Gibson SG Standard Review

Overall Rating

Light weight guitar with excellent 490 and 498 humbuckers ..moderately priced for a Gibson. Fabulous for recording , bright and sharp.

A little cumbersome for players with large hands and fingers.

Hi! I'm Vinny The Guitarman, I've been playing and performing for over 30 years and love to share my thoughts and experiences of the Gibson SG Standard. The SG is a powerful little guitar. Moderately priced for a Gibson and light in weight for those long gigs ...this guitar is a true winner. I find that it has a bright sharp sound and that is easy to control on stage. In the studio the guitar records better than the Les Paul ...which sound I do like better but is a killer to get right when recording, the SG is easier to get right. My only knock is that it is a small guitar with a narrow neck, for me very narrow (I'm a large person with big hands) I find that the neck is a little cramped and I have trouble sometimes with stretching strings ...still getting used to that. All in all a great Gibson for the money. I recommend it highly.

Members' Comments onVinnyguitarman's Review

• raziel2356 on 17th Jan 2006

  Hey Vinny, my name is Casey and I just purchased a Gibson SG special. I love it but I was wondering if you could give me some recommendations on what kind of strings I should use or if I should change out the humbuckers? Your input is great appreciated.

• Vinnyguitarman on 15th Feb 2006

  hey Casey ! Nice choice ! I use ErnieBall Super Slinky strings. For the SG I find the gauge starting with 9 on the high E string is best ( 9,11,16,24,32,42). I have large hands and need a heavier string gauge , but friends of mine with smaller hands and fingers also use 8's ( 8 ,10 ,15,22,30,38 ). This guitar is "hot" !! The Alnico v 490 and 498s are super ...keep in mind that these are the same pickups that are on the Les Paul Supreme,unbelievable but true. Dont change them , focus on getting the right sound out of a good amp. Also , make sure the pick up height is correct . If you're a new comer you may want to invest on getting a professional set up.Enjoy !!

• edotoole on 25th Jun 2008

  Hello,
  I too found your comments very helpful.
  Do you know anywhere in West London where getting one set up isn't too expensive but, at the same time, good value?
  How much should this service cost?
  I put a short video called The Lost Gibson on youtube
  www.youtube.com/edotoole
  about an old one that had been neglected for years. It plays but getting it right would be ideal. Thanks again.
  Ed O'Toole

• Vinnyguitarman on 1st Jul 2008

  Ed , thanks for your comment. Unfortunately I am not familiar with West London , I live in NYC. I saw your Youtube video .That is certainly a unique looking SG ( looks like an SG special with ceramic humbuckers), nice playing too!
  New strings and the right set up is key , look at local music shop reviews online to get a good Luthier. Please let me know if I could be of anymore help. VGM

• edotoole on 3rd Jul 2008

  I found this review helpful because he is a great guy who knows what he's talking about.