Gibson SG Faded Special

[Thraxion]

My main electric atm is a Stratocaster, and I have ben thinking about getting an SG. So I was browsing Guitar Center and found this little number
Gibson SG Faded Special (http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/product/buy_gibson_faded_sg_special_electric_guitar?full_sku=101873370) It looked nice and was about half the price of the standard SG.

But I started to wonder... half the price, is this just a cheap version of the original? This is where you come in handy! If you have ever played this perticular guitar, please let me know if this is pretty much the same as a standard SG. Thanks :D

[PRSplaya]

My cousin has (or had) a Gibson LP faded, and it was a nice guitar. I would much rather spend my money on something else. There are much better guitars out there for the same amount and less.

[rhythm]

ok PRS, what do you think the best value guitar is at any price range? Which guitar gives you the most bang for your buck? A Squire, a Yamaha? I dont play electric so dont have an opinion on this one.

[PRSplaya]

I have a Yamaha AES620 that is an amazing guitar for what it costs. I've also got a PRS SE Singlecut which is also an amazing guitar. The Yamaha is probably the better "bang for your buck" of the two though. The PRS fits my hands better, so it is the one I prefer.

You really have to play the guitar with your own hands to know if it will work for you. You'll only get personal opinions, that are based on many different factors, on the internet, and everybody's opinion is different.

[rhythm]

Yeah, I know what you mean about feeling the guitar, but value for money is independant of that. I started a thread a couple of days ago about a Martin guitar vs. a Tanglewood guitar. Both solid top back and sides £1200 difference and very minor sound difference. I didnt need to hold either to know which one was the better value.

I got to say guitars are weird to talk about in terms of money. Any guitar is a rip off as when you strip it down its just an piece of wood. I know that a lot of research and trial and error goes into it, but they are not the most technically complex items in the world and have not changed much in decades. The actual cost of a Les Paul to Gibson has got to be sub $100 I would imagine. BUT any guitar is great value in terms of what it gives the player. I just compare it to photography. I used to be a professional photographer and I would spend $2000 easy on a pro grade lens that would only alow me to do a small part of my job. I could buy a guitar for that price that would last me a lifetime and would never need upgrading. Guitar all the way! :cool:

[Thraxion]

Yeah, I know what you mean about feeling the guitar, but value for money is independant of that. I started a thread a couple of days ago about a Martin guitar vs. a Tanglewood guitar. Both solid top back and sides £1200 difference and very minor sound difference. I didnt need to hold either to know which one was the better value.

I got to say guitars are weird to talk about in terms of money. Any guitar is a rip off as when you strip it down its just an piece of wood. I know that a lot of research and trial and error goes into it, but they are not the most technically complex items in the world and have not changed much in decades. The actual cost of a Les Paul to Gibson has got to be sub $100 I would imagine. BUT any guitar is great value in terms of what it gives the player. I just compare it to photography. I used to be a professional photographer and I would spend $2000 easy on a pro grade lens that would only alow me to do a small part of my job. I could buy a guitar for that price that would last me a lifetime and would never need upgrading. Guitar all the way! :cool:

Well I guess you can see it is a piece of wood but there really is alot on the guitar you are paying for that makes it great. Really to much to list, or maybe im just to lazy to do it. But a few major things have to be the pickups, frets, and fretboard. Plus if you think about it alot of work goes into makeing a guitar, thats why they are so beautiful and polished to hawtness.

[PRSplaya]

Once you add up cost of wood, finishes/paint/inlay work, hardware (frets, tuning keys, bridge pieces, pickups, wiring, etc...), and labor, you're far over the $100 mark when it comes to higher quality guitars. You also have to put into account that you're paying for the name as well. It also makes a big difference whether it's made in the USA or in some other country. US labor costs are uber high, so a made in the USA guitar will naturally be more expensive.

[rhythm]

No man, I get youre paying for the name and labour, but I was getting right down to the literals. In terms or materials, just materials, what is the difference between those $200 'strat pack' guitars and the strat Clapton uses....... Tone, Western craftsmanship, higher grade materials, marketing and technology research (but is is very basic and old technology by the standars of consumer products, tv, camera, pc etc.), but in terms of sheer materials; wood, metal, wire they will not be a million miles apart. The point that I am making is that all the little bits that make a great guitar great are not value for money, that doesnt mean to say I dont think guitars are good value. I think they are great value. At its most basic I am talking about the difference between trousers from Gautier and trousers from a market...........they are both cotton. Maybe $100 was a stretch, but I bet they sell top models at around 500% profit and more.

I didnt really explain myself well before and maybe I am not now but I think what I am trying to say is that the value of the guitar is in the head, but certainly not in the product. I think the value of a guitar in the mind of a player makes it worth more money than they are sold for.

My Mother offered to buy me a cheap car or a Swiss watch for my 21st birthday, I took the watch (I just wanted a card, really). Now I could have got a thousand watches from China for the price, so my watch is terrible value, shocking value. However, it has such sentimental value that I would sell my liver first before that watch and so it is worth a million times more than a 'made in China'. Priceless value. I put guitar in that bracket. I can barely play and I am in love.

I know I have rambled there. Sorry guys! Do you get what I mean though? I didnt mean to step on anybody's toes. I am dyslexic, so getting my point across in a couple of words isnt my forte.

[PRSplaya]

Yes, most guitars are marked up an extremely ridiculous amount, from the cheap ones to the expensive ones. The expensive ones typically do have much higher quality parts, and have better quality control, and more hands on work. Is a guitar worth what it costs...? If you're willing to pay the price, and the guitar is THE guitar for you, then I say yes... it is worth what it cost.

[Weslaba]

Yeah, I've played many quality guitars, whether my friend owns it or at Guitar Center, and for some reason whenever you have it in your hands, the price just isn't an object. I guess what I'm getting at is that you can tell the good from the bad and about 99.9% of the time, the ones with the jacked up prices live up to expectations, or above. :rolleyes:

[elklandercc]

Check out Schecter. They're quality exceeds their price tags.

[Hammurabi]

I believe that Cort guitars are the best value available. Schecter and Carvin are also great buys, but a lot of their guitars are actually produced by Cort which makes them just another middle man.