Gibson's SG was their shot at a low-bridge straight-neck. They screwed it up
big-time, on the dual-pickup models, because there is not enough 'meat' between the neck joint and the pickup. This area is so weak that the guitar is hard to tune. Any tension change on one string causes the other five to wander off. :eek: The single-pickup version is more stable, but that's not the model most players have in mind.
All of the Gibson line has another weak spot in the transition from the neck to the headstock. Repair shops stay in business because Gibson's "lose their heads" :rolleyes: so often.
I suggest some open-mindedness is in order. The
music is the main consideration: everything else comes down to making it happen. If you play complicated jazz chords, you need a relatively short scale length, and any 'Gibson-style' may be a good choice for you. If you have long fingers, or you spend a lot of time at the high end, the Gibson scale length is likely to cramp your style, and a Strat-type' axe may fit you better.
If you like a particular sound, shut your eyes and let your ears do their thing. I've owned 'Pauls, an SG, a Strat, and a Jaguar. I haven't kept any of them. I still play the Yamaha SBG-1000 I bought back in '77, (for 1/2 the price of a Les Paul Custom). I've put DiMarzio pickups in it, and it sounds so good that when I was short of rent money, I sold my '62 Strat, and kept the SBG. I've also got an old Washburn A-20. It looks plug-ugly, but I don't see much of it when I'm playing it, and it sounds so good, I don't
care what it
looks like. :D
Lordathestrings
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