Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard - Should You Just Get A Gibson?
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- čas přidán 5. 07. 2024
- Epiphone have treated us to yet another historically inspired instrument with the 1961 Les Paul SG Standard. High end components aside - is this guitar worth the money and, most importantly, should you just buy a Gibson instead?
Watch on to find out and let me know what you think in the comments below!
Australian buy here - www.soundcentre.com.au/blog/n...
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Video Contents:
00:00 - Intro Jam
01:41 - Introduction
02:40 - Background
04:00 - Body Specs
07:17 - Neck Specs
11:32 - Why Not Get A Gibson?
12:59 - Signal Chain
13:24 - Bridge Gain Demo
14:00 - Middle Gain Demo
14:30 - Neck Gain Demo
15:09 - Pickup Discussion
16:05 - Neck Clean Demo
16:18 - Middle Clean Demo
16:32 - Neck Clean Demo
17:07 - Conclusion
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Recorded through the Fender Blues Junior IV with the Rodenberg Amplification TB Drive Shakedown Special into the BOSS WAZA Tube Amp Expander.
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Excellent presentation. I have the very guitar on the way. You made me feel like I made the right decision after weeks of researching. Again, you did an excellent job of presenting. Nice playing also. Thanks again!
I owned the Gibson Standard SG, and currently own the Epiphone '61 SG Standard. The Epiphone is a superior guitar in every way. Better frets, better neck, equal pickups, and I like the satin finish better than the high-gloss nitro. And I HATE tiny frets with binding on the ends. Epiphone wins this one (at least with the '61).
Sounds like a classic SG to me . The BB3 in the bridge sounds awesome. I ordered one but I am going to put a lower wound pikcup in the neck. Either a BB1 or a Duncan seth lover neck I have a couple Of BB1s A seth set and a 57 classic laying around but I think the BB1 I is the way to go . The BB2 is a great neck pickup and I use that as a neck pickup in various guitars and it's fantastic but on all the demo videos for this SG the BB2 has sounded just a little to fat and warm and does not quite have the clarity I want. It more midrange heavy than I would like in the past when Gibson did some exclusive SGs for Guitar center/musicians friend they used a BB1 and BB3 and there were some custom shop SGs that used the BB1 BB3 combo as well normally they pair the 2 and 3 together like in les Paul's and explorers so perhaps there was a good reason why they decided the BB1and BB3 was the better combo for the SG.. they used the BB1 and 2 in some custom shop sgs as well and I always liked the sound of the BB1 in the neck I like a fat warm neck but not so much so that open chords with some drive start to loose clarity. The BB1 seems to split the difference quite nice . Fat and Warm but still a little on the bright side with good clarity. Neck humbuckers are tricky. Alot of times they sacrifice clarity for output and many times output is sacrificed for clarity . The BB1 is a good option. It's not overwound but it's not underworld either. Gibson calls it underwound but it's not . It's right on target for The PAF spec. It's usually around 7.6/7.7, k and the original paf spec calls for 7.5 and with the slight unbalanced coils they retain a little extra bite and clarity
Great review, thanks.
I going to put a warning out on this guitar.
The first one I had arrived with a broken neck.
The second one arrived perfectly but has since developed cracks on both sides of the neck disguised by the wood grain. The cracks follow the wood grain and are extremely hard to see.
This is a one piece neck and is very thin at the nut where these cracks have started from.
This is definitely a manufacturing problem as the wood is simply not strong enough to cope with the pressure of the strings pulling on it. I’m sure looking at this it is going to be an overall problem on many of these guitars. I have NEVER seen this occur on any Gibson sg in my life, the wood quality for epiphones on this model is not capable of taking these stresses.
The guitar sounds amazing so I’m devastated. My only option now is to dump the body and salvage the pups electronics and pots inc case and get myself a new body from somewhere.
Damn!
Very Cool Demo/Review. Awesome as always, thankyou. I have recently purchased second hand 2005 Gold Epiphone SG, I think Standard. Has 'full batwing' scratchplate and "SG" Trussrod cover. Previous owner chopped body down removing horns and carved "Abigail Jane" "My Indigo Girl" into the scratchplate. Shame it is not 'Original' Condition, but is still one of my Favorite Guitars to play.
How is the sustain on this guitar? Does the long neck tenon help at all with the sustain?
buenas, has probado la tokai sg china, que es de las característica de la epiphone, si fuese afirmativo, cual piensas que es mejor, muchas gracias.
I've tried one a few days ago and I have to agree, it was fun. But on the model I had i definitely noticed a few finish issues
The SG is the guitar that Gibson built to answer everything that people questioned/bitched about with the Les Paul...lol
Nice to hear a demo of this guitar where someone bothered to tune the guitar first why do so many people decide to carry om with a demo video when it's obvious within the first 10 seconds the guitar is badly out of tune why not stop take 30 seconds tune the guitar and start over . . Thankfully it sounds in tune in this demo.
You're watching the wrong reviews...lol
I got one sbout 7 months sgo at a spur of the moment decision and boy am i a happy guy, aleays wanted a white SG and for it too be a 61 Les Paul SG Standard like what Clapton used with Cream,cool , great sounding and shit loads of fun to play, definitely nicest axe ive owned snd pickups are way nicer than the dimarzio pafs in my hybrid strat. Very versatile guitar ans loads of fun to play, took a chance and was intune outta thr box and set up too. Thanks so much Epiphone,mskes you want to play even though the urge is less due to age.. great vid too!!
I have one and I love it - a real gigging all in one workhorse.
What does not make sense is that it's the same price the epi 59 was. There is a substantial price different between Gibson les Paul's and Sgs. But there is no difference the epi 61 and what the epi 59 was. The SG takes less material and less labor it is a great guitar though but it should be about 100 dollars cheaper but at the same time I ordered one but it will not be the first time I paid to much for a guitar and it will not be the last I am sure.
Yes I agree, an SG should cost way less than a Les Paul. I have the '59 Epi LP and it is awesome, but I can't justify paying the same price for the '61 and SG's are my favorite guitar! If it had a similar finish to the Gibson '61, I would be more interested. I think I'll just wait till I can get the Gibson version.
That's a very good point.
In the UK, some '59 Les Paul are discounted to ~£650 and '61 Les Paul SG are discounted ~£630.
But Les Paul standard is ~£500 and SG standard ~£370.
I think you are mainly paying for case and pickups for the '59 Les Paul and '61 Les Paul SG, but you're right, we should be paying more like £500 for '61 Les Paul SG.
It just seems like the sweet spot on these Epi SGs is the Modern. The colors suck, but you get an Ebony fretboard, Grover locking tuners, and 24 frets for $550.
I have an SG Muse ($399). Swapped electronics ($50), and Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Humbuckers ($250). And a case ($100). It’s a great playing and sounding guitar, but I would NEVER do that again. I should have just grabbed a used Gibby for $850.
Whole Lotta humbuckers are killer pickups and I like them alot more than many of the pickups Gibson chooses for SGs like 490s 498s or burstbucker 61s. They use nice pickups in custom shop Sgs like custombickers and burstbuckers 1 and 2 but they never use those pickups in USA Sgs . Burstbuckers 1 2 and 3 are never used in Gibson USA Sgs except for the guitar center exclusives with BB 1 and 3 they used to do .this epiphome already uses the upgraded pots caps switch and jack you would find on a Gibson and also has great pickups Gibson never uses in USA Sgs. Also many of the more affordable used Sgs have a PCB board. I think this upgraded epi SG is a better guitar than the more affordable Gibson USA SGs. I find most cheaper USA SGs need pot cap wiring harness and pickup upgrades .
You can really only get Specials and Tributes in that price range. If you're looking for a Standard, expect to get in for around $1100 and up. The increased demand, decreased supply, big jumps in shipping costs and additional inflation has driven the market way up.
@@sqidvishus sure…and all the parts I put in the Epi are more expensive too. It’s all relative. And a tribute is nicer than an Epiphone.
@@jburdsinfuse That is clearly a matter of opinion.
@@sqidvishus yep. Yep it is. But objectively speaking, a Gibson will retain value where an Epi will not.
Yes. Always.
I personally would change the pickguard to a full sized Batwing 'guard but white SG's always look INCREDIBLE, never mind an SG Custom!
I know Epiphone is pushing these hard on CZcams right now but why would you ever buy one if you can buy a used Gibson that won't lose it's value the way this guitar will???
Meh, I think that's true for your average Epiphone, but for these special editions they tend to gain value in the end.
The early 2000s Epiphone SG "Les Paul custom" models are generally around $1000 now.
Extra Crispy.
But will it chug ?
100%
@@samuelray1777 thanks man for getting back to me. Mine will be here tomorrow. 💪. Yeah I like old school metal like Danzig, sabbath etc. I've got a couple
@@samuelray1777 shredder guitars. A Jackson V, a bc rich mockingbird an old one. And I got a Les Paul guitar I got a jazz bass and p Bass but I just like old classic stuff .
definitely, these 61 epiphones are crap, don’t let these YT vids steer you into one. Save a few more hundred and get yourself a used Gibson SG standard. The quality is way better, believe me. Go to GC and give both a go and you will see what I mean. The epiphone feels really cheap.
All these premium specs and then... a laurel fingerboard. Argh.
Why do you care? Genuinely asking
I have that same feeling about it... I don't understand why they do it, really. Invest a little more because we the people, the customers, are willing to pay a little more for it. Please, someone tell them to do it right.
@@willjones4992 I'm not keen on the feel of laurel
@@changestrangers ah ok valid. Just curious. Pretty much every guitar I've ever had has been solid maple neck or boring rosewood and I'm a much bigger fan of the solid maple on my jazzmaster and 80s tokai
$1,000, I can do better on another sg and upgrade.
Epiphones are better than the overpriced overrated garbage disposal Gibsons..plus Epiphones history is more interesting especially with les paul and the log
That rounded top horn alone is a reason not to buy this guitar. Whomever is in charge of designing these guitars needs getting sacked.
For that price that’s unacceptable innit?
NOW . . . . If we could just get the containers off the ships . . seems president poopy pants and his merry band of incompetents has our supply chain intentionally shut down . . BUMMER , have it on order and who knows when it will get here . . lol