Can Gibsons be that cheap?

Hi guys,
Lately i'm thinking of fulfilling my dream of owning an SG-type guitar. A Gibson would be of course ideal but I was always under the impression that a you couldn't get your hands on one with less than say 1200 euro. But i found this website, thomann.de that has a HUGE selection of gear and stocks Gibson SGs from as low as 550 euro for a Gibson SG special.
I was starting to settle with the idea that an Epiphone SG would have to suffice but for 200 eur more, I think it's worth going for the real deal, ie a true Gibson.

My questions are:
- Why is a SG SPECIAL AROUND 30-40% less than a SG STANDARD?
- Would you go for a 300 euro EPIPHONE SG or 600 euro GIBSON SG in terms of value for money?

I just further realized something odd!

For a certain SG SPECIAL, the cost is 699 EUR + free shipping if you live in the UK.

If you change the shipping country to CYPRUS, which is where i live, the guitar now costs 475 + 30 EUR!

Can someone tell me what you think and maybe check it out yourselves?

http://www.thomann.de/gb/gibson_sg_special_60s_tribute_wse.htm

I can tell you that the finish, the pickups, and the inlays on the fret board are different. These all make a difference in the price. Weather it is actually a justified difference is the question. I have seen the Special go for $699 US for the faded finish. I recently bought an SG Standard, black, for $1199 US, and I love it. So, it looks like the prices your looking at are correct. Personally, if I could afford the Gibson, I would take it over the Epiphone. Better qaulity components and a better resale value down the road. Hope this helps.

Forgot to mention, the special comes with a gig bag. The standard comes with a hard case which equals more money.

The Special comes with P-90 or humbuckers. What differences in tone can one expect? Could you capture the AC/DC tone with P-90's?

I have a Gibson special Sg and I can tell you that besides that it doensn't have the fancy finish like the standard the tone is exactly the same. It's a great value and you might even like the look more. I have mine with humbuckers. the p-90's sounded a little to thin to me but you can make your own decision about that. AC/DC used humbuckers.

The Angus Young bridge humbucker goes for around $161 US, but you would also want to replace the neck with a humbucker. You would definitely be hard pressed to get the AC/DC sound with the P-90's, but you can come close enough with the HB's that come stock in the standard. By the time you upgraded you would almost have the same amount of money tied up in it as you would the standard. That being said, I would go with the standard if the AC/DC sound is your main concern. Good luck and enjoy which ever you decide on.

Hey whats the name of the site. i want to check it out.

Originally Posted by: amark16The Special comes with P-90 or humbuckers. What differences in tone can one expect? Could you capture the AC/DC tone with P-90's?

P90's are going to be brighter sounding. They will sound a little bit closer to Strat sound than a humbucker.

One isn't better or worse than another, just different...Depends on taste.

I would go here to listen to samples. I would particularly listen to the 'SP90-1 Vintage Soapbar' (P90) versus the 'SH-1 '59 Model' (Humbucker) to get an idea of the differences.