xkimo Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Last night I was in with my local music shop / luthier guy. While he was changin' out my Breedlove strings we were yacking to and fro, naturally enough. I allowed how my next purchase was going to be a new Gibby DT SG. Now granted the cat has been a musical "fixture" in these parts for a great many moons.. Bruce says,' Hell, I've played a lot of SG's never found one I could keep in tune". Granted, I've got a bad case of SG fever. So could the instrument be that difficult to keep tuned etc .What is the truth ya'll? Any little quirks associated with this instrument one be must be attentive to or for? Thanks in advance for any feedback. X B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 ... Hell, I've played a lot of SG's never found one I could keep in tune". ... Can't guess why he said so. Being SG player since 1982, currently owning four of these, and also playing some other makes starting in 1980, I experienced that the tuning stability of SGs is quite the same as of other guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xkimo Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 Can't guess why he said so. Being SG player since 1982, currently owning four of these, and also playing some other makes starting in 1980, I experienced that the tuning stability of SGs is quite the same as of other guitars. Dude I'm with ya..Perhaps he has never played many "Real" ones? Just speculatin'. But I ain't gonna bust his chops over it,Know what I mean ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Dude I'm with ya..Perhaps he has never played many "Real" ones? Just speculatin'. But I ain't gonna bust his chops over it,Know what I mean ? I had bought my 1978 S-G Standard used in 1982, already showing significant wear of fretboard wood and fret wires. The pre-owner, a former bandmate of mine, had long fingernails on the fretting hand, unthinkable for me, and a fairly rude fretting style. Finally, in 1987 I asked a luthier for a fret dressing. He said he would have to refret it, it would lose the nubs, and also some wood if I wanted to have a clean, well-radiused surface again. His plan was to sand the whole board down. He also shouted out: "Damn! I never saw an SG of that age without a headstock repair." The axe had been just eight and a half years old this time! So the experiences of luthiers may vary strongly. To make it short, I had nothing done to it then - until today. I just played the hell out of it through all these years. Last year I had it expertised by the Master Luthier at Thomann. He said that a PLEK setup would be sufficient in any case, and he would use filler for evening out the wood surface. Perhaps I will have this done in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjsinla Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 If you are heavy handed and pull the neck all over the place, they can sound out of tune. But I also have a few SG's and they all stay in tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xkimo Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 cjsinla & capmaster, Suppose it is like anything in life; there will be those lovers and there will be those haters..I don't know why exactly he felt that way,maybe I'll learn the genesis of the opinion one day.Perhaps,when I take it in for it's first restring / set-up check. Me, I have long liked the look of the SG period.My second fave (electrified) Gibson ax besides the LP. Cjsinla sure appears you have a royal flush there mate.The cream beauty far right has my eye,what year? My plan is to throw the Angus Young p/u's on mine soon after acquisition. Thanx X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjsinla Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 cjsinla & capmaster, Suppose it is like anything in life; there will be those lovers and there will be those haters..I don't know why exactly he felt that way,maybe I'll learn the genesis of the opinion one day.Perhaps,when I take it in for it's first restring / set-up check. Me, I have long liked the look of the SG period.My second fave (electrified) Gibson ax besides the LP. Cjsinla sure appears you have a royal flush there mate.The cream beauty far right has my eye,what year? My plan is to throw the Angus Young p/u's on mine soon after acquisition. Thanx X The one on the right is a 2011 SG61. I bought it when the Gibson prices all dropped near the end of 2012. They were blowing out the cherry ones at about $1200 but they all vanished within minutes it seemed like. That white one was one of the few SG61's left. I was surprised that it was dated 2011 when it arrived. You don't see many of them around. It was the first humbucking Gibby that I bought in 30 years and it sounds great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 If you are heavy handed and pull the neck all over the place, they can sound out of tune. ... When supporting the fretting fingers with the forearm of the striking hand instead of the fingering hand's thumb, all guitars tend to pitching sharp and buzzing strings. The temptation of doing so, I guess unwittingly in most cases, might be bigger with neck heavy guitars. Perhaps it may come automatically through supporting the neck by holding down the body with the plucking hand's forearm. I prefer doing this on SGs since I can't stand holding up the neck with my fretting hand - this feels definitely uneasy to me. However, I found out that the use of wide neck straps with a suede back makes playing of any guitar more comfortable. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xkimo Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 When supporting the fretting fingers with the forearm of the striking hand instead of the fingering hand's thumb, all guitars tend to pitching sharp and buzzing strings. The temptation of doing so, I guess unwittingly in most cases, might be bigger with neck heavy guitars. Perhaps it may come automatically through supporting the neck by holding down the body with the plucking hand's forearm. I prefer doing this on SGs since I can't stand holding up the neck with my fretting hand - this feels definitely uneasy to me. However, I found out that the use of wide neck straps with a suede back makes playing of any guitar more comfortable. B) Uh huh. X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 If you are a ham handed Neanderthal strummer like me then you may not stay in tune as well as a finesse player. Pete Townshend didn't have many tuning problems with his SGs so take my comment with a grain of salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 If you are heavy handed and pull the neck all over the place, they can sound out of tune. But I also have a few SG's and they all stay in tune. Eggs-actly!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg1967 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Last night I was in with my local music shop / luthier guy. While he was changin' out my Breedlove strings we were yacking to and fro, naturally enough. I allowed how my next purchase was going to be a new Gibby DT SG. Now granted the cat has been a musical "fixture" in these parts for a great many moons.. Bruce says,' Hell, I've played a lot of SG's never found one I could keep in tune". Granted, I've got a bad case of SG fever. So could the instrument be that difficult to keep tuned etc .What is the truth ya'll? Any little quirks associated with this instrument one be must be attentive to or for? Thanks in advance for any feedback. X B) I only have two. The latest is an 2008 SG Special Faded Cherry. And I could not keep the G string in tune. That was until I added a bit of graphite on the nut slot and bam! It stays in tune for hours. Same for my 2014 SG. G string issues ( I think its kind of a thing with SG's). But a bit of graphite and it stays in tune with no problem. But I bend the hell out of the G string too. So that doesn't help. All and all I say they stay in tune pretty good considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Find a music shop/luthier guy that knows what he is doing. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkesman Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Maybe get the nut and intonation checked? It's not likely to be the tuners as they're usually very good. Also, I've found that tuning is really important. I mean don't get it just about right, get it absolutely 100% right. I had tuning problems with my Special when I first got it, but I adjusted the nut, and spent what seemed like 3 days fettling the intonation :angry:, and now it'll go for hours of playing with barely a tweak. I also agree that a touch of graphite at the nut slots should help. Cheers, H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM2112 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Last night I was in with my local music shop / luthier guy. While he was changin' out my Breedlove strings we were yacking to and fro, naturally enough. I allowed how my next purchase was going to be a new Gibby DT SG. Now granted the cat has been a musical "fixture" in these parts for a great many moons.. Bruce says,' Hell, I've played a lot of SG's never found one I could keep in tune". Granted, I've got a bad case of SG fever. So could the instrument be that difficult to keep tuned etc .What is the truth ya'll? Any little quirks associated with this instrument one be must be attentive to or for? Thanks in advance for any feedback. X B) I've never had any tuning issues with my SG Standard. It holds its tune as well as any other guitar I own. Like most new guitars the nut slots are typically a little tight and can pose some tuning issues, but that's easily corrected and not limited to the SG model. If the SG can stay in tune for someone like Angus Young I don't see any major problems with the instrument as a whole. SG's rock, IMHO!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErickC Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I have never played or owned an SG that had problems staying in tune, Gibson or otherwise. So long as you're not flexing the neck, there is no reason an SG wouldn't hold tune any better or worse than any Gibson-configuration guitar. Flexing the neck is just a little easier due to the way it attaches. That is all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I have never played or owned an SG that had problems staying in tune, Gibson or otherwise. So long as you're not flexing the neck, there is no reason an SG wouldn't hold tune any better or worse than any Gibson-configuration guitar. Flexing the neck is just a little easier due to the way it attaches. That is all. As I pointed out in #8, neck-heaviness promotes flexing the neck, too, unwittingly in most cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Granted, I've got a bad case of SG fever. So could the instrument be that difficult to keep tuned etc .What is the truth ya'll? Any little quirks associated with this instrument one be must be attentive to or for? Thanks in advance for any feedback. X B) Yeah it should stay in tune.. Usually (as has been mentioned) that is due to nut/bridge/neck issues which only need to be tiny to make a difference... Apart from that im not to up on SGs but the one thing I know to check for is neck dive, they are famous for it.. So make sure you try it standing with a strap on to see what its like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xkimo Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Maybe get the nut and intonation checked? It's not likely to be the tuners as they're usually very good. Also, I've found that tuning is really important. I mean don't get it just about right, get it absolutely 100% right. I had tuning problems with my Special when I first got it, but I adjusted the nut, and spent what seemed like 3 days fettling the intonation :angry:, and now it'll go for hours of playing with barely a tweak. I also agree that a touch of graphite at the nut slots should help. Cheers, H. Hawkesman, Frustrated perfectionist here alright ! All my tools are absolutely "zeroed". Tuning is absolutely critically important & I do use graphite on my instruments..Good call. In all life's' endeavors' I attempt to take as much human induced error out of any given equation as possible..If not, well then. my BAD! You know ? From the accumulated responses so far from all you wonderful folks,I am not the least bit shy about still buying an SG. Matter fact, I am now just as determined to grab one up the minute the little "Bosslady" tells me the smokin' lamp is LIT ! Rock n' Roll..... I am beginning to think it is Bias on my music shop guys part.... Like RCT stated,find a new luthier...Not so easy here in the middle of Hell,er' the Mojave desert. Thanx X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkesman Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Hi Xkimo, Yup! Intonation and tuning are king! I wanted an SG for years, but somehow didn't get round to getting one till fairly recently. Much as I love my other axes, I'm glad I got the SG as it brings something different to the party. The light body and thin neck give it a unique sound, and I now play it more than any of my other guitars. I think you're right, and your shop guy is biased. If you get a Special (and, IMHO, why pay the extra premium for a Standard?!) then the only mod you might want is to swap the bridge pup for something with more grunt, particularly if you want a lot of gain. The 490T's that come as standard on a Special are OK for pop, mainstream rock, and blues, but in my view are a bit weak if you want a thicker 'power chord' sound. I put a 498T in mine (help from the forum was useful here), and it transformed it into an absolute beast (but that's what I like, and of course you might not!). Regards, H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErickC Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Not too hard to find a decent luthier - get some tools from Stew-Mac and learn to do it all yourself! It's not terribly difficult to do most common tasks, even fret work is pretty simple. Just take your time and understand the task fully before proceeding. Measure twice, cut once, and all that. Even setting a neck isn't terribly difficult! The big problem is that, when you spend so much time tweaking and repairing and modifying guitars, you eventually want to do more, so you start buying broken hulks to play with and reassemble, and then the urge to start making them sets in, and then you're really screwed! Gibsons (and Epiphones and Orvilles) are usually fairly trouble-fee guitars, so not much in-depth maintenance is generally needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 I find most SGs to be very stable in their ability to stay in tune. My gigging SG is very stable, and the Bigsby resolved the neck dive issues. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyK Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I've had 4 SGs (and a twin neck) - never had tuning problems with any of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10K-DB Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Ive owned different SG's for some 20+yrs,,Ive found that they play easier than LP's,,there much lighter on the shoulder,,and if you wind an even,, proper amount of "wrap" on the pegs when you put new strings on,,they hold tune just fine. IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Ive owned different SG's for some 20+yrs,,Ive found that they play easier than LP's,,there much lighter on the shoulder,,and if you wind an even,, proper amount of "wrap" on the pegs when you put new strings on,,they hold tune just fine. IMO Works fine on every guitar to my experience, including those with locking machine heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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