Brian110687
Red Sox Hateologist
VS.
SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
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TattooedCarrot
New member
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
While they look similar, they are very different guitars. I've owned a few of both. The Viper will have more bass to it, the SG is a little brighter. The Viper has a thicker body and thinner neck profile, the SG has a thinner body and thicker neck profile. The SG sounds all Gibson, the viper sounds like....not a Gibson (but good).
While they look similar, they are very different guitars. I've owned a few of both. The Viper will have more bass to it, the SG is a little brighter. The Viper has a thicker body and thinner neck profile, the SG has a thinner body and thicker neck profile. The SG sounds all Gibson, the viper sounds like....not a Gibson (but good).
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Forbes
Guest
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
Id go viper, i dont like too many controls, and that SG with 4 knobs and a switch just makes me cringe.
Id go viper, i dont like too many controls, and that SG with 4 knobs and a switch just makes me cringe.
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
Yeah I prefer the 1 volume 1 tone layout also. Shame the Volume is a bit behind the bridge otherwise you could easily use it for violining also.
I've not played the ESP but I have played the Gibson and I thought it was an alright guitar for the money, just not my thing. It was very unbalanced on a strap though, pretty neck heavy.
I think the ESP is 24 fret so that will affect the neck tone a bit away from a classic SG one.
Forbes said:
Yeah I prefer the 1 volume 1 tone layout also. Shame the Volume is a bit behind the bridge otherwise you could easily use it for violining also.
I've not played the ESP but I have played the Gibson and I thought it was an alright guitar for the money, just not my thing. It was very unbalanced on a strap though, pretty neck heavy.
I think the ESP is 24 fret so that will affect the neck tone a bit away from a classic SG one.
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DeadSkinSlayer3
Guest
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
ESP, 24 frets only effects the center positions tone
Better pickups, you might really like EMG's. Better feel to me.
ESP, 24 frets only effects the center positions tone
Better pickups, you might really like EMG's. Better feel to me.
Brian110687
Red Sox Hateologist
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
Im leaning towards the Gibson because of the way the weight is distributed as to the ESP. But I love the way the whie body and Black emgs look on the ESP. I am completely torn.
Im leaning towards the Gibson because of the way the weight is distributed as to the ESP. But I love the way the whie body and Black emgs look on the ESP. I am completely torn.
Empty Pockets
BadHairDayologist
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
Go ESP, Gibson is too....evil.
Plus you'll hurt your hand on all those friggin knobs.
PLUS You've already got a friggin Les Paul, mix it up a little...
-X
Go ESP, Gibson is too....evil.
Plus you'll hurt your hand on all those friggin knobs.
PLUS You've already got a friggin Les Paul, mix it up a little...
-X
Fiber-Optics
New member
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
I would have to say SG special because I own one and have compaired it to many Vipers with EMGs and to me they sounded to "Muddy".
I would have to say SG special because I own one and have compaired it to many Vipers with EMGs and to me they sounded to "Muddy".
TattooedCarrot
New member
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
That's not correct. The Les Paul has a much thicker body and a 1/4 inch maple top; you can't get that tone by changing a pickup in a thin slab of mahogany. SG's and Les Pauls are both cool, but very different sounding.
That is also incorrect. To make room for he extra two frets, the neck pickup has to be moved back a bit closer to the bridge. This will affect the neck tone as well as mixed. I hate 24 frets as I'm not a shredder. Shredders mostly use the bridge pickup only so moving the neck pickup out of the sweet spot doesn't matter to them as they need the extra 2 frets to make two complete octaves (12+12=24) for the more technical scales and stuff they use. I like the neck pickup and don't need two full octaves for my style of playing so I got rid of all my 24 fret guitars, including a DC Les Paul standard that was otherwise the sh!t.
jimmy said:A Gibson SG with a SH-13 in the bridge is basically a Les Paul.
Gibson SG all the way, dude.
That's not correct. The Les Paul has a much thicker body and a 1/4 inch maple top; you can't get that tone by changing a pickup in a thin slab of mahogany. SG's and Les Pauls are both cool, but very different sounding.
DeadSkinSlayer3 said:
That is also incorrect. To make room for he extra two frets, the neck pickup has to be moved back a bit closer to the bridge. This will affect the neck tone as well as mixed. I hate 24 frets as I'm not a shredder. Shredders mostly use the bridge pickup only so moving the neck pickup out of the sweet spot doesn't matter to them as they need the extra 2 frets to make two complete octaves (12+12=24) for the more technical scales and stuff they use. I like the neck pickup and don't need two full octaves for my style of playing so I got rid of all my 24 fret guitars, including a DC Les Paul standard that was otherwise the sh!t.
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DeadSkinSlayer3
Guest
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
Oops...Maybe I just haven't played enough 22 fret guitars extensively then.
Keep in mind Gibson openly says that the body is multi-pieced...Who know's what the **** is under that finish?
Oops...Maybe I just haven't played enough 22 fret guitars extensively then.
Keep in mind Gibson openly says that the body is multi-pieced...Who know's what the **** is under that finish?
TattooedCarrot
New member
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
Most guitars, even high-end models are multi-piece. Due to the difficulty in acquiring good woods anymore (depletion of the rainforests and all that), a one-piece body is both uncommon and expensive. However, you can be assured that Gibson uses solid wood whereas imports like the Ltd series uses laminates and not solid wood.
Despite Gibson's QC weaknesses, you are going to get a better guitar in the Gibson. However, the Ltd has better appointments (pickups, etc) and likely better quality control after assembly.
And I'm not repeating what I've read only, I have owned a lot of both Ltd and Gibson (approximately 15 Ltd's and probably 20 + Gibsons over the past 3 years, I'm a gear whore as you can see some of it in my sig link).
DeadSkinSlayer3 said:
Most guitars, even high-end models are multi-piece. Due to the difficulty in acquiring good woods anymore (depletion of the rainforests and all that), a one-piece body is both uncommon and expensive. However, you can be assured that Gibson uses solid wood whereas imports like the Ltd series uses laminates and not solid wood.
Despite Gibson's QC weaknesses, you are going to get a better guitar in the Gibson. However, the Ltd has better appointments (pickups, etc) and likely better quality control after assembly.
And I'm not repeating what I've read only, I have owned a lot of both Ltd and Gibson (approximately 15 Ltd's and probably 20 + Gibsons over the past 3 years, I'm a gear whore as you can see some of it in my sig link).
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Brian110687
Red Sox Hateologist
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
I think I am going to wind up getting the gibson and later on drop a duncan or something into it.
I think I am going to wind up getting the gibson and later on drop a duncan or something into it.
Guitarist
Mesa-ologist
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
I'd gladly choose the LTD. The Specials just feel like hunks of cheap wood. It almost feels like I could bend it in half.... The fret job is terrible and the only reason why I would suspect anyone to want one is for the lovely gold name on the headstock. But believe me bro... you take it off the rack and you'll not even need to plug it in, it's just that uncomfortable!
I'd gladly choose the LTD. The Specials just feel like hunks of cheap wood. It almost feels like I could bend it in half.... The fret job is terrible and the only reason why I would suspect anyone to want one is for the lovely gold name on the headstock. But believe me bro... you take it off the rack and you'll not even need to plug it in, it's just that uncomfortable!
Indie P Bass
New member
Re: SG special vs. ESP LTD viper 400
That's not an SG special that you have a picture of... it's a g-310. The SG special blows. I suggest going with the viper 100%
That's not an SG special that you have a picture of... it's a g-310. The SG special blows. I suggest going with the viper 100%
