats all I will say. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Perfect setup, with the exception of the bridge pickup being way to high. No other faults reported to date. All hardware and finishing were perfect. // 10

Reliability & Durability: It will withstand live playing and I would gladly go in to a gig without a backup, if I only needed one guitar. Everything, hardware and strap buttons included are rock fucking solid. Not one complaint. It also has a nice finish that seems it will age well and become a ver Vintage looking guitar with age. // 10

Impression: As mentioned, the style of music I play completely covered by this welcome addition to my ever improving collection. My current rig is: Fender Japanese Strat (1983) with floyd rose, ESP LTD M-107, Cort Z22 with Armstrong pickups, Crafter electro-acoustic, Yamaha Pacifica 112. If it were stolen or lost, it would be my intention get another, possibly a platinum though. But I would not be afraid to purchase another of these, I am considering adding another to my collection. I know, I have terrible guitar aquisition syndrome. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 30, 2005

Purchased from: Musician's Friend

Features: - Year: 2004
- Mfrd.: USA
- Fingerboard: 22-fret, 24 3/4" scale length, rosewood, dot inlays
- Neck: rounded, mahogany
- Body: solid mahogany
- Finish: 'Faded' red (or brown)
- Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
- Tailpiece: stopbar
- Electonics: passive; 2 humbuckers (Gibson open 490R (Neck)+490T (bridge) Alnico magnet)
- Tuners: Gibson Green Key
- Controls: two volume, two tone, three-way Switch. // 8

Sound: Great sound for rock, sounds good distorted or clean. I use it with a DigiTech RP80 Multi-Effect, and a Fender FM212R Amp. It has low noise, and a full sound. It has a decent range of sounds; deep mellow to twangy and everything in between. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set up well, and had great action out of the box. No flaws. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will absolutely withstand live playing. It comes with a padded gig bag, but a hardshell case would probably be a good investment. The hardware seems rugged. The strap buttons arn't the greatest. It is quite dependable, I could gig with it without worrying about a backup. The finish is thin and wears easily, purpously, for the 'Faded' look. // 8

Impression: I play alot of classic-style rock, this guitar is perfect for the style. I also own a Fender Strat, an Epiphone Les Paul, a Martin acoustic and a Fender amp. If it were stolen or lost I would buy another. I love the action and sound. I hate the strap buttons. I compared it to a Gibson LP Junior, and a second-hand Fender Jaguar. The features and sound were much better on this one. I wish it came with a hardshell SG case. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: BreakingTheGirl, on june 27, 2006

Price paid: $ 690

Purchased from: Local Guitar Shop

Features: // 9

Sound: The sound of this guitar matches it's Vintage look. Even though this guitar is mainly for music like the Who, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin you can get a really nice blues sound out of it, too. It can also do metal, although I would not buy this if youre looking for a hardcore metal guitar. If you set this on clean you get a nice warm tone, good for any kind of music. Greats like Pete Townshend, Angus Young, and Eric Clapton Played this guitar for a reason. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was obviously set up with great care. The action is perfect, the controls don't feel loose like there gonna fall off, every lottle detail of the guitar was taken care of very nicely. The only thing that may concern people is that the bridge pick up is raised way high, although I like it that way. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is definetely built to last. It will definetley withstand live play, and it also holds up to being banged around or being dropped. Nothing has happened to the sound or anything, no buzzing from the pickups, loose switches, etc. The strap buttons are more solid than most, but I would reccomend strap locks for any guitar.The only thing about the durability of the guitar if you have a spiked belt or something, it gets scratches an small dents very eaily since the would is rather soft. // 9

Impression: This is the perfect guitar as far as I am concerned. Anything by Gibson is perfect. It it were stolen, I would definetely buy it again. The Vintage look, feel and sound is what makes the guitar. If you're looking for a great rok n roll guitar and a running a little low on money, this is defetlely the guitar to go for. // 10

overall: 9

Reviewed by: srv34, on july 25, 2006

Price paid: $ 904.55

Purchased from: L&M

Features: I bought this guitar about a year ago from Long and Mcquade for about 1150 dollars. It is a 2004 made in the USA. It has a fat rosewood neck with Jumbo frets which were placed in well, no sticking out edges or glue protruding. My guitar was custom made because usually they make sgs in mohogany but mine is made of rosewood making it lighter and giving it great tone and sustain. // 10

Sound: I play a lot of rock and blues and this guitar plays exceptionally well for both. I play this beauty through a Marshall 100MDX and it sounds amazing expecally with a bit of treble and gain. This is a really loud guitar it makes my amp sound that much louder on stage and gives it lots of bite. The sound is bright but with a Switch to the neck humbucker it gives it a richer fuller tone. This guitar has great sound and a great variety of tones to go with it. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: When I bought this guitar it came perfectly set up with the exception that the action was a bit high. I lowered the bridge and adjusted the neck a little bit and it was perfect. The finish is great just what I was looking for it looks and feels like an old friend. The tuning pegs kind of disapointed me because there plastic and not chrome and the action was a bit too high but other then that great guitar. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I've had this guitar for about a year now and it looks just like it did when I paid for it. I've played it in around 5 shows now and it hasn't let me down. The hardware is solid but I am planning on changing the tuning heads because I don't like the plastic ones. The strap bottons aren't comming off without a crowbar to pry them off. I'd use this guitar without a backup in a second its such a solid guitar. After all the abuse I've given it it still doesnt wear off the finish which is beautiful. // 8

Impression: For the style of music I play this guitar is perfect. I've been playing for about 5 years now and this guitar is the best I've bought at this point. I own a Fender Telecaster and a Fender Clapton Strat and this SG hasne like the Telecaster and has the feel of the Clapton Strat. If this guitar was ever stolen I'd buy another one when I could gather up the money. I love the neck, finish, sound and look of this guitar. I don't like the plastic tuning heads though or the high action it came with. I tried out a Jackson rhoads 5 before I bought this and this guitar out shined it by far. If this guitar needed anything it would be better tuning heads and thats it. // 9

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: zippyfloon92, on july 10, 2007

Price paid: $ 500

Purchased from: Friend

Features: My guitar is an '03 out of the Nashville plant. 22 frets, stoptail on mahogany body/neck. Way comfortable thin body with a deeper faded finish than any I've seen making it unique. three way selecter, two volume and tone. Alnico magnet humbuckers, which I put SG Standard covers over. I added new locking strap holders, and removed a few cosmetic additions to the guitar to make it my own. // 10

Sound: I play mainly punk and classic rock, but this guitar handles pychedelic Jimi style solos with ease. I play this through m Fender G-DEC and my Fender reverb, as well as through a a marshal halfstck. usually I have it hooked up to Danelectro chourus and distorion pedals, played through the neck for a crunchy sound. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I got this guitar pre used, so I don't know how well t came out of the factory. the guy I got it from didn't know what he was doing, so it was fun to set it all right. the action is low, and the bridge pickup was a bit too high, so I adjusted them down. the hardware is strong and I have yet to scratch it. the g tuning head was looser thqn all the rest so I had it replaced. this was only because I smacked it on accident once and it got loose. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Tis guitar definatley can take the heat of live playing. I would go in without a backup guitar with no hesitation. The single and only problem I have at all with this guitar is I've beat the crap out of the finish. up around the very top of the pick guard is about 1 1/2 square inches of raw wood, and the back has a huge stripe from buckle rash. the finish on the back of the neck is almost completly worn off, but I personally thnk it makesi look cooler. // 9

Impression: this guitar can handle any genre it damn well pleases. if it were stolen or lost, I'd probably search my ass of first, and then buy a new SG faded no doubt, these guitars are just to good. I also have a Fender Start and a Epiphone ES-335 and this guitar just murders them. Seriously they suck compared to my SG. If you are considering a new guitar, get an SG Faded. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on april 17, 2006

Features: Made in 2004 in the USA so fairly new, this guitar comes with 22 frets on a rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays. Also has a '50s rounded mahogany neck and mahogany body with either faded cherry (mine) or faded brown finishes, Tune-O-Matic tuning system with stoptbar tailpiece, chrome hardware and Gibson open 490R and 490T pickups (in the neck and bridge respectively). Comes with the standard Gibson 2 volume and 2 tone controls plus the 3-way pickup selector. Mine also came with a Gibson gig bag and I bought a Stagg hard case to go with it. Only thing I'd wish for would be the Gibson burstbuckers in here rather than the open pickups. // 9

Sound: I play true heavy metal, death metal, black metal and hardcore. I also like to play some clean stuff too, usually classic rock. I use a Line 6 Spider II 112 (75 watt 4 channel combo). I also use my Dunlop Original Crybaby Wah pedal. This guitar is lovely through this amp. I usually tune low, either to drop C, drop B, or even drop A. Otherwise normal tuning. The open pickups on this baby produce lovely sounds. I usually use the 490T in the bridge, and change the EQ and thickness/brightness of the sound on my amp. However sometimes I use the 490R in the neck for warm, thick clean sounds and deep crunch. This guitar has a very deep bottom end which helps when tuned low, especially with extra thick strings (I'm talking Roto Greys, 13-52 gauge). The distortion is brutal when tuned low, I use mostly the Insane (green) setting on my amp, but sometimes the Metal (red) for other stuff. The Metal setting has less distortion and sustain, and a smaller mid-range. The pinch harmonics scream on this guitar, and with its mahogany body it has great sustain. This guitar also does wonders with clean sounds. When used in conjunction with some a semi-warm tone and some chorus for that little bit of shimmer, it can produce beautiful sounds, but also has the capability to make more modern clean sounds with my amp's flanger added in. One thing I am upset about however is the crunch tones of this guitar. I find it difficult to get the right tone for modern rock, because I either end up with a compressed and very 'digital' sound, or a high-gain metal sound. I'm not sure whether the amp or guitar is to blame for this, but I believe it's the amp. Only thing I can think would improve the sound of this guitar would be for me to upgrade to Gibson burstbuckers, which I may well do in the future. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: When I got this guitar the action was a bit high, but that was soon fixed by lowering the tailpiece slightly. I don't get any fret buzz and the action is just perfect. I do think, however, that this guitar is more suited for rhythm work than solo's and lead, which I am disappointed about. It can do some lead work, but solo's aren't as great as with other guitars. So far this guitar has withstood the test of time. I've had it for a year and 4 months now and had no problems. Strap buttons stay in place, finish is still great. I apply some lem-oil to the fretboard every 3 months to keep it in good condition, which is no bother. All in all very well set up. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I've never played live with this guitar as I'm not in a band, but it seems to be holding up very well. I've had no problems so far in the last 16 months, and it seems to be going great. I would use this at a gig but would probably take a backup with different tuning, just so that I didn't need to stop and tune my guitar in the middle of a show. // 10

Impression: Overall I think this guitar suits my music style well. However if fitted with either Gibson burstbuckers or EMG pickups it would be just what I need. I've been playing for nearly 5 years now. I also own an Epiphone Les Paul Custom and an ESP LTD Viper-50 (the ESP is being sold now). If this guitar was stolen or lost I would probably buy it again, because it's pretty damn cool. However I'd have new pickups fitted straight away. My favourite feature is probably the light weight and slender feel of the body. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 22, 2007

Price paid: $ 580

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: I got a 2007 SG Special Faded guitar made in Nashville Tennessee, which I recieved as a gift, but it was purchased at guitar Center. This guitar is superb! It has the faded mahogany finish, the Tune-O-Matic bridge, the alnico 490s, and a rosewood fretboard. It has 22 frets. It of course has the classic SG double horn body w/ a solid finish that does not chip at all! It is solid mahogany w/ the acception of the fretboard (rosewood). It has 2 volume controls, 2 tone controls, and a three way selector Switch. I would definately recomend the strap locks, considering that all Gibson guitars do not have a bolt-on neck, so if something were to happen to the area where the neck and body meet, the repair expenses would be costly! Another note; the Faded Special only comes w/ a gigbag and I would recomend upgrading to a hardshell! Overall I love this guitar, with the exception of the Gibson plastic headed tuning pegs, because the go out of tune more frequently in comparison to the grover tuners that are used on other Gibson guitar models. // 8

Sound: I did not expect this instrument to sound as good as it does! It is very versitile and is good for a wide variety of music styles. I typically play blues/rock, but now I have been experimenting with just about anything! This guitar sounds very good clean and pretty good with the distortion. I really love the way this guitar sounds stock, but I'm reconsidering the neck pickup, because I think it is too chunky sounding when distorted. I play into a Crate practice amp and a peavy bass amp which actually sounds good. I'm planning to purchase a Fender deluxe tube amp to better increase my tone. I love the versatility of this guitar! You can easily get that warm and creamy blues sound, or that hot and thick metal sound, and everything in between. This guitar by far has the best tone out of all of the guitars I have played in the past 6 years. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar has the best action! It is very smooth moving up and down the neck and you can bend the strings of the neck without a struggle! When I got this guitar home I noticed no flaws with the factory set up, I have made no futher adjustments on it. As you would expect with an SG Faded special, the finish is very basic. I do like the finish; it is very classic looking. Because the finish is not glossy, it is very hard to chip, opposed to a higher end finish. I noticed a few hardly noticable marks on the finish, but I think that's all apart of the whole "less expensive" faded finish. Overall, the action, playability, and finish was excellent. // 7

Reliability & Durability: This guitar could definately withstand Live playing. All the hardware seems like it would last, but I'm not pleased with the stock tuners and thier reliability as far as staying in tune may be an issue. The way the strap buttons are mounted on the instrument make it easy for the guitar to come off the strap, so I got strap locks. With a SG I would consider strap locks a necessity. I definately believe that this instrument is very dependable and whether you need a back up guitar while performing really depends on whether you have a chromatic tuner, or if you are not finding any issues with the tuning. Everything else on the instrument I would pass as exceptionally reliable. Although basic, I believe the finish on this instrument is very reliable because it not is not laminated like some higher end finishes, thus, it is less succeptable to chips, but I sense that wear in the finish could occur. // 7

Impression: I play mostly blues/rock or anything but country. Yes, I do believe that this guitar is well suited for my style playing and just about anything! I have been playing the guitar for 6.5 years and I started out on a lower end Samick guitar and later began using my fathers mid '80s customized Fender Japenese made Strat. Although the Strat is nice, I definately prefer my SG. I wish I had asked about the tuners before I purchased the guitar. That is so, because I am curious as to how much worse they perform than the graver tuners found on other Gibson instruments. If my SG was lost or stolen, I would first try to retrieve it, but if that failed, I would definately purchase the same instrument. That is so, because I see great value and quality in this guitar. It is a Gibson, meaning that it is of high quality, and I love most things about it. I don't really believe that I could compare the SG to any other products, because most other less popular guitar companies model after Gibson designs and the SG is very different from any other guitar of it's caliber; example: a mid to high end Fender. My least favorite feature would have to be those damn tuning pegs, for the reasons I previously stated. My favorite feature would have to be the bridge pickup, because I simply love the way it sounds. I wish it had the grover tuners because they perform much better than the Gibson ones. Overall I would recomend this guitar to anyone Who wants a quality instrument at an affordable price! // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on november 26, 2005

Price paid: $ 850

Purchased from: SamAshYou

Features: You obviously already know the specs. I will say this. I agree that the strap buttons arent the best. But they hold the strap on well. Maybe a strap with a lock that locks onto the button wouldn't be a bad investment. // 10

Sound: It plays like a dream. I play every type of music there is. I am not in a band. I just like to jam for hours on end. I have been playing for about 8 years. And I will say this guitar awoke the spirit of rock and roll once again in my soul. I play it through a buddy of mines Fender tube amp, and it was amazing. It handled everything I threw at it and then some. I currently run the AVT150 half stack from Marshall. It played like a dream cranked. and my take along is a Vox ac30 custom classic. Plugged into the vox, it was incredible. It is def. a very nice sounding guitar. But the bridge humbucker is a little to high. But adjusting it made me feel guilty, like it was made that way for a reason. So I changed it back and I'm happy with that decision. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The only flaw I found was the obvious pickup at the bridge. But like I said it was put there for a reason and although it seems out of place with it's height, it still doesn't impact playability. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Live playing is a definate with this guitar, without worries of a backup. The hardware will last for ages. The strap button could be better, but thinking about it only makes it worse. Like if your thrashing about playing something heavy and you suddenly think my god those strap buttons arent the best you'll suddenly stop for fear of the strap popping off, when in reality it prolly wouldn't. The finish is perfect, very Vintage, great all the way. // 9

Impression: Overall this is a fantastic guitar and for the money it's a bargain in the SG group. SG guitars are a Legacy, and this one definetly carries on that Legacy. If you are serious about playing, and you want to spend some serious dough and get a guitar that will last you for many years to come will play excellent in every aspect of music and will have killer looks well into your "Vintage" years. Then this is the guitar for you. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 29, 2008

Purchased from: My Cousin

Features: I don't know exactly what year it was made, since I bought it used off my cousin with a Gibson USA case. It was a little banged up (a few dings on the back from belts, etc), but playable. Made in the USA, 22 fret neck, solid mahogany body and neck, rosewood fretboard. Typical SG setup. Chrome stoptail bridge, three-way selector Switch. Faded cherry finish. The neck inlays are sort of an eclipsed moon shape, something I think only came out on early Faded SG's. Since I bought it, I've swapped out the Gibson humbuckers for the Zakk Wylde EMG set, and I also sanded down the back of the neck a bit. More on that in the next section. // 8

Sound: I play everything from Clapton to Killswitch Engage, and this guitar was a natural choice for most of the stuff in between. However, upon trying it out, I felt that the Gibson treble pickup didn't have the high-gain punch I was looking for in the heavier end of things. I subsequently swapped out the pickups for the Zakk Wylde EMG pickups, which sound very good distorted and pretty decent clean, too. (I'm hanging onto the Gibson pickups, because I did like the sound and I may decide to put them in another guitar later.) So as long as you're familiar with the sound of an EMG 81/85 combination, you'll know how my SG sounds. I also, upon a lot of playing, found that the clear finish Gibson used was rather glossy on the back of the neck, and over the course of the show my hand would sweat and begin to stick on the finish. I sanded the clearcoat off the back of the neck to make a slightly rougher surface, which fixed this problem. (I didn't feel much guilt about taking sandpaper to a Gibson, due to the dings and scratches already in it.) I usually use this guitar with one of my Marshall amps (I have a 30-watt and a 100-watt half stack) and the sound is beautiful. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: I don't know about factory setup, because my cousin had it setup for himself and when I bought it I tweaked it to fit my own style. I've found that the strings can be lowered very close to the frets, and it's not hard to do a very quick run on this comparable to playing a Jackson or Ibanez. I can't see any factory flaws with this guitar, although after changing out the pickups and most of the electronics, along with tweaking the action, sanding the neck, and my cousin's abuse, I don't know how good of a judge I'd be. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar has never failed me in a Live gig. I've dropped the thing in a show and it didn't even go out of tune. That's my biggest criticism: the strap buttons could stand to be replaced. They're really small. If you use it Live, get strap locks (I should look into those). I have and will continue to use it on gigs without a backup. The finish is solid and will withstand playing for decades. It took me a few hours to sand it off the back of the neck, I don't think it's going to wear off from normal playing any time soon. // 10

Impression: I love this guitar, and I have at some points considered buying a second one. I own a Jackson Dinky and an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus, and neither one comes close to comparing with this. The neck is just as slick as the Jackson, and the sound is better than either one of them. I would buy it again if it were stolen or lost. It is a wonderful guitar, and for $650 list price, you can't beat the value of an actual USA-made Gibson. // 10

overall: 9

Reviewed by: Korzack, on march 28, 2008

Purchased from: Family Present/Mor Music, York

Features: The usual features, I'd say, 22 frets, nice size, so I'd say jumbo, solid mahogany body & set neck of the same wood, Rosewood fretboard with pearl Dot inlays (Well this is an entry level, Gibson or no), no binding on the fretboard or headstock. Gibson Green-key tuners, Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop-bar tailpiece, a brace of Gibson 490 humbucking pickups (and R in the neck or rhythm position and a T for the bridge or Treble position), a volume and tone pot for each pickup & a 3-way toggle. In usual Gibson style, gig-bag, bottle of cleaner fluid & a pair of picks were tossed in free, as well as a little manual book thing which I really could've done with when starting out a long time ago, and a check-list from the factory to show that it was all in working order when it left the factory at Memphis Tennessee, in the USA. But lets face it, a Gibson for £800 Brand New, that's not bad all on it's own! Other visual features, the larger 65 style pick-guard, which suits the guitar a lot more than the 61 style, which betrays it's old Les Paul routes, and the old faded finish, Basically it's cheaper than doing the proper lacquer that's present on the Standard and regular specials. And pretty much the rest of the SG line. To be fair, it works in that 'feeling of a capable instrument' way, feels like it's done more miles than you'll ever need to know about, and the finish helps your hand from sweating with playing, which is a bonus for gigs & the usual stuff. All in all, not half bad. // 9

Sound: My usual style is based on Punk with Blues, heavy rock & '80s stylings (Sex pistols, Slash, Motley Crue, a blues training of the whole damn thing, you get the idea, and it works really well. Okay, so perhaps an MG50DFX isn't the best amp to unlock the full potential of this thing, but for that it's worth, the MG's are good enough to get folk onstage and playing to a crowd. The neck pickups has a nice mellow feel to it for more laid back playing, and works well on clean, for those ballad moments, but with a nice bit of Drive it has 'teeth' to put it one way. The bridge pickup has a nice bright tone on clean, introduce some Drive and power and it turns Savage, but never in a ridiculous way. Gibsons are usually made for a mix of '60s clean work through to heavy metal whilst not quite having the Shine of a Fender or a grestch and not the muscle of say a BC rich, Jackson or ESP, but it covers a lot of ground in a very nice way. Very solid. I only use 2 effects (apart from any on-board reverb/delay/etc on the amp), a Dunlop GCB95 wah and a Boss SD-1 Drive box, and the guitar makes these work in a far finer way than the guitars I've had before (ok, my old workhorse was an Epiphone LP Standard, but still). Ultimately, I feel the best tone's unlocked with a kick-arse amp, none too many stomp-boxes in the way, and just letting fly with a few valves. Nice. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The whole set-up as rather sound, nice low action, intonation was nailed, and ok so I could always fine-tune it, but with the bridge system, that's a piece of cake. The faded finish I've described before, and the neck's lack of binding does mean it can be a bit sharp to play on, specially with barre chords and lead breaks. The fretboard itself is nicely fast without slipping an V8 underneath, and it's effortless to play without making you feel it's too easy. // 9

Reliability & Durability: As for reliability, this thing's solid for now, although I can't say I've had it for long, so can; t really tell. It does have a lifetime warranty, although the statement itself seems to contradict itself in the 'if you make a claim, your warranty doesn't cover it' kind of way. Still, I only got the thing in 2007, so its' a bit early for things to be breaking. I'm not sure what everyone means about a guitar been able to handle gig playing, surely unless you start twatting the bassist about with the body, it'll hold. Still, the gigs I've played so far haven't posed a problem for the beast, It's even been a handy backup for others. Strap buttons are solid, which is more than I can say for the strap that came with it, cheap nylon crap. However, a set of strap locks & it's fine, and the strap itself is quite damn comfortable to use, and gives a decent amount or range of lengths, usually have the guitar quite low down as it just feels more comfotable that way. Only nit-pick I can think of is the pickup selector is a bit eager to move to the middle position at times, but as I keep the neck bucker a bit quier than the bridge, it doesn't bother me much. // 9

Impression: What do you mean, overall impression? It was a present to me from my family for getting into University after a few years of hell trying to stay sane at various colleges, and it's a frigging Gibson, for petes' sakes! Okay, so I know a lot of guitars can do parts of what this does better, but this is a very solid all-rounder. Not quite perfect, but damn good for the price & what it aims to do. // 9

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: stigmeister2win, on march 31, 2008

Price paid: $ 844.8678

Purchased from: Aage.dk

Features: From this year, it was made in usa. It has 22 frets in it stoptail. I selected the faded cherry version. The shape of the guitar is like any other Gibson SG. There a 3 way switch that gives a powerfull selection of sounds, it can really produce some heave deep hard rock tone of distortion. The guitar came with a soft gigbag, tho I've rather wanted a hardcase. Hardcase would be better so the guitar didn't go out of tune all the time. Basically some nice features. // 9

Sound: I basically play classsic rock like ac/dc and so on and for that purpose this guitar is perfect, now I really understand why angus young chose the SG model. I'm playin my guitar on a Fender FM212R gives the guitar a pretty nice sound. The guitar is great cause basically it can play anything from blues to death metal. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: When I got the guitar it was out of tune, but when I've tuned it it made the prettiest sound, really good pickups. only not so good thing on this guitar is that if you are use to a easially bending guitar this is probaly not the best choice. So the aciton fit and finish is brilliant on this SG Special Faded. // 9

Reliability & Durability: You can definetly count on this guitar live 'cause it is pretty stabil, and you could also go out without backup and make an lovely preformance. The reliability & durability can hold out any situation and maybe weather! Another good thing about the guitar is that it is very light weight so you can play for hours without getting your back all smashed. And the fretboard is round with a lot of comfort. // 10

Impression: This guitar matches my needs perfectly and it helps me play rock n roll! I've been playing 2 years and been doin some gigs with it and it is a good guitar with and without backup. If it was stolen I would buy the same asap cause I couldn't live day without it. I especially like that compare to other guitars you can shake it and get a really nice sound, and the pickups are better than many other guitars. Well I've compared it a bit with my Washburn X33 and overall it beats it just not in bending and so on. But totally depends on how you are use to playing. // 10

overall: 8.2

Reviewed by: johnnyray666, on april 25, 2008

Price paid: $ 575

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: I believe this guitar was made in 2006, in the USA. It has 22 frets on a rosewood fingerboard with Dot inlays, with a multi-piece mohagany body and a one piece mohagany 50's style neck. It come equipped with a Tune-O-Matic bridge with a stop tailpiece. Mine has a faded brown finish. It has alnico 490 pickups, with 2 tone, 2 volume knobs and a 3-way pickup selector switch. The tuners are the basic Gibson Deluxe tuners with the green keys. // 8

Sound: I play Surf Rock mostly, so this guitar isn't real suited for that style. I also play a lot of classic rock, southern rock and heavy metal. I run this guitar through a Boss NS2 noise gate and then directly into a Peavey 100 watt TransTube Supreme head plugged into a Peavey 4X12 cab. This guitar is a little noisy before adding a noise gate. I actually like the pickups. They have a nice fat tone. It sounds best with some distortion, but holds it's own on the clean side too. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: I bought it at guitar center, so it was already set-up. The pickups were way too low, but Guitar Center set it up that way. The hardware seems to be pretty high quallity, the only thing wrong was that the factory did not completely tighten a screw that holds one of the tuning pegs to the headstock, but I fixed that when I got home. The frets do seem a little sharp at the ends. // 7

Reliability & Durability: This guitar would survive some Live playing, because it seems to be pretty solid. The hardware is of high quality, but the strap buttons are too small. So you would need to put on some strap locks. It seems pretty dependable. I think you should always bring a backup guitar, so I bought this guitar for that purpose. It is much easier to change guitars in the middle of a song if you break a string then it is to change a string. // 9

Impression: I have been playing guitar for 8 years now, and have owned several guitars and amps. I use a Fender '62 Reissue Jaguar for the Surf Rock stuff, and my Gibson Les Paul Classic, Dean ML Select and my Epiphone Les Paul Custom G-400 for everything else. I really like this guitar, so if it were lost or stolen I would buy a new one. These guitars make rock solid backup guitars. I don't like how you can see the seams on the multi-piece body, but that is what helps make this guitar affordable. I tryed out some other guitars, SG standards and Epiphones, but this one seemed to be the best pick at the time for what I needed, which was a backup guitar. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on august 02, 2008

Purchased from: Music Unlimited

Features: I bought the SG Faded on Feb. 15 2008. When I got this guitar, I didn't even know that I was getting it. I have an Epiphone Les Paul JR. and wanted to put a bigsby on it. To make a long story short, the posts were too expensive to make 'em wider for an real bridge (not stop tailpiece), so the luthier at the store suggested I put it on a Gibson SG faded. I was pretty stupid not to even plug it in and play it, but hell, it was my first Gibson and Gibson's are always awesome, right? Anyways, I had the bigsby installed along with a roller bridge and a Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB model in the bridge position. It was a giant step up from the $100 Epi JR I bought off of ebay and the neck pickup was an amazing add on for my ears to experience. Everything about this guitar is amazing. I like the faded finish because I don't get to see my fingerprints all over the place, and as time rolls on, it'll give me that "beat up" cool Vintage look. // 10

Sound: Although I didn't get to play the SG in the store, I went to a local guitar center and tried one out, just to compare it to mine. Here is what I think about the pickups, they're crap. At least that's my impression on the stock 490s on this thing. I still have it on the neck and when I tried it out at the store, it was really muddy, and that's how my neck is now. I'm going to change the neck soon to a Seymour Duncan SH-1 59' so my SG can really Shine, although the neck sounds amazing on clean. If you're into metal, I guess the stock pups are ok. They're just too muddy for me, although the response and sustain are pretty good. But other than that, change those pickups! // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: The action was pretty good, but when I had the bridge changed, the luthier had it all the way down! That really sucked because I had annoying fretbuzz for 3 months before I changed the strings. But after I raised it up a bit, it was all good! The neck feels so smooth and so does everything else. The finish on my guitar isn't really faded though. I compared it with another faded and that one had some grainy rough parts and really seemed faded. My SG is even darker too. Mine just seems like it was sanded evenly and teated with love. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I haven't played live with this nor do I play Live at all, although it would be fun to do! But this thing seems solid enough and hadnt really done anything stupid while I've played it, so I think this guitar would be awesome. I've dropped it once. I put it on my friend's bed and I guess I left a bit more of the body hanging out than I thought and when I got up off the the bed, it fell it's side and rolled over on it's face. My though was "Shit, I'm gonna have to get a new guitar and I just got this thing a few months ago!" But I was totally wrong. The only thing that happened was a dent on the top of the headstocl veneer but it's hardly even noticable, unless you inspect the guitar very carefully. So will this thing last? You're damn right it will! // 10

Impression: I play a lot of Green Day and punk band songs, along with other types of music like Clapton and Linkin Park. Even if I've only been playing for about a year and a half and I'm not that good, my ears have been trained really well and I can tell the difference between different tones and I got really lucky picking this guitar up. It has been able to hold up to all the genre's I play (well at least my bridge pickup). I love how light it is. The way the top part of the guitar and my forearm meet is so smooth and ergonomic, I much prefer this feeling compared to my Epi JR. Also, the strap button behind the body seems to be much easier to hold the guitar while standing up and playing than where the Les Paul button is put, but that's my own personal opinion. The original tuners didn't do a good job since I had a bigsby, so I changed 'em to TonePros Kluson locking tuners. A direct replacement and it solved my problem a bit, but I need to change the nut to a graph-tech trem nut. Now when my friends ask me, "So are you playing with you JR?" and I say "Oh that it's just sitting in it's case in the corner of my room." Once you get a taste of a Gibson, you never wanna go back to the cheap crap you play before! // 10

overall: 2.8

Reviewed by: axe1112, on february 25, 2008

Purchased from: Long & McQuade

Features: 2005 US made, faded red, 22 fret, mahogany, the standard SG horned body, Alnico pickups and the lot. The only included accessories was a gig bag, but I bought a hardshell case which needed the lock replaced on it in about a month. The features are what they are in an SG, pretty Standard. The key missing feature here is locking tuners. Gibson needs them on these things to make them at all playable. // 7

Sound: The "sound" is terrific, when it's in tune, which it never is. I play mostly classic hard rock, so it would be the ideal sounding instrument, if it stayed in tune more than a minute or so. I use a Fender Twin Reverb and Fender 85 studio set up. It was a bit noisy with an external chorus pedal, but I fixed that by just using the factory chorus on the Fender. It has a rich overdriven sound that hard rock players love, but don't be dazzled by the sound, it's a lame duck. // 1

Action, Fit & Finish: The action, fit and finish were okay. The fret wire was a bit rough and the action needed set up to remover fret buzz, but not too much of an inconvenience. The inconveniences with this piece of junk are other than action fit or finish. I did notice, however, that another SG Faded in the store (there were 2 when I bought) had a top that was glued. The grain on one of the horns didn't match, so it looked like the horn was just stuck on. So, if you still want one of these after reading my review, be sure to inspect the body to be sure you're buying a solid, single piece of wood and not something patched together. // 4

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will not withstand Live playing because it only stays in tune for about a minute. I have used it on a gig without a backup, but the band has to pause for me to re-tune between every song. The materials all seemed okay, but this guitar has been set up more than 10 times in 2 years and it still doesn't hold tune. It's just a cheap knockoff of a real SG and will really disappoint you. Don't be cheap, buy an SG Standard, or better still, spend the extra money on a Les Paul. // 1

Impression: My overall impression was so poor that I returned the instrument to the retailer and demanded a full refund, and traded up to a Les Paul Classic. Don't endure the frustration. Spend the extra money and get an LP or an ES or even a V or Xplorer, if it's for a stage instrument. If your budget is around $1000, go for a Fender or something Japanese, but avoid the SG Faded. Don't the sound fool you into buying what is really an unplayable instrument. // 1

overall: 3.8

Reviewed by: Tyler_Wilks, on november 17, 2008

Purchased from: Motor City Guitar

Features: Finnaly a guitar made in the U.S. for less than $1000, This Guitar is awesome especially with the Neck pickup mostly made for Blues and Metal (I only play it on Rhythm though) and the Bridge pickup is made for country sounding stuff, the only problem is they're black plastic I was hoping for Chrome. The Faded finish looks horrible, this is about the worst part of the guitar not to mention the penetonic Dot inlays instead of Hexegons. Adjusting the action is real easy on this though just detune the strings and twist. The FAT V-Shaped neck makes it hard to go fast so don't get this if you're into shred! // 4

Sound: I usually play Shred Guitar so this guitar is really hard to play on. The fat sounding humbuckers make it sound muffled if you sweep even on the bridge pickup, I just took the bloody thing and threw it into a crappy amp (that might be the problem though). The only thing that's good on this is the Rhythm pickup. There is basically nothing unique about this guitar. // 2

Action, Fit & Finish: The Faded finish looks cool if you don't want a flash on a camera otherwise it's stupid looking. The strings stay in tune for a while though because of the awesome bridge. The action is awesome on this thing. It's fit for about a year. The flaw this guitar has is the faded finish about a year after I got it it 'Faded' away but that about does it for the finish // 4

Reliability & Durability: The reliability and durability of this guitar will last about a year before you get any flaws with mine the Bridge humbucker keeps going out and that's the only problem I have. You can depend on this guitar to go on one tour and then break apart. The finish wears off in a year but adds a Vintage look to it. // 5

Impression: This guitar was not made for speed! I've been playing for five years and I know what I'm talking about here you can try to fast but the V-shape neck will stop almost any sweep. If this guitar was stolen I would go get an Ibanez somewhere. I love the action on this thing and the bridge. but everything else is kind of bad. I just wish I had better Humbuckers. // 4

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 05, 2008

Price paid: $ 900

Purchased from: Musikbörsen

Features: // 9

Sound: I mainly play classic rock, which this guitar pretty much was made for. I mostly play things like AC/DC, which justified the purchase of an SG even more. I was going to get the SG Standard att first, but since they cost 2100 US Dollars here in Sweden, I thought that I should have a look at the SG Faded too. It was a really pleasant surprise! The sound from this thing is really raw and powerful, and the cleans can be fantastic aswell. I couldn't find any big differences (except the finish) that would make me pay 1000$ more for the SG Standard, so I happily took the SG faded knowing that I had made a really awesome deal for such a good price. I currently use it through a P.A-system where I take guitar lessons, an Apple Mac Pro modelling amp style application (which is great) and a Laney 50W (I think) amp at my bands jamming place. The reason I gave it a 9 on "Features" is because of the pickups. Don't get me wrong, they are great and all that, but they are a bit noisy and it can be a bit bothering. I could depend on the amp though, as I'm only getting this through the Laney-amp. The guitar has a really rich and bassy sound on the rythm pickup, and a bright and sharp lead guitar/solo sound on the treble pickup. The tone knobs on the guitar don't really change the sound too much, but the volume knobs help a lot. When playing cleans on the knob set to '10', you can still manage to create "natural distortion" by playing rougher - hence making it sound almost better than modelled distortion. For cleans, it helps to turn down the volume knob a bit. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set up perfectly and came in tune. I'm really happy with the set up work made by Gibson before I bought it, and you can really feel the quality. I had to tune my previous guitar, Washburn WI14 (beginners guitar), every 15-20 minutes. I haven't tuned this guitar once since I bought it, which was 5 days ago. I've played it for atleast 2 hours everyday since I bought it, and it still stays in tune like nothing I've ever seen before! // 10

Reliability & Durability: I'm confident that guitar would be great Live. I haven't played any gigs yet, but when I do, I will most definately use this guitar without a back-up. The hardware feels great, I had my doubts about the treble pick up earlier because it sticks out quite a bit from the rest of the body, but I got the store's guitartech to fix it when I bought it. Now it's only raised a bit. The strap buttons feel rock solid to me, so I probably won't do anything to them. I checked them thoroughly before buying, and if they were loose I'd get it fixed on the spot. The finish is gorgeous and I'm really cautious of getting dents and dings, so I can't really say if it is resistant to it. In my opinion, the finish on the Faded is even nicer than the one on the Standard, but that's up to everyone to decide for themselves. // 10

Impression: To sum it up, I think this is a great guitar and definately worth the money. Maybe I got a really good one, or I played a lemon SG Standard, but I can't see that the Standard lives up to the pricetag. I really love this guitar and I will probably keep it my entire life. If it was stolen, I'd find the one Who stole it and torture him/her until I either got my guitar back, or get the person to buy me a new one. On a more serious note, I'd take the insurance money and buy me a new one (if guitars count as home insurance). The only bad thing I have to say about it is that the pickups might be a little noisy and produce a bit of white noise, but as I said; I only experienced it through the Laney amp which has been used for a long time and is really beaten up. // 10

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: kensana24, on february 03, 2007

Purchased from: guitar center

Features: 2005 Gibson SG Special Faded, made in USA, solid top, 22 fretvorad, mahogany body, regular finish, all original birdge/ lectronics/controls. Two 490R Humbucker pickups. Sounds great when playing whether in the range from Dream On to Highway to Hell to Free Bird, with the 120 watt Crate amp it sounds awesome along with the Line6 ubermetal distortion. wails when played with slide, one thing I wish for is a wammy bar. A great guitar, and an even better investment, on a one to ten range, it would be in 9-10. Prferred songs I play with this gutiar: Highway To Hell, Ironman, Free Bird, Little Wing, Dream On, Stairway to Heaven solo, Purple Haze and Voodoo Child. But mostly, Back in Black because this guitar roars like Angus Young's. // 9

Sound: Is great with the classics and hard rock songs, which are my favcrite, sounds like Nirvana-ish, which is awesome. With the Crate 120 watt amp and the Line 6 Uber Metal pedal it's a beast. I tried this on a Big Marshall amp and a Boss pedal and it sounded so good. It can make sounds like a Wah if you use the effects of the Crate amp has, is sounds anywhere from a Black Sabbath to a Jimmy Page, w/o distortion is can sound like a B.B. King guitar. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: Pick ups were adjusted pefect, I don't plan on adjusting anythign because it sounds perfect the way it is. When it was made, nothign wrong, no flaws in the wiring or electronics, perfect eveythign, it is truely a Gibson because of how good they took care of this. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Hell yes it would, this is a great guitar waiting to be wailed on by Clapton or Kieth Richards, I replaced the strap buttons only because the new ones had locks and locks don't come Standard with the SG, but when I didn't have the strap locks, it was completely safe. The finish on the wood will last for years to come, and wont need to be redone for a long time. // 10

Impression: My style is from JOhnny Cash, The Who, The Stones, The Eagles, The Beatles, CLapton, Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin, and anywhere near that, but this guiitar has succesfully satisfied my taste of music playing. Though I've only been playing for nearly 17 months, I love this gutiar and plan to keep buying Gibson guiatrs til I have my hands cold and dead. If this was broken, stolen, or lost I would lose a very big part of my life, but I would buy a new one as soon as I could, maybe two. In comparing it to a Strat, they both sound great, only the Strat comes with a wammy bar more than you find a SG come with one unless it's a reissue or an Angus Young version, but that's all IO really wish it had (the wammy bar). // 9

overall: 7.6

Reviewed by: Kainrad, on february 11, 2006

Price paid: $ 780

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: The features have been presented many times, and so have the technical work so I will not say much about it. The only thing I wish was different about the pickups is that istead of the 490s, it was '75 Humbuckers. Its just a personal preference b/c I like the look better, and also the fretboard just seems ugly. Simply because the dots, I am most likely going to get it customed once I get some more money to take the dots out and paint something better instead. // 7

Sound: This is only my third guitar, and it sounds great. Only two days before me, my friend purchased the Les Paul Studio which I think is the brother model to the Faded Special. They are very similar in appearance, and do not sound much different. The sound is great, the only thing is the studio is more bluesy than the SG, but it sounds great nonetheless. I play rock, hard rock, soft rock, garage rock, classic rock, nu-metal, indi-rock, basically any rock. I love it on my Fender 25R Frontman amp, and it gives excellent quality. It is a full sound and will knock your socks off. Right now I've only performed bends, and screams on the sound. My next journey to Guitar Center I am going to try it with a wah pedal to see how it compares to the Studio on a wah. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The finish I didn't like too much. So I added a layer of wood finish and it looks excellent. I have the brown copy and it looks so much better and feels better with the 1 layer of finish I added. I left the cutouts unfinished to see the difference over time, and now they feel the same really, but the cutouts just look uglier than the finished body. The action is great, just wish the pickup was lower. I lowered it yesturday, but the sound sounded more trebly so I changed it back. It just felt weird being so low. // 6

Reliability & Durability: Very durable. I trust this guitar so much. Why? The straps dont stay in at all. I have dropped this on concrete, carpet, tile, etc and it still works great with no scratches. Just the strap holders are unreliable. For example, every single time it fell on the ground is b/c the strap. It has also survived a fall down a wooden flight of stairs in the gig bag. Good investment indeed (ok that time was b/c I had ice on my shoe and I fell). // 10

Impression: Great guitar. The only thing I would get next to this, would be the Fender Jaguar or the Les Paul Studio. My favorite features is definately the thick sound it creates whether distorted or clean and cranked up in clean gives off great natural distortion. The only things I wish were different is the pickup was lower, and was 75' humbuckers. But I think the higher pickup gives it some character. Um also just would like a better looking fretboard. The dots are just ugly. The only thing else I wish it featured is probably a wammy bar. It'd be completely original for the SG to have it. // 5

overall: 9.4

Reviewed by: Ember, on november 25, 2005

Price paid: $ 800

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: Cherry wood, 22 frets, mahogany body and neck, color: red fade, stopbar, 2 humbuckers, Tune-O-Matic bridge, Green Key tuners from Gibson, black platethree way Switch, two volume/tone controls each and a gig bag. Made in USA. // 9

Sound: I play punk/grunge/hardcore/classic rock. It blend in perfectly. I use it w/ Fender Frontman 25R at home. At shows, it plays just fine. I only use a DS-1 most of the time and they work together just great. It's responsive, and pretty noisy. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Great action in the condition when I got it. The bridge pickup is too high, but I fixed that in no time. The pickup wrapping is peeling off slightly but it's all good. One bridge tone knob is lose but besides that, everything is in great condition. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I play with two bands currently, one signed, one independent. At shows, it plays loud and have a big fat full sound. The guitar is still in good condition (many scratches from my stud belt). The strap button works fine. // 10

Impression: It's just awesome and has a great reputation. I have only been playing for three years. it's a great guitar for shows (average weight) and for practicing (good shape for playing sitting down). A hard case would be a bonus (had to buy a $90 case later). // 10

overall: 8

Reviewed by: KaseySG, on july 10, 2007

Purchased from: MusiciansFriend.com

Features: My guitar was made in 2006 at the Gibson Plant in Nashville, Tennesse. There are 22 frets, solid body, all mahogany, satin finish, Tune-O-Matic and stopbar, Gibson 490 humbucking pickups, 2 volume/tone, 3-way pickup selector, Gibson green key tuners, and it includes a gigbag and an owner's manual. // 8

Sound: This guitar fits my styles very well. I play hard rock/pop-punk/post-hardcore/emo/screamo/metal/glam(80s) rock/grunge/and classic rock. It can play all of these very well. It does lack in the hardcoe/metal genres, but it still is capable of pulling them off. I use it with a Fender Blues Junior and a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone pedal and it sounds wonderful. I can have the pedal switched off to get that classic Fender tube sound and Switch it on to get a very light distortion to a verrry heavy distortion. The 490's don't hold up as well with a lot of distortion, but I usually don't use full on distortion that much. I am still planning to get different pickups, possibly Seymour Duncans. This guitar is not noisy, the pickups give a well rounded Gibson sound. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar came very well out of the box. The body is a solid piece of mahogany which is BEAUTIFUL with the satin/worn finish. The only complaints I have are: the frets weren't rounded very well and it seems as if the neck was not cut properly because it is very rounded and pretty thick, but maybe they come that way. Oh, and I had my gutiar teacher intonate it, but what guitar don't you need intonated? // 7

Reliability & Durability: I'm pretty sure this guitar will hold up against live playing. It seems pretty solid to me. Nothing is lose or has fallen off. I could play this guitar without a backup, but I would prefer to have my Epiphone LP as a backup. It doesn't have any lacquer or polyurethane, so there really isn't a finish. // 9

Impression: As I said before, this guitar fits my musical styles very well. I have been playing for about two years and it's better than anything I have owned/own. I also own an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, and even though that is a great guitar, I would definitely choose my SG over that. If it were stolen/lost, I would save up and buy something else. Probably a Gibson New Century V-Factor, or a Silverburst SG Standard. I love the playability and the comfort, aside from the thick neck. The things I wish it had were better pickups and a slimmer neck similar to a Ibanez Wizard II neck. Overall, good job Gibson! // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on august 16, 2007

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: Basically all the same specs as the SG Standard, just with a faded finish, which is probably why this guitar costs so much less. I wouldn't bother to write anything else past that first sentence, because there's really nothing else to say, but UG won't let me post this without writing a whole f**ing paragraph, apparently. // 8

Sound: I play mostly alternative, progressive, punk, and hard rock, and this guitar definitely suits all those styles. I play it through a Crate GTD212 and it sounds great. On clean it's got a nice, full, bassy sound, really good for blues. Set to overdrive, it has a nice, crunchy, chunky sound, perfect for punk and hard rock. On lead channel, it delivers a warm, smooth sound, which is perfect for solos. Sustains great, too. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: My guitar was set up perfectly when I got it, although the intonation was a bit off. No problem, of course, as this can be fixed easily. I did notice a flaw where the finish seems to be worn on the inside of one of the cutaways. It plays awesome. The chunky neck is perfect for my big hands, and despite what you may have heard from other people Who do not own the guitar, but have "used it" (which in my opinion, does not at all constitute experience with it), it doesn't at all feel like you're about to get a Splinter from the guitar's neck. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar definitely withstands live playing. You'll want to get straplocks for it though, since I've heard the neck is very fragile. I've been lucky enough to be holding it every time the strap has come off, so I haven't had to worry about it. One thing I've noticed, and you'll probably hear this in a lot of reviews for this guitar, is that the finish scratches very easily, though in my opinion, that just adds to the looks of it. It makes it feel more like your own. I would definitely play this guitar during a gig with no backup and no worries. // 8

Impression: I bought and returned about 5 or 6 guitars before settling on this, and even before I bought it, through all the guitars I tried out and took interest in, my eye kept wandering back to this SG. This is my first "professional" guitar, as all my other guitars have been starters, but I know a good guitar when I play one. The thing about this guitar, however, is that Gibson seems to have put out quite a few "duds". You might not get a good one the first time you buy it, but you will definitely find a good one if you keep looking. If it were lost or stolen, I'd definitely save up to buy another. It'd be cool if it had a bigsby on it, but I plan on adding that later, when I come across enough money to buy one. This guitar easily stands up to it's older brother, the SG Standard, though you're probably gonna want to add some pickup covers. Overall, if you're looking for that true Gibson SG sound at an affordable price, and don't mind sacrificing looks, buy this guitar. // 9

overall: 8.6

Reviewed by: hanha014, on february 27, 2006

Price paid: $ 1008

Purchased from: Musikcentralen

Features: I guess that other people has already described the features of the guitar. It's very basic with the Tune-O-Matic bridge, no hassle tuning it or fixing the intonation. Don't use a whammy bar anyways. I used to have an Ibanez JEM 7DBK (Steve Vai model) before I changed to this one. What I like about the SG compared to the Ibanez is the thicker neck which is more comfortable on my opinion. One thing that I also like is that the neck is wider which I think makes bending easier. I think it looks much better in reality than on pictures. One thing that I have to complain about a bit is that the gig bag that comes with the guitar doesn't seem to have that much padding, I wouldn't really rely on that. So I think I'll buy a light-case from rockbag. // 9

Sound: I play bluesy stuff I guess, mostly noodling around on blues scales and such at home. I like the sound of the neck pickup, very warm and round. I don't know if it's just me, but the bridge pickup sounds a bit weak to me, tried to adjust the height of the bridge pickup and that made it a bit better I think I might change pickups soon though. But in general I think that it is a good and fat sound with a lot of character. If I compare it with the JEM this one sounds more alive and not as sterile. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: I got the guitar set up when I bought it, so I guess all that stuff is pretty good. As I mentioned I tried to raise the bridge pickup to bring up the volume on that one. I can't say that I have found any flaws on the guitar, although it had been hanging at the wall at the store, so there are some very minor marks on it, can't hardly see it though. One thing that I didn't really like was that the fretboard was a little bit too light coloured it didn't look quite right. I'm sure that it's not affecting the playability though, it just looks funny. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I haven't really been playing with this guitar live, so I wouldn't know. It seems to be well built though. The guitar doesn't seem to go out of tune very easily and the tuners seem really good. The strap buttons look good to me, but as I've said I haven't been gigging with it, heard people say that it's best to buy straplocks so I think I'd do that. I suppose that the finish is supposed to wear on this model right? // 10

Impression: I've been playing about 10 years now, my other gear is a Laney LC15 Tube amp, Zakk Wylde overdrive, DigiTech MultiChorus, a Boss GT-3 (and a VOX Tonelab on it's way). If it was stolen or lost, I'd consider buying another one, or maybe the SG Standard. My favourite feature of the guitar is the feel of playing it, as well as looking the right way, and that it has good sound. Overall I'm happy that I bought it, it's a very nice guitar. // 9

Comments

[Gibson_Rocker13]

i love this guitar its so damn versitile

[cam201]

Ember you are an idiot you dont use any SG for punk or hardcore its not designed for that. just classic rock and blues

[pilonic man]

he can use it for whatever the hell he wants to use it for

[JorisBlack]

you see tons of SG's in the hardcore scene dude, go to a gig or something so you can see for yourself!

I recently bought this baby in worn brown and might review it in a couple of days/weeks!

[GibsonSGsRock]

Very good guitar, but i wish it had trap inlays i hate the dot inlay

[STRAT811]

why is this model so much cheaper than the standard? is it crap by comparison? cheaper woods? epiphone pickups?

[ZGS]

luv the model! I finally have enough coin to purchase on of these beauties; been waiting a long time. I like how it has hotter pickups than the standard, and trhe finish is awsome too. But I sorta wish it had the trap inlays and inlayed logo on the headstock, although that is just cosmetic. Oh yeah, STRAT811, the reason why it's cheaper is the simpler finish, and lack of fancy inlays, inlaywork is crazy expensive to do. The pickups are great though, not epiphone at all.

[cameronc]

i got this guitar in 2002 and have loved it ever since. it has the moon inlays and cost me $500 new ;-P

[jcs5234]

STRAT811 wrote:

why is this model so much cheaper than the standard? is it crap by comparison? cheaper woods? epiphone pickups?

its a less expensive model because they did not put on a laquer finish like on most which takes away about 200. they also didnt put binding on the neck and the pickups are different. personally i love this guitar because of the way the neck feels. went into the store to buy a standard but i liked this better.

*note*-the bridge pickup is so high for a reason. if you drop it low, it takes away the sharp, cutting, awesomly amazing sg bridge tone that made the likes of angus young so famous.

[jcs5234]

oh the pickups arent epis, just not as hot gibson pickups

[~mitch~]

i gotta get this guitar

[ECwomantoneman]

I know someplace where you can get this very guitar for £500. Which, I think, works out to around $750.

[PinkIsCool]

I'm getting one for $580 from musicians friend.

[DOOdooroCK]

i own this guitar and i love it!!!!!

[soulfetcher]

had it got rid of it, felt like a f***ing idiot ever since.

[ICEMANN999]

dude i got this guitar for freakin 579 mulas man so saweet saweet saweet. I cant wait to shred on this axe man i just can't wait. Im going to put a Dimarzio Evo in the bridge and it will be set to pwn.

[xsv]

is it really possible to add a wood finish to a guitar? doesn't that take off the warranty? what would it do? cuz im thinking of buying one, but idk if i should put a wood finish

[StratSlinger421]

i was also wondering how much a nice laquer like on standard sgs would cost and where could you get that done?

[Connor Mac]

I got this guitar for $580 and it made my friend with a PRS jealous. The guitar is so finely crafted that I've seen it have a better rating than a higher end SG and for a hell of a lot less. Hopefully in a couple of years ill be upgrading to an SG Supreme which is Godly.

[xsv]

hey guys i got my sg for xmas, and it rawks. lol. but yea can anyone answer my previous question?

[BigFatMonkeyBoy]

XSV - if you want to put a new finish on it, just go for it - warranty be damned. but do your homework first - you'll be rubbing down for days!

Also, does anyone else find they are smashing the bridge pup a lot? After i had my SG for about two months i noticed a stack of wear on the pickup. I'm not bothered about warranties (as you can see) so i bought some pup surrounds in the same black plastic as the scratchplate, had them fitted for about £15 and have saved a lot of hassle from the pups ever since.

[angusyoung_sg]

i abolutely love SG's there the greatest guitar ever created. i have an epi sg cuz im too lazy to work and buy a gibson. but if i were going to spend over $1000 on a guitar i wouldnt buy this one. i would get an SG Standard. its higher in class and alot nicer. my buddy has the faded sg and its like the lowest class of the sg's.

[kensana24]

I love this guitar, it sounds so great, can't live if I didn't have it. I like the sounds that are capable with the amp and pedal I have for it. I bought it a year and a hlaf ago when it was around $ 999 but I made a deal with the guy at Guitar Center and he threw in a case and gig bag.

[GreenDay0013]

any good for punk????

[xsv]

gibson sg's certainly are made for any type of music. My sg is basically good for everything depeding on the fx or amp you have. I usually play a lot of pop/punk alternative blues metal anything really, and it fits it.

[GreenDay0013]

thanks, and does this have any thing on it that makes it looked like it is already aged like scrathed i know the paint is faded but besides that?

[GreenDay0013]

Scratches i meant to say

[xsv]

nah, the paint is pefect. in my opinion its better than some other sg's cuz the body isnt as glossy to leave fingerprints, while still maintaining an excellent shine.

[eddiehimself]

cam201 wrote:

Ember you are an idiot you dont use any SG for punk or hardcore its not designed for that. just classic rock and blues

No YOU are an idiot. The Les Paul was originally designed 4 jazz players but that hasn't stopped it from becoming 1 of (if not the) best rock guitar out there. Likewise the sg is used in tons of hardcore, metal, rock, emo, punk, grunge, pretty much ne modern heavy music aswell as lighter stuff and classic rock and blues aswell.

[sv1684]

i opted for the epiphone elitist 61' faded sg...beautiful guitar, just as good as it's gibson counterpart, and it came with chrome grover tuners, and it's cheaper, same pickups, etc. just less expensive on the wallet and plays IDENTICAL. Great guitars.

[dweagle]

cool love it but u can get one on ibanez that looks just like it. has humbuckers too.

[SRVspeaks]

Ive got this guitar and noticed that the tuning key for the G string... fell off. Anyone noticed that?

[Septerra]

are all Gibsons tune-o-matic?

[tristboyer]

dweagle wrote:

cool love it but u can get one on ibanez that looks just like it. has humbuckers too.

are you talking about the GAX series?

[pedalguy1]

I just got this Axe as a graduation present, and ive had my eye on it for some time. I just love how thick sounding it is. Its Great for hard rock and has tons of sustain when used with distortion. Plus the worn brown finish is just plain sexy. This is a really cool guitar.

[markisouvlaki]

Really Great, versatile guitar. Also, to the guy who asked...not all Gibsons have tune-o-matic, certain explorer and Flying V models have a floyd rose bridge, and I think there are SGs with that funny old-style whammy bar

[kckyle]

if u do anything to try customize the guitar or make it better. u void the waranty. and no this guitar can play out any sound u want. just lower or raise teh pickups and u get a different tone. i lowered my bridge pickup and it sound like my american delux strat

[kckyle]

i dont know how much u guys paid for urs nor do i care. but the price u get now is $579 usd. which after plus tax is goin to be 625 or around there. the reason why the faded sg is alott cheaper is cause of the paint job. notice theey say pay for the guitar not the paint job at most websites. the faeded sg sounds exactly the same as the standard sg which cost around 1-1.2 grand

[zippyfloon92]

if ur gunna buy an sg get one of these. 100% gibson. seriously the only things different from the standard is the less glossy finish,wich i prefer, and dots instead of traps. i put a pair of humbucker covers on mine and it looks absolutly awesome.

[mr. ...]

xsv wrote:

nah, the paint is pefect. in my opinion its better than some other sg's cuz the body isnt as glossy to leave fingerprints, while still maintaining an excellent shine.

yeah but it still gets beat up easily

[johnnyray666]

I own the worn brown finished SG. It is a pretty good guitar. I don't understand why when people do a review on a guitar, they have a fit over the pick-up height and the action. That is shit you should do yourself, to your liking. You shouldn't expect the factory to know how you like your setup. Every guitarist should know how to set their own guitars up. It aint hard. You just need a flathead screwdriver to adjust the pick-up height. And a bigger one to adjust the stoptail.

[jo3myster]

I think this might be my next guitar

[robo516]

i got this guitar about a month ago, i used many guitars in stores before getting this one(ibanez, esp, b.c rich, and a few gibsons) and this one was the best

[jamesdjharrod]

They've made a Faded V and a Faded SG. They NEED to make more faded guitars. They're awesome and cost-effective.

[gumbloid]

I already own a Gibson LP Special faded cherry and it looks like the pickups might be the same. I am currently looking into picking up this SG and then replacing the pickups with P93/P90. Has anyone tried this yet? Also, I want to have a wammy bar installed. There is a local custom shop who will install the pickups and the wammy for me. Still thinking about it though...

[Korzack]

I've got one of these, in the cherry (Guitar fascist time, but to me, SG's don't look right in any other colour). Do badly want a faded V though - Finally saw one in the flesh and was 'Ook - tha's pretty', but I'll leave that for a while - I need a proper amp first.

[cheeseisthebomb]

If I planed on buying this and changeing the pickups, what kind should I buy. I'm looking for that old 60s vintage sound. Or will the stock pickups handle that?

[~Funky monk~]

eddiehimself wrote:

cam201 wrote:

Ember you are an idiot you dont use any SG for punk or hardcore its not designed for that. just classic rock and blues

No YOU are an idiot. The Les Paul was originally designed 4 jazz players but that hasn't stopped it from becoming 1 of (if not the) best rock guitar out there. Likewise the sg is used in tons of hardcore, metal, rock, emo, punk, grunge, pretty much ne modern heavy music aswell as lighter stuff and classic rock and blues aswell.

your right
Tony Iommi uses one

[SixStringSicko]

I own one and love. Especially since I've put a Tony Iommi pickup in the bridge position.

[TimPlaysAnSG]

i got this guitar on blackfriday for $450 =] its amazing

[Dabarro]

One little question: What (brand/model) pickup covers will fit on this guitar?

[stigmeister2win]

great review's, i find this guitar very interesting. In the start i liked Fender guitar the most the fender strat. But since ive tried my friend's les paul ive changed my mind..
But how does this guitar look? i mean is it like its used ´or does it still looks new? - i know the paint i faded and stuff but still does it look new?

//Stig

[Isaac_exit22]

does this cost the same as the sg special or the faded special cheaper?

[Isaac_exit22]

Is the sg special faded cheaper than the sg special? or are they the same price?

[GrayFoxz]

i want to know that too... and is there any difference other then the "faded" look from the special and special faded?

[DNC]

yeah, ive got this in worn cherry. it is absolutely brilliant. i played a few in the store- fender strat, tele, and HH, this was by far the nicest. i love how accessible the higher notes are, and im not playing it through a tube either, im playing it through a 90 watt fender, and it sounds, BEAUTIFUL. no matter what i play, this thing... it sounds so great.

[rama_maiden93]

i don`t understand why people says that strap buttons sucks!!! just buy a pair of strap locks!!1

[gibson243]

cam201 wrote:

Ember you are an idiot you dont use any SG for punk or hardcore its not designed for that. just classic rock and blues

are you stupid???? sg not for punk or hardcore?? an sg is used way more often in hardcore and punk bands then in blues!!!! watch some bands play before you leave a stupid comment like that.

[sebwillis1]

i bought one of these after i bought an ibanez xpt700, which was worse than crap. this is an amazing guitar, although it took my a while to get used to the neck on it seeing as how the xiphos is so damn thin. but yeah, awesome guitar =]

[FrodoBagginz]

I got this for Christmas. its an amazing guitar, very versatile sound, and feels great.

[filthylittleboy]

you guys are all lame... sg's are ugly, and why would so many people review the same guitar?

wow...

[bosta84]

filthylittleboy wrote:

you guys are all lame... sg's are ugly, and why would so many people review the same guitar?

wow...

It's better to have many reviews on one product so people can have a balanced overview of the product...instead of having one biased one by some dick you thinks they are "ugly" and doesn't give a balanced review.

go wow yourself.

[***jacob***]

1. They payed a lot for those!
At guitar center it is always $580!
2. Whoever said SG's are not for punk is way wrong.
Ever seen bad religion?
They always use SG's and always have.

[miguul911]

i always thought sg's are sweet... whenever i see one, for some reason it reminds me of angus young...

[Brad_Bassist]

filthylittleboy wrote:

you guys are all lame... sg's are ugly, and why would so many people review the same guitar?

wow...

Because alot of people have different thoughts of the guitar and it's sound.

[nevin021s]

angusyoung_sg wrote:

i abolutely love SG's there the greatest guitar ever created. i have an epi sg cuz im too lazy to work and buy a gibson. but if i were going to spend over $1000 on a guitar i wouldnt buy this one. i would get an SG Standard. its higher in class and alot nicer. my buddy has the faded sg and its like the lowest class of the sg's.

Dude, they are wayy less than 1000$. They are like 500$-689$

[Moose1309]

stigmeister2win wrote:

great review's, i find this guitar very interesting. In the start i liked Fender guitar the most the fender strat. But since ive tried my friend's les paul ive changed my mind..
But how does this guitar look? i mean is it like its used ´or does it still looks new? - i know the paint i faded and stuff but still does it look new?

//Stig

It still looks "new." There are no scratches or dents in it. The finish just lets you feel the wood grain, unlike those high gloss finishes. On mine, the paint was evenly distributed, so there were no worn spots. You can barely tell this SG from any other "new" SG from far off, let alone the low gloss finish.

[chickrawker]

sorry to be grammar police, but this stuck out at me...

everyone that is everyone knows the tone for rock and metal that this guitar produces with its 2 overwhelmingly powerful humbuckers

uhh...whats the point of this sentence? is it that everyone should know that this tone is the only tone for rock and metal? or what?

sorry, but i had to do it...i think its the ocd part of me :P

[ledzepfan68]

id prefer a epiphone lp

[ledzepfan68]

but this is still a very nice guitar

[GuitarPlayer716]

I don't know, I personally think faded SG's are overrated. My buddy has one and my Strat HH owns the living hell out of it...he even admits it and has said he would have bought a guitar like mine had he known the Faded was so inferior. Don't get me wrong,I love SG's, but the Faded SG just doesn't do the Gibson name justice.

[80'smetaladdict]

i love this guitar its sound amazingo n my marshall and line 6 amps i play classic hard rock and blues ,and this guitar is just awesome on the crunch distortion.

[SG-boy]

some of u guys complain about the bridge pickup being too high. Just take a screw driver, and adjust the two small screws on the side of the pickup up and down to adjust the height of the pickup

[SGCooper]

The SG Standard is the way to go

[Chica]

This guitar is not what everyone makes to be. It is literally the junk wood for the Gibson factory. Like the guy's review sometimes it's even glued together! I mean come on, your purchasing a piece of scrap wood with a Gibson name on it for a ridiculous price. If your gonna buy an SG with that kind of money, buy a Epiphone Limited Edition G-400 Custom or a Epi G-400 with EMG's. You'll get more bang for your buck.

[guitar45man]

i own this guitar and it really does ROCK!

[verona_bassist]

it looks sexy!!! but i do like my stratocaster
...

[AdamOnDrums]

i dont get the faded look its cooler as a standard.. but if you want to get a sg you should get th angus young signature (:

[arian.boss]

this is a f***ing awsome guitar!!!on a scale from 1-10
this is a ten in all!!!! :

[randyaintdead82]

Damn, my friend got one for $500 because there was a scratch and you can barely see it

[deafening]

cam201 wrote:

Ember you are an idiot you dont use any SG for punk or hardcore its not designed for that. just classic rock and blues

ur an ignorant douche so stfu please

[cobain42]

i got this guitar in the winter of 2006, and it is a great guitar. i know some new pickups would make it amazing. i have been playing it almost everyday since then. and while the sound hasnt changed, the worn look, has become even more worn. i have the heritage cherry, and on the back of the neck, it has faded to a dull orangish color. i still love it though.

[Lasyk]

mr. ... wrote:

xsv wrote:

nah, the paint is pefect. in my opinion its better than some other sg's cuz the body isnt as glossy to leave fingerprints, while still maintaining an excellent shine.


yeah but it still gets beat up easily

all guitars take a beating easily if they get smacked hard enough

[zoomzoom]

i got this exact guitar. i got it on sale for 800. its amazing. Why pay 1000 more for a standard when this is exactly the same but cheaper. great on clean, dirty, great for jazz, metal, even finger picking. its beautiful.

[SL!!!]

"I play...metalcore, nu-metal..."

Off topic, but my guess is, if you are playing nu-metal you aren't playing metalcore, but just what people who don't know much underground music call metalcore...like As I Lay Dying. lol.

[SL!!!]

~Funky monk~ wrote:

eddiehimself wrote:

cam201 wrote:

Ember you are an idiot you dont use any SG for punk or hardcore its not designed for that. just classic rock and blues

No YOU are an idiot. The Les Paul was originally designed 4 jazz players but that hasn't stopped it from becoming 1 of (if not the) best rock guitar out there. Likewise the sg is used in tons of hardcore, metal, rock, emo, punk, grunge, pretty much ne modern heavy music aswell as lighter stuff and classic rock and blues aswell.

your right
Tony Iommi uses one

Holy crap guys, you can use any guitar for just about any style. You don't need to have the stereotypical tone of the style to play it, and you can customize your own tone too. Fuckin' A. Granted, some guitars may give you a different sound you may want to utilize for the right effect and stuff, but that's the point, there isn't just ONE guitar for everything, they can all do stuff. Like a symphony has many different instruments for timbre, tone and all of that, there are also tons of different guitars that can be used for whatever.

[moonshot]

This is truly a basic Gibson SG.But it is also a true made in America Gibson SG special guitar. I bought mine at guitar center for $589.00. Since then the price has gone UP to 699.00. (go figure!). I knew when I got it that it was going to need some work to set it right. All "New" guitars do. I scrapped the stock knobs for gibson speeds, put on an A6 fine tune bridge (if it's good enough for BB king it's good enough for me!) and replaced the tuners with Sperzel lockers.After a pro setup for $70.00 this guitar flat out Freakin ROCKS!

[moonshot]

moonshot wrote:

This is truly a basic Gibson SG.But it is also a true made in America Gibson SG special guitar. I bought mine at guitar center for $589.00. Since then the price has gone UP to 699.00. (go figure!). I knew when I got it that it was going to need some work to set it right. All "New" guitars do. I scrapped the stock knobs for gibson speeds, put on an A6 fine tune tailpiece (if it's good enough for BB king it's good enough for me!) and replaced the tuners with Sperzel lockers.After a pro setup for $70.00 this guitar flat out Freakin ROCKS!

[guitarist_with_]

If you're looking for real tone you wouldn't buy this..

[ThrashIsGreat]

Proud owner of one, for four years this august. It's the first guitar I ever owned, and I'll have it forever. Swapped in some EMGs and got a setup, and it screams. Plays better than some of my friends $2200 USA Jackson's.

[davids2010]

My friend just got one of these, and he loves.
I tryed it. It plays so great and has a good sound.

[stigmeister2win]

guys it finally came down to that i got one of these myself great guitar! good sound i would rate it 10!

[ksmash5]

How is the price range so differen't from all of you that bought these? from $500 - $1000. What's the difference? new or used.. or what

[aznsoldier7]

woooo i own that i love it!

[Greg Harper]

I'm not a big fan of this but it is a pretty looking thing.

[nutinpwnsgibson]

my friend has it, ive played it, its nice. he got it for $600 USA. its incredibly light and the pickups are nice for lots of stuff, but hes a metal fan, so i think he might wanna change them.

[moonshot]

The original SG special has an ebony fret board, mahogany body and neck with a 498r pu in the bridge and 490t pu in the neck.They also had a model with 1/2 moon inlays in the fret board. The "new" faded specials have rosewood boards with 490r in the bridge and 490t in the neck. These pups are wound for a more midrange (treble)
sound and lack the low end dynamics of the originals.

[verona_bassist]

my friend wants an SG, i see why

[Randyrocks123]

THIS GUITAR F***ING OWNS!!!!!

[guitargodderyck]

I got one of these. Great Guitar for the price.Its just as good as my Gibson SG Standard which cost bout 1,300

[hendris]

I have one of these guitars. Its pretty f***ing amazing. I'm starting to play more metal(ish) stuff so I replaced the neck pickup with an invader. It made this guitar even better.

[]\/[R. EM0]

I HAVE ONE AND I LOVE IT MORE THATN N/E THING!!!

[patrickdenneyto]

this guitar is awesome
my friend has one and he lets me play it some times in concert, it feels so good

[51VH50]

Ive played them a lot at guitarcenter when i was looking to buy a new guitar. i personally think they are junk. you would be better of buying an Epi. All you pay for is the Gibson name here. there is no finish. infact i think they went out of the way to make it especially fragile. it dents SUPER easily, infact i think a fingernail could dent it. The pickups not only look horrible. (ive seen like 10 or so and they all are horribly taped. the pickups are also incredibly thin and i thought weak. The neck also just felt plain weird, i didnt like it AT ALL. i found it near impossible to play on. If i was ever going to buy a Gibson i would buy the real thing. not one of their cheap low end ones. However my opinions only mean so much, if you are considering it then i would suggest go and play it for yourself. these are just my opinion and im sure some people really like this guitar. just not for me.

[asterisk_corpse]

I dont care what anybody says about this being strictly a blues guitar. i own one and it is capable of kicking out high velocity hardcore ripping metal. Its versatile, durable, beautiful, and perfect for anyone looking for edge. Everyone else can just play a ****ing strat

[/Dragon|Force\]

I own one of these beauties in ebony. It's got quite a lot of wear, but I love it. I play metal, rock, blues, punk, etc...so you know it's versatile. I love the fat neck mine has and the beautiful clean and distorted sound. Mine was only $600 with a Gibson case. I've compared it to sg standards and it is just about the same for a lot less.

[per-rock]

love this guitar.(maybe because i have this hehe)
but it is lovely sound and mahogny is so sweet

[lespaul#1]

I don't own this, but it's really nice, played it at Guitar Center. I thought it was broken because it was so light, it weighs less than a Squier Mini Strat.

[ToastedSG]

i bought it today for a 1000 bucks! Loooove it! i recomend it to all

[CaseySchwartz]

just bought mine today used for 550 its beatifull and sounds fantastic i highly recomend this guitar to anyone who doesn't have a redicoulous amount of money to spend.

[xkingd117x]

Am I the winner here of spending the least?...
I only spent $350. !
Sure is a hell of a lot better than a MIM strat... 50 bucks cheaper too. Muahahahhahaha.
The people riding this guitars nuts so hard are the ones that spent more and got a regular SG with a paint job, and realized they could have got the same guitar for half the price.
Same electronics, same setup as your regular SG, just no paint. And I dig the worn brown more than the god-forbidden overdone cherry red any day of the week.
Then again, had i spent 1000 like some of you... i'd probably be singing a different tune.
-D

[im_bored]

lespaul#1 wrote:

I don't own this, but it's really nice, played it at Guitar Center. I thought it was broken because it was so light, it weighs less than a Squier Mini Strat.

its the heaviest sg i've ever played and it was not at all pleasing to play, big bulky neck with almost no finish. You'd be so much better off buying a g-400 and replacing the pickups, cheaper and better

[metallicaman2]

theres no way thats the right kind then cuz this weighs as much as an acoustic no joke. i have one its the greatest. i can play anything on it. no point in writing a review if theres already like ten...

[Nineball909]

the reviewer at the very top has horrible taste in guitars, basically all of the guitars he has are garbage guitars, I would know, I've played them, rule of thumb, if its made out of agathis and/or is under $400-$500 its USUALLY going to be a crappy guitar, the ones he listed are bottom of the barrel $150-$200 guitars, the kind you give to your son because he thinks he wants to be a rock star when he grows up but you know hes just going to get bored of the guitar you buy him and just play video games his whole life so there is no point in wasting good money on a good guitar that will never be played by the one you gave it to.

I don't really think someone who plays metalcore and nu-metal (little kids metal and angsty uneducated teen metal) on toy guitars should be trying to make comprehensive and unbiased reviews about GOOD guitars.

[Nineball909]

filthylittleboy wrote:

you guys are all lame... sg's are ugly, and why would so many people review the same guitar?

wow...

you must be the kind of pre-teen who prefers to play the skin flute.

[Nineball909]

I swear, 90% of you are under the age of 12...

[IbanezBassman]

I'd agree, I didn't like them when I was 12.. I don't own one but have certainly played them in the music stores, I'm thinking of buying one perhaps. They're a very top heavy compared to Ibanez/Fenders, and for me personally the neck is too fat. The clean sound is fantastic.

[SeEsAw12]

I swapped the bridge pickup with a Dimebucker.

It isn't as heartpounding as the pickup could be but it sounds vicious over this is a GREAT guitar and if you swap the pick-ups you can definitely play this with ANY genre

[Kingofu]

I bought one yesterday and I love it

[Chris945SG]

im_bored wrote:

lespaul#1 wrote:

I don't own this, but it's really nice, played it at Guitar Center. I thought it was broken because it was so light, it weighs less than a Squier Mini Strat.its the heaviest sg i've ever played and it was not at all pleasing to play, big bulky neck with almost no finish. You'd be so much better off buying a g-400 and replacing the pickups, cheaper and better

No. I own one... They weigh nothing. and thats the point, its not supposed to have finish... its like a fender relic... but not crap looking... thats what an Sg would look like if you played it everyday for 30 years. (Y) grow up.

[Chris945SG]

STRAT811 wrote:

why is this model so much cheaper than the standard? is it crap by comparison? cheaper woods? epiphone pickups?

The pickups are more modern sounding... not like the originals... no laquer, no binding, gold logo instead of the inlay, no diamond inlay or whatnot on the headstock... dot neck, no pickup covers. All gibson guitars use Mahogany, except those icky raw powers.

Late reply but you know... gotta be right xD

[Synyster915]

How's the neck weight on this thing, compared to the body weight? I had an Epiphone G-400 for a short period of time and the neck weight was nearly unbearable standing up. I know that can be fixed by adding weights/getting a good strap, but I prefer lighter guitars far more in general. I'd imagine that this guitar has higher quality wood (lol), but I'd like some feedback on this from those of you with experience with the guitar. Thanks!

[xTJMx]

People playing through solid state fender amps and such should not be giving negative reviews on a guitar. It results in blaming bad sound on the guitar instead of the amp. Where in this case... the guitar is great. Has great action and the same pickups that come standard in most of the popular Les Paul models.

[GuernZila]

should i get this of save up some extra cash for the sg special not faded and get a one peice body and shiny finish?