Thankyou. Got what I came for. Great video. I could see straight away you were far more naturally comfortable with the custom. And the feelings you described at the end is what I've been saying for years since I first played a SG Custom.
I'm a 53-year-old Brit now living in Canada. I grew up with Weller, The Who, The Kinks etc., and it's SO good to see that old Jam poster I had on my wall in 81. Never seen this in North America and brought back some fond memories. Thanks for that, along with the video. I have an SG standard 61 which is beautiful, (what a neck!) but trying to decide between the P90 versions. This has been very helpful, thanks.
I see that Who poster back there. If you own that CS SG Special because of Pete Townshend, then we think alike. I love Pete, especially when he had the SG slung over his shoulder wearing that white boilers suit. 👍
@valkash7441 the first unpredictable, violent, raging, ear piercingly loud madman guitarist. He's my favorite guitarist ever. I've been playing for nearly 30 years now. Many of my other guitar idols, from many genres, get more recognition, especially for lead playing, but Pete was, still is, a boundary pushing genius. His rhythm style, especially on an acoustic, is unrivaled. His knack for "the concept album" is unrivaled. He's just incredible.
Sometimes yes sometimes no.. My ‘64 335 A/B with standard 335 was no comparison. I sold the factory standard and kept the CS.. I say if its your number one, go CS if its not, and you want a work horse that can take the beatings, production is fine for most things. CS is better, but never pay retail for a CS. If I wanted a special in a round neck, I would have no choice but go custom shop I think the ‘64 is the round neck. Thanks for your opinion. I like to hear other players perspective.
I bought the regular Gibson SG special because the custom shop was so much more expensive. I honestly think the custom is worth the money but I hate seeing big chunks leave my bank account. $1600 is a great deal and a no-brainer. If it was my only guitar and I wasn’t a “I need one of everything” guy I would definitely go custom shop
I had the 2021 special and I loved it except for two things: the neck was advertised as "slim taper," but it was super fat compared to my 61 sg standard and my 2013 es-335. Im a thin-neck guy so I didn't like how chunky the SG was. The other thing was, the bridge pickup on the 2021 special is SO close to the bridge that it's almost touching! That definitely took away both from volume and warmth on the bridge p90...less growl and more twang, which was disappointing. On the plus side, it had the best frets/ fingerboard I have ever played on any guitar, ever; smoother playing than any other new gibson (I've had a few over the years).
The biggest build difference is the pick up locations on the non-custom shop version, it looks modern and wrong, obviously that's intentional... kills me how they do things wrong on purpose
did you find that there was a difference in sound with the custom shop with the bridge being so much farther back than the sg special? I'd imagine that the sg special might have a bit more twang?
Honestly I didn't notice a more significant amount of twang. For me the biggest differences were the pickups in the custom had a more full and warmer tone and the overall feel of the guitars. Also to be fare I don't have the SG special anymore and when I did have it I rarely played it clean. Thank you for watching the video.
Thank you for this video - great information and I learned some things I didnt know. I have a 2022 Gibson SG Special in black like in the video and love everything about it except one thing....and its a big one: The guitar is hard to play standing up. It not only neck dives but the position of the strap button makes the guitar lean forward. So its natural position is forward and neck down. :( The result is you are constantly fighting the guitar to try to keep it in a comfortable position and I find playing it standing up Im often pulling the strings out of tune because Im trying to get the damn thing balanced. It's awful. Ive added some small weights I found on Amazon to the electronics cavity which helps with the neck dive but the guitar still leans forward and is inherantly uncomfortable. Whats needed is a strap button on the upper horn but Im not about to start drilling into an expensive guitar like this. Frustrating. Still I love this guitar for recording and playing at home but for live gigs I use my Fenders, USA Schecters, and recently a Reverend. The difference in comfort with these guitars standing up compared to the SG is day and night. Any suggestions?
I wish I had some suggestions regarding the strap button position. You're right it is a pain but I guess I've just gotten use to it over the years. As far as the neck dive is concerned I use a wider strap and that helps. I really appreciate you watching the video and taking the time to ask your question.
Funny,Never noticed Pete Townsend,Carlos Santana,Frank Zappa,Tony Iommi having trouble with “neck dive”. What’s the famous quote by Pete Townsend when beginner guitar players complain about every little thing concerning their guitars? Oh yeah,” Shut The F up and play your guitar”
I've been playing for 20 years and I played with an SG most of that time and I Alan Sams is correct a wider strap helps a ton. Also I highly recommend getting a leather strap that has the exact positions in the same place so once you find a comfortable spot you will be playing in the guitar in the same position all the time. Every guitar I have is a little different because I have a belly but you'll find the most optimal position by playing around with the strap a lot. I have a thick leather strap and it's kinda sticky and it helps me keep the guitar in place even when moving a lot. I got a nicer replacement strap with the same exact length and somehow I can't play the guitar because of neck dive. You should try out various straps and positions. Some people even change the strap lock positions. Btw I just bought the same Custom shop guitar in the video I hope it's amazing.
Alan,THE most important fact of the Gibson custom shop 63 SG special was left out,the 63 reissue cust shop has the long neck tenon which is a vast improvement over vintage and USA non custom shop SG’s.long neck tenon increases sustain,enhances tone and increases neck stability.i own one,would never part with it.please demo guitars without effects so viewers hear the natural tone without masking it
Customshop P90's vs Bridge distance... THAT is the difference. The distance bewteen the bridge and the bridge P.U. If you want an SG Special, with the CORRECT bridge specs (distance) buy an epiphone...
Greatly enjoyed your video and cool playing. One question: why is there never any hard list of what you get in a custom SG as opposed to a standard? This is major redflagsville to me, and the implication hovers that there is no difference between custom and standard. Fine people one after another advert to magical commentary on the customs; all subjective delight about intangibles. To me this makes good oldGibson a snake oil salesman and me; well I'm saving up for a custom sg just kicking myself for not letting it go and buying the standard. Hard data is what we ordinary people need, because glowing impressions may promise extra or somehow finer engineering that isn't there. Thanks for reading and for your video.
I have the SG '61 Re-issue (Humbuckers of Course) and I love it! I am debating whether to get the P90s in Ebony. What are your thoughts between the SG Standard '61 Re-issue and the SG Ebony with P90s? Thank you for posting this.
First off thank you for watching the video and the kind words. Man, I looked hard at that 61 re-issue. The only reason I didn't buy one is because no one had them available at the time. The SG Special with the P90s is a great guitar. Those P90s have such a full dynamic range, and if you're looking for a guitar that has a bit of a different sound you can't go wrong with one of those (IMO). That being said I think if it came down to having to give up the 61 in order to get the SG Special I'd keep the 61. Thanks for the question and let me know what you end up doing!
@@alansamsmusic Hi Alan! Thank you for responding! The SG '61 is great guitar! It's got Alnico 5 Pickups as opposed to the SG Standard, which has Alnico 2 Pickups. (I like the extra output that the Alnico 5 offers, I don't know if they are overwound pickups, though. It's also got a slim taper neck. It's hard not to recommend the '61 SG Standard. I will certainly keep you posted on what I get. A friend of mine has an SG Special with Mini Humbuckers, killer sound. I'll keep in touch. Thank again..
Ok so here it goes,I’ve been playing guitar both professionally and for pleasure for 57 years now. Since I grew up in the late 60’s and thru the 70’s and beyond I have played older gibbons from that era, were they all perfect no, they were not. I literally just got v=back from a local guitar shop they had 6 American made sg’s. From the basic to the supreme model. I was wanting to purchase one based on my fond memories of past. Reaction: after playing each one for about 20 minutes or more I have to say this to GIBSON IF YOUR LISTENING, your American made so called top of line current fare of guitars meaning the SG’s I played in store ranging in price from 1299 up to 4000, are JUNK, ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS. Badly cut nuts on all of them -how hard is it to fit the nut properly to the width of the neck? Bad sloppy paint where necks joined body’s, DEAD SOUNDING WOOD, only the one SG 61 was ringing reasonably, but wait WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THE FRETS!, the Thin cheesy fret wire! These are NOT medium jumbo frets, I know what you used to put on your guitars and this crap ain’t it. Overall the necks ranged from meh to well…meh. The volutes are gone? Ok not the end of world, but I’m telling you these things are no better (caveat the hardware is better) then any Overseas knockoff of late like Harely Benton brand or AIO at they they get the fret wire more correct. You all need to seriously have a look at the inferior overpriced guitars you are peddling to unsuspecting kids who never played a ‘real one’ from the past ,,,you did make some great ones! And these sigma models 1500 bucks for a Bonamassa SG..really? And Epiphone? Y’all need to get a grip the over seas knocks offs are knocking on your doorsteps.
Thankyou.
Got what I came for.
Great video.
I could see straight away you were far more naturally comfortable with the custom.
And the feelings you described at the end is what I've been saying for years since I first played a SG Custom.
I'm a 53-year-old Brit now living in Canada. I grew up with Weller, The Who, The Kinks etc., and it's SO good to see that old Jam poster I had on my wall in 81. Never seen this in North America and brought back some fond memories. Thanks for that, along with the video. I have an SG standard 61 which is beautiful, (what a neck!) but trying to decide between the P90 versions. This has been very helpful, thanks.
Thank you for watching the video.
I see that Who poster back there. If you own that CS SG Special because of Pete Townshend, then we think alike. I love Pete, especially when he had the SG slung over his shoulder wearing that white boilers suit. 👍
Dude exactly
@valkash7441 the first unpredictable, violent, raging, ear piercingly loud madman guitarist. He's my favorite guitarist ever. I've been playing for nearly 30 years now. Many of my other guitar idols, from many genres, get more recognition, especially for lead playing, but Pete was, still is, a boundary pushing genius. His rhythm style, especially on an acoustic, is unrivaled. His knack for "the concept album" is unrivaled. He's just incredible.
Sometimes yes sometimes no.. My ‘64 335 A/B with standard 335 was no comparison. I sold the factory standard and kept the CS.. I say if its your number one, go CS if its not, and you want a work horse that can take the beatings, production is fine for most things. CS is better, but never pay retail for a CS. If I wanted a special in a round neck, I would have no choice but go custom shop I think the ‘64 is the round neck. Thanks for your opinion. I like to hear other players perspective.
Awesome !! Thanks a lot !! The custom is wonderful!!
Fantastic video. The ‘63 with proper bridge placement wins hands-down. And LOOKS KILLER in the VOS. Thanks for posting.
Thank you for watching the video
I bought the regular Gibson SG special because the custom shop was so much more expensive. I honestly think the custom is worth the money but I hate seeing big chunks leave my bank account. $1600 is a great deal and a no-brainer. If it was my only guitar and I wasn’t a “I need one of everything” guy I would definitely go custom shop
Cool tune at the beginning and nice playing also greetings from Bonnie Scotland sir
Thank you sir
I had the 2021 special and I loved it except for two things: the neck was advertised as "slim taper," but it was super fat compared to my 61 sg standard and my 2013 es-335. Im a thin-neck guy so I didn't like how chunky the SG was. The other thing was, the bridge pickup on the 2021 special is SO close to the bridge that it's almost touching! That definitely took away both from volume and warmth on the bridge p90...less growl and more twang, which was disappointing.
On the plus side, it had the best frets/ fingerboard I have ever played on any guitar, ever; smoother playing than any other new gibson (I've had a few over the years).
The biggest build difference is the pick up locations on the non-custom shop version, it looks modern and wrong, obviously that's intentional... kills me how they do things wrong on purpose
did you find that there was a difference in sound with the custom shop with the bridge being so much farther back than the sg special? I'd imagine that the sg special might have a bit more twang?
Honestly I didn't notice a more significant amount of twang. For me the biggest differences were the pickups in the custom had a more full and warmer tone and the overall feel of the guitars. Also to be fare I don't have the SG special anymore and when I did have it I rarely played it clean. Thank you for watching the video.
Interested in this video as i have a 63 Custom Shop M2M Special in TV Yellow P90 and also a cherry red classic and pelham blue Special with 90's
Thank you for this video - great information and I learned some things I didnt know. I have a 2022 Gibson SG Special in black like in the video and love everything about it except one thing....and its a big one: The guitar is hard to play standing up. It not only neck dives but the position of the strap button makes the guitar lean forward. So its natural position is forward and neck down. :( The result is you are constantly fighting the guitar to try to keep it in a comfortable position and I find playing it standing up Im often pulling the strings out of tune because Im trying to get the damn thing balanced. It's awful. Ive added some small weights I found on Amazon to the electronics cavity which helps with the neck dive but the guitar still leans forward and is inherantly uncomfortable. Whats needed is a strap button on the upper horn but Im not about to start drilling into an expensive guitar like this. Frustrating. Still I love this guitar for recording and playing at home but for live gigs I use my Fenders, USA Schecters, and recently a Reverend. The difference in comfort with these guitars standing up compared to the SG is day and night. Any suggestions?
I wish I had some suggestions regarding the strap button position. You're right it is a pain but I guess I've just gotten use to it over the years. As far as the neck dive is concerned I use a wider strap and that helps. I really appreciate you watching the video and taking the time to ask your question.
Funny,Never noticed Pete Townsend,Carlos Santana,Frank Zappa,Tony Iommi having trouble with “neck dive”. What’s the famous quote by Pete Townsend when beginner guitar players complain about every little thing concerning their guitars? Oh yeah,” Shut The F up and play your guitar”
I've been playing for 20 years and I played with an SG most of that time and I Alan Sams is correct a wider strap helps a ton. Also I highly recommend getting a leather strap that has the exact positions in the same place so once you find a comfortable spot you will be playing in the guitar in the same position all the time.
Every guitar I have is a little different because I have a belly but you'll find the most optimal position by playing around with the strap a lot. I have a thick leather strap and it's kinda sticky and it helps me keep the guitar in place even when moving a lot. I got a nicer replacement strap with the same exact length and somehow I can't play the guitar because of neck dive. You should try out various straps and positions. Some people even change the strap lock positions. Btw I just bought the same Custom shop guitar in the video I hope it's amazing.
That's what everyone says. Can't explain it. Just better :)
Great video, always wondered why the pickup spacing varied between the two guitars?
Thank you, I also wondered about that too, it does make a difference in the overall tone of the guitars. The Custom Shop IMO has fuller warmer sound.
Alan,THE most important fact of the Gibson custom shop 63 SG special was left out,the 63 reissue cust shop has the long neck tenon which is a vast improvement over vintage and USA non custom shop SG’s.long neck tenon increases sustain,enhances tone and increases neck stability.i own one,would never part with it.please demo guitars without effects so viewers hear the natural tone without masking it
Customshop P90's vs Bridge distance...
THAT is the difference. The distance bewteen the bridge and the bridge P.U.
If you want an SG Special, with the CORRECT bridge specs (distance) buy an epiphone...
Greatly enjoyed your video and cool playing. One question: why is there never any hard list of what you get in a custom SG as opposed to a standard? This is major redflagsville to me, and the implication hovers that there is no difference between custom and standard. Fine people one after another advert to magical commentary on the customs; all subjective delight about intangibles. To me this makes good oldGibson a snake oil salesman and me; well I'm saving up for a custom sg just kicking myself for not letting it go and buying the standard. Hard data is what we ordinary people need, because glowing impressions may promise extra or somehow finer engineering that isn't there. Thanks for reading and for your video.
There is no tangible difference
I have the SG '61 Re-issue (Humbuckers of Course) and I love it! I am debating whether to get the P90s in Ebony. What are your thoughts between the SG Standard '61 Re-issue and the SG Ebony with P90s? Thank you for posting this.
First off thank you for watching the video and the kind words. Man, I looked hard at that 61 re-issue. The only reason I didn't buy one is because no one had them available at the time. The SG Special with the P90s is a great guitar. Those P90s have such a full dynamic range, and if you're looking for a guitar that has a bit of a different sound you can't go wrong with one of those (IMO). That being said I think if it came down to having to give up the 61 in order to get the SG Special I'd keep the 61. Thanks for the question and let me know what you end up doing!
@@alansamsmusic Hi Alan! Thank you for responding! The SG '61 is great guitar! It's got Alnico 5 Pickups as opposed to the SG Standard, which has Alnico 2 Pickups. (I like the extra output that the Alnico 5 offers, I don't know if they are overwound pickups, though. It's also got a slim taper neck. It's hard not to recommend the '61 SG Standard. I will certainly keep you posted on what I get. A friend of mine has an SG Special with Mini Humbuckers, killer sound. I'll keep in touch. Thank again..
Had the same dilemma other way about. They sound different enough to justify both
@@ajb2065 Got my SG Special with P90s last Thursday. Love 'em. The P90s needless to say have a different sound, a different vibe.
👍🏻👍🏻
cheaper one better
No body wants Gibson anymore..Epiphone is the only way to today and all day long
Huh? Have you ever watched comparison videos?
@@charlesoliver2535 that guy's just a troll
Nobody wants Gibson anymore? What? I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion.Tom Murphy has trouble keeping up with demand
You're a cheapo. Next
Ok so here it goes,I’ve been playing guitar both professionally and for pleasure for 57 years now. Since I grew up in the late 60’s and thru the 70’s and beyond I have played older gibbons from that era, were they all perfect no, they were not. I literally just got v=back from a local guitar shop they had 6 American made sg’s. From the basic to the supreme model. I was wanting to purchase one based on my fond memories of past. Reaction: after playing each one for about 20 minutes or more I have to say this to GIBSON IF YOUR LISTENING, your American made so called top of line current fare of guitars meaning the SG’s I played in store ranging in price from 1299 up to 4000, are JUNK, ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS. Badly cut nuts on all of them -how hard is it to fit the nut properly to the width of the neck? Bad sloppy paint where necks joined body’s, DEAD SOUNDING WOOD, only the one SG 61 was ringing reasonably, but wait WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THE FRETS!, the Thin cheesy fret wire! These are NOT medium jumbo frets, I know what you used to put on your guitars and this crap ain’t it.
Overall the necks ranged from meh to well…meh. The volutes are gone? Ok not the end of world, but I’m telling you these things are no better (caveat the hardware is better) then any Overseas knockoff of late like Harely Benton brand or AIO at they they get the fret wire more correct.
You all need to seriously have a look at the inferior overpriced guitars you are peddling to unsuspecting kids who never played a ‘real one’ from the past ,,,you did make some great ones! And these sigma models 1500 bucks for a Bonamassa SG..really? And Epiphone? Y’all need to get a grip the over seas knocks offs are knocking on your doorsteps.