Les Paul Or SG?

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  • Matt_McGMatt_McG Frets: 321
    I'm not a big fan of the fat LP sound, I find it a bit congested and over-blown, unless it's just the right LP and pickups -- don't get me wrong, some sound amazing -- so the less fat sound of the SG is a plus, not a minus, for me.
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  • robertyroberty Frets: 10893
    A lot of SGs have wolf tones/dead spots around the 12th on the D and/or G.  They have a barky midrange that suits P90s really well, whereas LPs are more scooped with stronger bass and attack.  Try before you buy as they do vary.  I prefer 335s over SGs for fret access :-)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    I like the sound of SGs and that they're associated with some of my favourite players and bands, but I just can't get on with them to play - the balance and neck position is all wrong for me.

    Even Les Pauls are at the limit of where I like the neck to be relative to the body.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • DeeTeeDeeTee Frets: 764
    For some reason I don't get on with SG's, I just don't like the way they play. Maybe its the neck, the body, who knows.
    They are weird, because the position of the strap buttons puts everything a bit further over to the left (assuming you're right handed). If you're used to other guitars, it just feels a bit wrong. A lot of SG players (including me) deal with this by moving the guitar to the side, so it's sort of balancing off the right hip. Feels a little odd at first, but now I find it odd going back to my other guitars!
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  • LestratcasterLestratcaster Frets: 1079
    DeeTee said:
    For some reason I don't get on with SG's, I just don't like the way they play. Maybe its the neck, the body, who knows.
    They are weird, because the position of the strap buttons puts everything a bit further over to the left (assuming you're right handed). If you're used to other guitars, it just feels a bit wrong. A lot of SG players (including me) deal with this by moving the guitar to the side, so it's sort of balancing off the right hip. Feels a little odd at first, but now I find it odd going back to my other guitars!
    Yeah and I also find its hard to hold properly as it weighs weird, so when playing standing up its not comfortable for me!
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  • JonHoskerJonHosker Frets: 390
    Yamaha Revstar!!
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  • Hydra19Hydra19 Frets: 320
    SG never wins these arguments :(
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  • pintspillerpintspiller Frets: 994
    A double cutaway Junior or similar is what you are after. Probably. An SG just won't sustain the same unless you have loads of gain.
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    Hydra19 said:
    SG never wins these arguments :(
    It bloody does in my house!

    I have a 400 quid SG and a Historic LP Custom and honestly the SG is just as good, and actually my preferred guitar overall. 

    A double cutaway Junior or similar is what you are after. Probably. An SG just won't sustain the same unless you have loads of gain.
    I don't recall Tony Iommi, Angus Young, Derek Trucks, or Gary Clark Jr ever complaining about sustain. It's a complete misnomer. 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • stonevibestonevibe Frets: 7082
    Frank Zappa played some pretty cool stuff on an SG, just saying...




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  • TTBZTTBZ Frets: 2873
    edited July 2019
    @TTBZ i'm a big fan of PAFs in SG types, and particularly alnico3 magnets, which Gibson has recently started using in a lot of the CS stuff. They really seem to help with the treble response, which is what SGs are all about.
    Yeah p90fool mentioned an A3 magnet in a thread I started about SG pickups as well. I'm not sure if it'd do it for me, I like A5 the best in my experience. A4 Mules were nice but a little polite sounding for an SG, I wanted more bite and punch. Would be interesting to try something A3 though but pickups can become an expensive game for minimal gains! Might just try and find a cheap pair of Dimarzio 36th or something to give a mass produced PAF option a go before I spend the big bucks on something I might not like.

    Re the sustain thing, mine does actually sustain fine I think it's maybe more the attack that's different, they're harder to play than an LP.
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  • I love an SG. They need a strap button on the top horn IMO like the ESP Viper does 
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  • steven70steven70 Frets: 1262
    edited July 2020
    ...
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  • DeeTeeDeeTee Frets: 764
    I can't help but feel that the models with either a maple neck or a really thick mahogany neck solved any tuning issues. My 2014 Special is pretty solid, but I've heard so many people bemoan the tuning stability that it can't be a coincidence.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    DeeTee said:
    I can't help but feel that the models with either a maple neck or a really thick mahogany neck solved any tuning issues. My 2014 Special is pretty solid, but I've heard so many people bemoan the tuning stability that it can't be a coincidence.
    It's because the whole guitar is much more flexible than a Les Paul - both the neck joint and the length of the neck itself. If the neck moves and there's the smallest amount of friction at the nut, it will stick out of tune.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • DeeTeeDeeTee Frets: 764
    ICBM said:
    DeeTee said:
    I can't help but feel that the models with either a maple neck or a really thick mahogany neck solved any tuning issues. My 2014 Special is pretty solid, but I've heard so many people bemoan the tuning stability that it can't be a coincidence.
    It's because the whole guitar is much more flexible than a Les Paul - both the neck joint and the length of the neck itself. If the neck moves and there's the smallest amount of friction at the nut, it will stick out of tune.
    With that in mind, does a maple neck make it more stable? As in, does it flex less? I don't know much about the comparitive flexibility of mahogany vs maple.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    DeeTee said:

    With that in mind, does a maple neck make it more stable? As in, does it flex less? I don't know much about the comparitive flexibility of mahogany vs maple.
    Yes, maple is a lot stiffer.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • TTBZTTBZ Frets: 2873
    Mines got a 59 rounded profile, doesn't hold tune any worse than any other Gibson.
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  • DeeTeeDeeTee Frets: 764
    TTBZ said:
    Mines got a 59 rounded profile, doesn't hold tune any worse than any other Gibson.
    I feel like the problem arises with a 60s Slim Taper and mahogany. 
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  • steven70steven70 Frets: 1262
    edited July 2019
    DeeTee said:
    TTBZ said:
    Mines got a 59 rounded profile, doesn't hold tune any worse than any other Gibson.
    I feel like the problem arises with a 60s Slim Taper and mahogany. 
    Could well be right...the 60s reissue was the worst culprit...so easy to play, but would not stay in tune for 5 mins and eventually developed a twist in the neck- not sure if that was just bad luck and/or me being careless or a common problem. The Tokai had a chunkier neck and seemed to stay in tune a lot better (nice guitar that, until I broke it...what a plum)







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