Les Paul vs SG

Re: Les Paul vs SG

blueman335 said:
I don't understand the neck dive complaints. If you need one hand free, hold the neck with the other. If you need both hands free, you shouldn't have a guitar strapped on you. Good way to ding a guitar up. Any guitar can swing around and hit things.
Click to expand...

I think the left hand (as a right handed player) should be concentrating on playing, not so much on holding the neck at the correct angle. I am very sensitive to a neck-heavy guitar. These days, there should really be no reason why a guitar that is neck heavy gets out of the prototyping stage.
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

I have one Gibson SG and 2 Les Pauls. The SG is great for upper fret access and I have no neck dive issues with it at all...especially with Grover tuning machines on the head-stock. With an LP on the other hand I find it a very well balanced guitar and once you get used to it you can reach the upper frets quite well by changing your hand position.



;>)/
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

Mincer said:
I think the left hand (as a right handed player) should be concentrating on playing, not so much on holding the neck at the correct angle. I am very sensitive to a neck-heavy guitar. These days, there should really be no reason why a guitar that is neck heavy gets out of the prototyping stage.
Click to expand...



When I think 'neck dive' I'm thinking one hand on the guitar, one hand doing something else. Never dreamed it could be an issue while playing for anyone. I think SG's are a great design, and with a few changes could have been a competitor with the super Strats of the '80's. They should have started two distinct lines, Traditional & Modern. Gibson missed the boat on that.
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

I like the Maestro vibrato units on SG guitars. They look great and you can do excessive dive bombs with them as Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush proves in this video.




;>)/
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

RorySquier said:
I like the Maestro vibrato units on SG guitars. They look great and you can do excessive dive bombs with them as Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush proves in this video.




;>)/
Click to expand...

Seriously, if the original SG was released as standard with a Maestro and a P90 in the middle as well as some wiring changes, they would be a lot more popular. As they are now, many see them as a Les Paul Lite. Kinda like how if the Strat was originally released with no tremolo or middle pickup with the same wiring as a Tele, it could be viewed as a Tele Lite.
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

blueman335 said:
I'll save you the time: go for GFS Mean 90's, widely praised here on the forum. They have A5's and have the bite & clarity of P-90's.
Click to expand...
Definitely one of my top choices. Watch for my thread... Will appreciate comparisons.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

Chistopher said:
Seriously, if the original SG was released as standard with a Maestro and a P90 in the middle as well as some wiring changes, they would be a lot more popular. As they are now, many see them as a Les Paul Lite. Kinda like how if the Strat was originally released with no tremolo or middle pickup with the same wiring as a Tele, it could be viewed as a Tele Lite.
Click to expand...

I don't know about being more popular with an extra pick up and wiring changes but an SG guitar has all the ergonomics that allow players to easily play with comfort and ease compared to an LP. Of course Les Paul himself wasn't too crazy about the guitar when it first came out in '61 and still had his name on it until 1963 when they called it an SG. Les insisted that the new designed guitar should be a neck through the body design but Gibson ignored his advice and of course the rest is history. There's quite a few guitarists that put the SG on the map like Pete Townsend, Tony Iommi, Angus Young, etc. that gave the SG it's own niche.



;>)/
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

RorySquier said:
Of course Les Paul himself wasn't too crazy about the guitar when it first came out in '61 and still had his name on it until 1963 when they called it an SG.

;>)/
Click to expand...

Good point- he really hated the SG and it makes sense in many ways-

  • His sound was based on clean sustain and used low impediance pups for clarity- the heavier body just makes more sense.
  • Apparently Gibson did't get his design help with the SG as they had with the classic LP and he felt left out.
  • Perhaps most important, his wife Mary Ford, loved SGs- they were divorced in 64, and it certainly did nothing to increase his love for SGs.

I only met him once- a very nice, 15 minute conversation between sets at Fat Tuesday- We talked about a lot of stuff, but the conversation about my love for my 62 LP/SG lasted about 7 seconds- clearly not a way to keep the conversation going;)
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

The SG Standard is Gibson's best-selling guitar of all time... for a reason.
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

RorySquier said:
I like the Maestro vibrato units on SG guitars. They look great and you can do excessive dive bombs with them as Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush proves in this video.




;>)/
Click to expand...

Notice when he takes both hands off the guitar to pull his hair back...no neck dive lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

I’ve been spending a lot of time with both my Epi LP and SG. Asides from the upper fret access of the SG, I prefer the feel and tone of the LP.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

As mentioned earlier, I love both and have wondered if there are any good 'in betweens' that get the best of both?
I haven't played double cutaway LPs, but have never imagined that they have a good heal for the upper neck access that is so easy on a thin SG. Anyone have experience?

In a similar vein, my SGs 'cut' much better than LPs- much better for rhythm and riffs, but I'm always having to push on amp and effects to get singing lead sustain. Again, has anyone played a great in between LP and SG?

I actually had one guitar that pretty much fit the bill, a mid 80s explorer- Neck wasn't quite as easy as an SG, but it was close, it definitely could cut and it definitely could sustain., but it may have been exceptional because I haven't found another explorer like it.
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

zionstrat said:
I actually had one guitar that pretty much fit the bill, a mid 80s explorer- Neck wasn't quite as easy as an SG, but it was close, it definitely could cut and it definitely could sustain., but it may have been exceptional because I haven't found another explorer like it.
Click to expand...

Gibson Explorers made between roughly 84 and 86 had alder bodies and maple necks instead of the typical mahogany. If you had one of the 'no pickguard' Explorers, this could easily be why none of the newer ones sound similar.
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

dystrust said:
Gibson Explorers made between roughly 84 and 86 had alder bodies and maple necks instead of the typical mahogany. If you had one of the 'no pickguard' Explorers, this could easily be why none of the newer ones sound similar.
Click to expand...
Interesting! Maybe? No pickgaurd, white... I always assumed it was mahagoney ,but never opened the cavity. Seems like alder + maple would have been bright, but 24.75 does remove a lot of fenderish snap.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

zionstrat said:
Interesting! Maybe? No pickgaurd, white... I always assumed it was mahagoney ,but never opened the cavity. Seems like alder + maple would have been bright, but 24.75 does remove a lot of fenderish snap.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I have a '96 Explorer that I absolutely love, and I always found the 80s Explorers to be a bit nasal in comparison. They definitely weren't as bright as you'd expect given the materials.
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

84exp.jpg
The body on this one has been stained, but that grain pattern is definitely not mahogany. The maple neck is also visible. AFAIK all 'no pickguard' Explorers were built like this; I'm not sure which woods were used for the very small number of 76-style Explorers made during that period.
 
Re: Les Paul vs SG

zionstrat said:
In a similar vein, my SGs 'cut' much better than LPs- much better for rhythm and riffs, but I'm always having to push on amp and effects to get singing lead sustain. Again, has anyone played a great in between LP and SG?
Click to expand...

1980's Ibanez Artist AR100
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top