Considering an SG. Help!?

J

jmcorey

New member
Hi all,

I have for once and for all given up on the idea of making my maple board strat sound like a heavy guitar. Just doesn't work. Putting a humbucker in it makes it sound like a strat with a humbucker. What do you think about that?

Everyone and his mother drools over Les Pauls. Problem is that I have this Cars in concert DVD, with and Ric Ocasek is playing a very cool SG. (Elliot is playing a telecaster for most of the concert.) Thought I might want to pick one up.

Can you do anything on an SG? I know it's kind of midway between a strat and an LP. Shred? Rock? Pop? (The SG Supremes are to drool over).

Thanks...
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

In all honesty, if you want the les paul sound don't get an SG, get a les paul :)

I don't know your deffinition of heavy, but my strat types with bridge buckers sound nice and heavy to me. Not anything like a les paul granted, but hardly wimpy. What amp are you using?

FYI, I've seen two bands with maple boarded strats get killer heavy tones. Killswitch Engage when I saw them a few years ago, Adam had a maple boarded fender strat, with some sort of stacked humbucker in the bridge I think through a Mesa.. sounded nice and heavy!

Also, a local act (I forgot their name) but one fo the guitarists had a similar setup; maple boarded strat, stacked humbucker and a Marshall TSL. He got a killer heavy tone as well, depends on your deffinition of heavy though I guess!
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

My SG does heavy just fine. I think it does a lot of styles well. I like it a lot.
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

I had an SG Special that I tweaked for a year and a half and finally gave up on it. It just wasn't for me tonally; as far as playability goes, it was great.
I think it has something to do with being such a thin guitar. It had a great bite for rock/metal, but I couldn't get cleans out of it I was happy with.
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

SGs are not a favourite of mine. All the SGs I've tried, including the one I own (bought it a long time ago) lacked lowend and had almost no sustain on bent notes.
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

I think that my handle indicates where I'm at. I love my '66 SG Standard; it plays and sounds great and always works with what I do, mostly blues and rock. I love Strats too, but the two are NOT interchangeable.
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

I started out playing SG's. They're definitely my favorite Gibson, but I've gotten violent enough when playing that I really don't have any business using them onstage anymore, they're just not solid enough for me anymore. I've said it before and I'll reiterate: You can play ANY kind of music with ANY kind of guitar. It's just that some guitars are better suited to certain genres.
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

Hellion said:
I started out playing SG's. They're definitely my favorite Gibson, but I've gotten violent enough when playing that I really don't have any business using them onstage anymore, they're just not solid enough for me anymore. I've said it before and I'll reiterate: You can play ANY kind of music with ANY kind of guitar. It's just that some guitars are better suited to certain genres.
Click to expand...
So which genres is the SG suited to more?
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

I've found them somewhat limiting. If you want that raunchy sound they can't be beat. But they can't be smooth, doesn't matter how hard you try. You can't do shred with them IMO (but I also think single coils in a strat don't work, and I hate Yngwie's tone, but I guess some people like him :)). They are good for rock though, listen to Townshend's old tone and some of the Edge and Jay Bennett's tones. Adrian Smith got an excellent tone out of them on the Peace of Mind album.
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

ex-250 said:
the dudes in maiden use maple boarded strats!
Click to expand...
I don't see how much heavier you could ask for from a strat if you listen to how chunky Adrian's tone is. The three mad players tones compliment each other PERFECTLY: Dave all smooth and legato, Adrian rhythmic with vibratos and a rawer tone, and then Janick with his choppy aggressive tone. He has the best clean tone IMO, H has the best rhythm tone, and Dave has the best solo tone. Strats CAN sound extremely heavy if you drop a Super Distortion, Fast Track 2, or Hot Rails in there. Not a fan of the JB Jr.
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

A maple board strat should get heavy with some good buckers. What kind of amp are you using? But, you said shred. Your strat will be great for that.
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

jim root from slipknot has a maple neck strathead charvel.. and that sound rips you in two

but yes i do agree. a strat with a bucker will still sound like a strat.. threshold have the best distorted strat sounds on the planet!
for buckers in strats listen to maiden.

but if you're going for a LP sound, accept no substitutes
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

Boleslaw Gers 666 said:
You can't do shred with them IMO
Click to expand...


They have amazing fret acess, swap out the pups (if you feel you need to) and you have an excellent hardtail "shred" axe.

I know Gomano uses SG's and shreds just fine..
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

try the Iommi Sig. it doesnt sound like a "regular" SG at all, thanks to the Iommi humbuckers. has 24 frets, which you can use, altho not absolutely necessary.
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

you can shred on an SG without a problem. you can shred on any axe you want

thresholds guitarist uses a strat.. i think uses single coils and has amazing tone. shreds like a maniac.

wintersun's vocalist uses a tele, shreds like a mofo

i have an sg and when you have the proper pups in them the clean tone is really nice. especially in the middle position of a JB/59 combo and you can shred on them without any problems, that I tell you.

zakk is a prime example of a LP shredder. if you dont believe me i got a vid proving that (or just get Pentatonic hardcore)

i put my hand in the fire that you could shred on a 335.


i dont know how you people view it.. but if i could make a 200$ epi sound like a 3k custom axe, you can do wonders with an axe that is of better quality



if YOU cant do it, YOU're not versatile enough.. the guitars are
 
Last edited:
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

Davey said:
you can shred on an SG without a problem. you can shred on any axe you want
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Shredding is a technique. SG's just happen to have nice fret access, which is a bonus if you wanna play right up at the top of the neck
 
Re: Considering an SG. Help!?

jmcorey said:
So which genres is the SG suited to more?
Click to expand...

I've always likened SGs to a jazz/rock/fusion type of genre. Les Paul played one occasionally in the early days (he wasn't fond of the "horns", though), Frank Marino plays them frequently, Eric Johnson plays one from time to time, Joaquin Lievano used one in the early days with Jean Luc Ponti, Donald Roeser used one a lot in the 70's with Blue Oyster Cult, Tony Iommi is well known for his models, and the list goes on and on.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Aceman
SG, but not an SG
Replies
18
Views
1K
80's_Metal
80's_Metal
S
Humbucker for HSS strat
2
Replies
39
Views
515
Sam SG
S
S
Fret break in??
Replies
17
Views
682
JMP/HBE
JMP/HBE
80's_Metal
Need Help- recommend an acoustic guitar
2 3
Replies
46
Views
2K
jeremy
jeremy
B
Could 250k tonepot with humbucker be why sound is so dark in HSS strat
Replies
14
Views
525
Mincer
Mincer
Back
Top