Sunday guitar

Another indoor Sunday episode (excluding morning walk). It seems that SG is abbreviating Sunday Guitar 😅 at least for my case. I never did a follow-up to this entry here: CLICK pertaining to the DiMarzio Evolution humbuckers in this guitar so here it is. I took this out to play because I needed to hear good DiMarzios in action. So DiMarzios are bad? Of course not, I personally prefer Seymour Duncans but I do pay attention to the DiMarzios that serve my needs.

The pickups in this guitar are actually an Evo 2 & an Evo. As depicted above, the bridge pickup has a rather flat response save for a little nicked treble. The neck pickup on the other hand has a slightly boosted bottom end & wee bit more treble than its bridge counterpart. There's also a little more high mids on offer.

These may be minor differences but in use, it makes all the difference. The bridge pickup sounds very biting with loads of clarity. The neck also manifests much clarity for solos despite a curbed treble response. Folks, this is strictly a Gibson - DiMarzio chemistry especially involving an SG. Please do not cascade this understanding unto your Jackson / Ibanez guitars sporting a whammy bridge & be upset with the outcome. In due fairness, the EVOs were made for Steve Vai who is using an Ibanez with a dual action whammy bridge so by virtue of this understanding, the chances of these pickups working in such a guitar is a highly likely outcome. My point in bringing this episode to you is to share the fact that the EVOs sound very appealing in Gibson SGs as well. If you kept coming across reviews of the EVOs in shred-esque guitars then let me be the one to tell you that these work wonders in other guitar types as well. 

New ghost

This is perhaps my favourite SG in terms of playability. Tone - it lacks that black metal touch. I like the wider neck profile which is a trademark of the 2015 models but these were plagued by the rubbish robot tuners which I did away almost immediately.

Actually, today's session is about trying the new Northern Ghost pick - the Coffin mini... 3mm & as hard as it can be so it's my kind of pick. Deliberately opted for a smaller pick to test my picking efficiency. Update in good time.

Price watch (54)

Folks, this is a Gibson SG Special. It's been equipped with '61 re-issue pickups according to the seller. This accounts for the price you see there.

I'm trying to understand what Gibson's '61 Reissue pickups are. There are currently two Gibson SG models in the catalog that use the '61 citation in its model reference: 1) Custom Shop 1961 Les Paul SG Standard Reissue Stop Bar 2) SG Standard '61. Both guitars are not equipped with Gibson '61 Reissue pickups. The former has Custom Alnico III humbuckers (unpotted) & the latter, a pair of 60s Burstbuckers. So what are the '61 Reissue pickups? There might be some obscure, old, historic Gibson humbuckers going by this reference but judging by the pictures provided, those are shiny, new pickups. You'd agree that there's a high chance of misrepresentation happening, yes?

Please refrain from making such claims. I used to own an SG Special (2008). Bought it for about $800 new. I can't find any SG '61 Reissue in Gibson's current catalog but I would reference this discussion against the SG Standard '61 which I currently own. That was about $2.2K new. These two guitars look very similar less the binding, fretboard inlay & pickguard type; this I agree. The Standard came from the factory with significant cost difference which implies a different set of wood quality & workmanship. For starters, the Special is satin-finished, the Standard is lacquered over, there's already a cost difference there, not to mention other features which would not be discussed here. I'm not trying to disrepute your pricing or anything to that effect. Like I've said before, I'm not the price police but I will call out uninitiated listings which manifest a high potential for misrepresentation & downright careless cases. 

It's only yesterday that I mentioned to a friend, people need a sense of security by associating their items with models in the upper tiers (price & workmanship). It injects some superiority in the listing. It's like telling others the watch you are selling uses the same battery used in a Rolex. Or your car tyres are the brand used by Porshe. 

Evolutionized

 SG Special... nothing really special. Felt like playing an SG today so this was it.

Was at Beez's earlier; my first trip for 2023. I prefer going on a weekday, not too keen being in the City Hall area on Sundays, too many people out & about. Majority of these people are workers on their day off. Hanging out, getting in the way. I prefer not to make up the numbers.

Got these installed - DiMarzio Evolution. To be continued... 

SG Tuesday

 

Started playing early, in fact, before breakfast. These two are my most enjoyable SGs, always bring out my best. 

SG Muse. The Epiphone SG Muse is simply magical, no mods here less the locking tuners. I even like the default pickups, a mix of vintage & contemporary tones especially for solos. I also love the coil split options here, awesome for crunchy tones. Also, this SG has the input jack located at the side so it prevents me from grabbing the plug instead of the control knob during frantic moments.

SG Special (2015). Despite being dreadful in terms of commemorative features compounded by the defunct robot tuners, this is the Gibson neck profile I wish was in all my Gibsons; wider & D-curved. That slight flatness does wonders for speed playing, that's what I noticed. I got this for 1/2 price, I'd acquire another if there's any more going round in the after market. 

Tony's Epi

 They released the Epiphone version of Tony Iommi's SG Special.

Lefty version included. Also included - hard case & monkey sticker. That's right, no Epiphones available here in the mean time. 

Pics: musiczoo

Thank you & goodbye: Epi SG Special

Preparing this one to leave my estate; re-string, re-condition fretboard & a good wipe down. It's one of my go-to guitars for doom, fuzzy stuff, especially so after the pickup swap; those Wilkinson P90s are definitely recommended for drive-inclined indulgences. It's also a testament of how Epiphone instruments have seen revised standards in craftsmanship. 

I won't be employed next month & going back for treatment (2 sessions). If you are the bread-winner with bills to pay, mouths to feed, it's very difficult with no money coming in. It makes you re-think priorities. To all sick Dads out there with your own passion to drive you through your illness - things happen for a reason. Heads up & move on. 

Special arrangements

It's doom Tuesday & time well spent with the Epiphone SG Special. Yes, I'm not averse to the Epiphone brand name, just that not many appeal to me. 

As you can see there, this guitar came default with B500K pots (as indicated); all four of them. This is perhaps why they sound a little restrained when it comes to clarity. To me, single coil pickups go well with 250K pots & the P90 is a single coil pickup. 

Brought this down to Beez's today to have A250K pots in there. As the default pots were CTS ones, I made it a point to get CTS replacement pots as well. Also, the capacitors are a pair of HOSCO .047uf ones, unlike the .22uf that came with the B500K pots. CTS pots are available at TYMC, Hosco capacitors are available at Davis GMC.

While I'm at it, a pair of Wilkinson P90s are the new pickups here. These are easily available through Amazon & they are very affordable.

A fresh set of Darcos 10s for today's doom adventure - available at City Music. 

Special finish

Gibson, I believe, is slowly letting the world know what's coming in terms of new offerings (possibly 2022 stuff). An example will be this SG Special offered in heritage cherry. This finish was unavailable previously. A black finish (ebony) is the other new finish available now. Along with this new finish comes the new price; the new SG Special is now USD100 more. In fact majority of the Gibson models are now revised upwards in terms of price. But let's not talk too much about Gibson in the mean time because we know no Gibsons are going to be available here till a new dealer is confirmed. Bummer. 

Pic: Gibson

Review: Epiphone SG Special P-90

As Epiphone continues its Gibson affiliation, many of us would resort to this brand name as a close alternative to the real thing. This is especially applicable as Epiphone, with effect from 2020, offers its lineup of instruments with very close reference to its Gibson counterpart; whatever Gibson offers, Epiphone has its version of things. Will this SG Special offer a close consolation for those of us on a tight budget?

Construction / Fit / Finish

The 2020 highlight for Epiphone as a whole is the revamped headstock design. More accurately, it’s a return to familiar grounds as opposed to a re-think. Epiphone offers a Gibson-like open book headstock outline referred to as the Kalamazoo version. The entirety of this SG Special is based on the Gibson SG Special so no major departure less the P-90s. Epiphone decided to stick to the original ‘60s design by placing the bridge pickup a little away from the bridge. The Gibson iteration has it closer so plus points to Epiphone for preserving heritage. The overall construction & fitting of the review model is impressive only two unfavourable highlights to be covered here. Firstly, the tuners are not that responsive. In fact, half of them are stiff. Understandably, at this price point, a budget set is used. These will get you by but they might invite frustration. Secondly, one of the hardtail stud inserts was not inserted flushed to the body surface. If you do not venture your scrutiny into these details, you won’t notice this but it’s worth mentioning to highlight the standard of a non-Gibson instrument in this case. Other than these two tolerable concerns, the instrument lives up to the above-average standards of QC, not something that could be said of an Epiphone maybe five years ago so it’s a good sign.

Rating: 80%

Playability / Tone

Neck dive. That’s right, it’s the initial anomaly that I have to deal with when playing this guitar (was in a sitting position, strap-free). The neck profile is rather inviting – a 60s-esque carve – but not as slim as the Gibson version. It’s also not as sticky compared to some lacquered Epiphone necks that I have tried in the past. If there’s a switch in the brand / formula of final coat used then the difference is felt. No fret sprouts on this particular example either but the action was a little high on the treble E side – 2.5mm off the 12^th fret. It’s an unnecessary clearance here unless the intention was to use the guitar for slide applications. It was lowered by the tech at the store upon request.

Folks, the P-90s here, despite being a furious single coil manifestation are surprisingly not as noisy as expected. I plugged this into a BOSS Katana 50 with the overdrive and boost features both engaged. There’s a background hum for sure but it’s not as bothersome. A little digging into the specs revealed wax potting so Epiphone bothered to do this to an instrument in this price range; it speaks a lot about attention to details. The overall tone is also impressive with clear note definition in both positions but the neck P-90 has that rounded top end that will impress those chasing after wooly tones that go well with high octane fuzz; not for solo inclined shredders, definitely. In clean mode, these P-90s are wonderful despite lacking the level of midrange warmth but bear in mind, these are in-house Epiphone units. Finally, chords past the 12^thfret are a little tricky when it comes to intonation. If you are interested in this guitar & your life depends on chording at this part of the neck, be prepared to either be really patient with re-intonating the guitar with a bridge unit devoid of intonation saddles (the intonation adjustment screws at the stud ends might work) or spend money to invest in a replacement unit. 

Rating: 80%

Conclusion

My Epiphone experience in the past are few. I’ve tried some along the way & stopped trying them altogether because they fell short of some expectations. Epiphone in the past are immersed in its own engagements, simply riding on the Gibson affiliation save for some signature models which were really impressive. The ones offered today under the inspired by Gibson banner are something else. I’m not advocating a leap in quality & details but they have moved some notches up in this aspect. This is a positive reflection of Chinese craftsmanship. The SG Special in this review is a value for money instrument. I spent time discovering its sonic properties as opposed to weeding faults out. If you are a fan of some SG & P-90 goodness & don’t care much for the Gibson insinuation, this SG Special is worth it.

Overall rating: 80%

Likes:

• playability
• neck feel - not as sticky
• wax potted pickups
• CTS pots
• overall value for money

Dislikes

• dry fretboard
• stiff tuners
• bridge stud insert not properly inserted
• neck pickup - lacks top end at some settings
• no bag

Epiphone: SG Special P-90

List: $559 (bag not included)

Availability: Swee Lee

Pics: Reidy's / Richtone / Peachguitars

Affordable monkey

This is the current buzz over at the Gibson camp - Iommi's 'Monkey' SG Special in a more affordable format. It's a celebrated SG Special, given the pickup mounting ring & wrap over bridge without the unsightly stop tail holes. It looks much cleaner & more presentable. If it's available here in time to come, it would list for at least SGD3K. The irony of it all; it's just an SG Special given the celebrity treatment. Nobody pays attention to a P-90 equipped SG till this comes about, of course. It's a niche appeal. Monkey sticker included.

On another front, if you are just triggered by the simplicity of an SG Special, be informed that the non-signature version had been in the catalog since 2019 & listed for much less (prices above in SGD). Even the Epiphone version looks inviting at that price point. 

This isn't the first Gibson commissioned Iommi SG, the cross inlay version with the covered humbuckers was the predecessor. I managed to try this at Swee Lee when it was still available & find the signature covered pickups to be one of the best for distortion application. If your set up consists of a very intense fuzz unit, these pickups would be a nice complement. 

Pics: Gibson / Epiphone

Price watch (21)

This is a very difficult proposition; a 'limited edition' Gibson going for $2K in the after-market.

It is an SG Special, signed by local artiste, JJ Lin.

This is the description of the guitar. The designed by label there is contentious; which part of the guitar was designed by the artiste? From the image provided, it's fair to say that custom graphics were added to make the instrument look unique & this might just be the extent of the 'design' by the artist. Other than that, it's a regular SG Special, just a little celebrated. I'm not putting down the artiste here, I have no intention to, all respect to him; it's just the guitar. Granted, it's given a special touch to commemorate a special event but guitar fans won't be won over by these details. They will just view it as an SG Special with custom graphics that extended onto the body surface & might be too problematic to get rid of should there be intentions to restore this guitar to its former self. There might be a JJ Lin fan who is also a Gibson fan out there but in the mean time, he / she is not manifesting himself / herself to secure an interest.

The way I see it, in order for this guitar to garner some interest:

1. Charity sale. There is a higher chance for a philantrophist to be interested. There are indeed individuals who would commit to charity regardless of what's on sale.
2. Open invitation. Do away with an asking price, consider all sensible offers. This requires an objective consideration by the seller who would need to swallow some pride & understand the after-market which is quite devoid of Gibson fans who are OK with JJ Lin appendages on the instrument.
3. Lower the asking price. If there should be any price enticements here, the figure should be lower than the current listing. In fact, it needs to be very much lower. An SG Standard could be had for this price plus some spare change, do keep this in mind.

Special burst

Some playing time this morning after too much allocation for maintenance & makeovers - Gibson SG Special.

After some serious considerations, the '61 humbuckers made way for a pair of Burstbucker Pro. Nothing bad about the '61s, I have three Gibsons with these pickups so it's time for change. The BB Pro, in a nutshell, is the high octane rock reference if Gibson is your thing, without losing vintage-esque voicings at lower guitar volume settings. Some Alnico V magic here, definitely.

Fresh set of strings while I'm at it. Not an Ernie Ball fan but I don't exclude them entirely.

Might be special (3)

I contemplated on swapping out these 61 humbuckers in my SG Special for a pair of Duncans. After getting acquainted with them for a while, they will stay put. The 61s are not particularly strong in the lower frequencies in this SG unlike the pair in my LP Classic. However, I managed to tweak the amp's EQ & my Distortion pedal's tone control (DS-1) to manifest some good midrange only angry metal guys would understand. The 61s should be your consideration if you thrive on classic / blues rock & inclining towards a crunchy setting. On that note, these will do you good if you favour ACDC more than Black Sabbath. 

Might be special (2)

Replacement tuners for my SG Special 2015. The robo-tuners were done away with, you are looking at a set of locking Ratio tuners. The thing about locking tuners, it's a love / hate affair. Many dislikes for locking units go to the fact that they add more weight to the neck. Be informed that Gotoh makes light-weight ones without the locking wheels you see here, it's a matter of knowing what are the available options out there before being dismissive.

Some people feel strongly against locking tuners, they feel these cumbersome contraptions take away the rigour of stringing / tuning the instrument up. If that's the case, then it's clearly missing the point. Locking units do not take away the fact that re-stringing & tuning need to happen. It's a little more convenient to re-string with locking units on board & for the novice players, it helps build confidence when dealing with non-locking ones. The locking tuners won't replace the traditional ones for sure. Traditional ones work but some of them manifest issues & we need to be patient with them. 

If you don't fancy locking tuners, it's totally your choice. Nobody is compelling you to embrace them. However, keep your opinions educated, the locking units were not invented to replace traditional tuners per se. They work for those who believe in what they offer - convenience, effectiveness. Yes, we learn much by dealing with our instruments sporting traditional hardware but we can learn from the ones featuring contemporary hardware as well. It's like driving - manual vs auto gear transmission, they co-exist.

Might be special

October 2020, before things took a turn for me, I bought this guitar from TYMC. The price was marked down to clear. Nothing fantastic, it's an SG Special (2015).

Yes, it's that dreaded Gibson year easily identified by the LP100 script at the headstock compounded by the fact that it's not a Les Paul. It also features a metal nut & a zero fret. I will keep this in tact for variety's sake. 

And the bane of it all - the G-Force tuning system which I totally dislike. Something will happen to it for sure. This guitar's overall condition is superb; looks almost unplayed & absolutely no fret wear. It's like the  previous owner gave up on the G-Force even before playing the instrument. I'm not averse to something that doesn't really click with me, the purchase of this guitar proved just that. I appreciate the condition of this instrument, its deep discount & knowing I could do something about it to make it more my kind of guitar.

To be continued...

Epiphone: 2020 (4)

Not too many entries ago, I cited the remarkable increase in price for the LP Jr. That was the Gibson version. I'm definitely glad that there's an Epiphone version for 2020 & it will (hopefully) costs about a quarter of the Gibson's list price. 

Still on the P-90 front, the SG Special is also available. The reason why I am highlighting these models is because Epiphone actually went the extra mile to include these 'lesser' or student models in their new lineup. The utilitarian profile of these models would mean it remains viable in terms of sales & won't be sitting in the corner reserved for quirky, forgotten models.

Gibson 2018

September means Gibson is ready to announce their 2018 models & true enough, the list is out sooner than expected. I'm just listing a few here which I find more sensible than the rest, starting with the LP Tribute. Yes, the Tribute range represents the manufacturer's more affordable take on the upper tier models without skimping too much in various departments. The satin finish stays put & for 2018, the Tribute offers a non-weight relief model (seen here in an awesome gold top) so that is something to look forward to- especially so when it's listing for less than USD1K 👍

The SG Special looks the works with mini humbuckers but prices go up by USD100 for 2018 😠

It's good to see the LP Classic getting a P-90 twist as well. Controls revert to the 4-knob affair unlike the current 3 (knob) + 1 (flick switch) manifestation. This Pelham Blue finish is stunning.