SG 50s Tribute

2013 Gibson SG 50s tribute 

I've had this guitar since I got it in the Christmas madness sales for WELL below the rrp. 
I think 6 months is probably sufficient time to form an opinion, so here goes...

I've long fancied an SG (& have owned numerous clones). I raised some funds last year & decided to pull the trigger on a "real" sg during the sales. 
I compared EVERY SG GuitarGuitar had in stock, from Epi G400- Gibson Standard, keeping the one I liked best each time. 

This is where I ended up. Not the most expensive by any means, but it's the one that spoke to me. 


As you can see, it's an SG with p90s. To my mind this is a match made in heaven: LPs should have humbuckers, telecasters should have that biting bridge tone & SGs should have P90s- they just seem to compliment the resonance of that light mahogany body. 

The finish is SUPER thin & will mark up easily, every time you see one of this model on eBay it seems to have lots of wear on the body. 
I generally like Relics, but decided to add a pickguard to protect the body from my flailing. (It looks MUCH better too!) It's an aftermarket job as there isn't a Gibson one available. 

That thin finish does have benefits- the guitar is REALLY resonant and lively. It feels great in your hand too- like an actual piece of wood, you can feel the grain, especially along...

The neck- being a "tribute" to a 50s SG (I know it's a daft idea) this has a big ole chunky neck. I find it really comfortable, several of my friends don't- they think it's too big. 
The other divisive aspect of the neck is there fact that it has 24 frets. I don't use them... I never get that far up, but their presence doesn't bother me at all. Access is no problem, is an sg after all. 
The frets are well dressed & after a wee tweak of the truss, the action is great. 
The other benefit of the extra frets and chunky neck is that the neck joint is rich solid, I've played several SGs where any pressure on the back of the neck would induce a change in pitch. Not here. 
The hardware all works fine, so no complaints there. 

The pickups are obviously p90s & are a bit hotter than the one on my old LP Jr. They still clean up quite nicely & bring single coils aren't prove to the muddy tone HBs can produce. 

It's a very versatile guitar & can easily cover everything from chiming cleans to crunchy rock (think early Sabbath). It doesn't like TONS of gain- it starts to feed back a bit. 

I use a wide strap, so there's no neck five to speak of. It came in a Gibson gig bag which is a bit rubbish, but OK for getting the guitar to jam sessions in the car. I'd want a hard case if i were going further afield with it. 

Overall I'm very happy. It's a well put together & very versatile instrument. I still wish it was shipped with a pickguard, but that's a personal preference I guess. 
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Comments

  • Looks great man, They still have them at Guitar Guitar for £499, was yours even cheaper than that? I sort of agree with the LP=humbuckers, SG=P90s etc. Having said that I own an LP with P90s and have had an SG type guitar in the past with hums haha.

    I also approve of the choice of scratch plate size :smile: 
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  • I have one of these also (same colour) and love it - swapped out the truss rod cover and put a Bigsby on it and it's one of my favourite guitars now.
    Where did you get the scratchplate from as I've been thinking about getting one for mine - did you have to send a custom template for it?
    I am thinking about swapping the pickups out for a lower output P90 as they are a touch too hot for my tastes as my other main guitars are a Tele and a Jazzmaster so there is a significant output increase when swapping to this guitar. Might try living with the pickups lower for a while...
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  • TheMarlinTheMarlin Frets: 7745
    I can strongly recommend Vineham P90's. Very lush sounding, but not as hot as the P90's in the Gibson. 

    If I keep my 50's tribute SG, I've got a Bigsby B3 to pop on it, and a Towner tension bar.  

    These are are great guitars.  
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  • I did indeed pay less than the current £499 asking price- they were discounted in the january sales. Even at the current price they're an absolute bargain.

    The pickups are pretty hot, and give a great crunchy sound at the slightest provocation- I have wondered about putting something a bit more restrained in, but having had a couple of Jrs before I'm really used to changing my attack (& using the controls) to get the sounds I want. 
    That's not to say that I won't do it at some point in the future though.

    The pick guard came from the US via eBay & very good it is too. If anyone wants me to I'm sure I could take it off and scan it. 
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  • Dave_VaderDave_Vader Frets: 359
    I've been tempted by these as well, but put off by the lack of pickguard and talk of over-chunky necks.
    Seeing yours with the guard on is raising my GAS levels again though.
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  • bbill335bbill335 Frets: 1368
    edited August 2016
    I quite fancy one of these but Gibson QC horror stories and the fact that I definitely don't need one have got in the way. 

    Good call on the pick guard, looks great against the p90s. 
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  • stimpsonslostsonstimpsonslostson Frets: 5418
    edited August 2016
    I've been lucky with Gibson QC. This (and the Jr I had before) is really well put together.
     I adjusted the action and truss rod on it when it arrived & replaced the strings, but other than that it's been plain sailing- this may be due to the fact that I got it from GuitarGuitar so actually tried the guitar I was taking home before handing over my cash.
    That said, I DID try virtually every other SG they had in the store that day and only one (the standard IIRC) had any issues, but even then I think it was a crackly pot rather than anything structural.

    Regarding the neck- It is pretty chunky, but I find it very comfortable. I'd recommend getting your hands on one & trying it. 
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  • TheMarlinTheMarlin Frets: 7745
    Agreed. Neck is nice. Substantial, but not massive. It just feels great. It's no baseball bat, but it's not a Fender C either....
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  • These are great guitars, had mine for just over a year now and it still surprises me at how good a "cheap" Gibson is. OP where did you get the plate from? I've been considering one for mine to cover up an ugly scratch 
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  • @boydie101 I got it off ebay, I can't find the original listing currently- It came from the US.

    There is this one on there, but it's a full batwing guard.
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  • amarok1971amarok1971 Frets: 338
    @stimpsonslostson ; sorry to drag an old thread up from the dead... 
    I have just dropped on one of these, i love it! i'm after a pickguard for it but can't see your pic anymore because of the photobucket thing... dont suppose you could send me the pic pls? cheers, Simon
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