burchster Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Hello all I'm looking to buy either the 70's special model or a standard SG. I'm an intermediate player with not much experience with guitar set up but I notice every new SG I look at on sweetwater has the stop bar tailpiece raised up. Every other gibson sg and Epiphone I've had has always had it flat to the body. I'm wondering if this is a quality issue with neck angle or maybe I'm just worrying for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 The tailpieces of both of my stopbar SG's (and three of my four stopbar LPs, too) do clear the top considerably. All of the guitars are set to closely the same neck reliefs and string actions. Neck angle tolerances are much more significant on the two of my Maestro vibrato SGs that don't allow adjustment. Therefore string breaking angles are very different, but balance and tone are fine either way. I even can't discern them in a blind listening test. Anyway, the +/- 15 angular seconds claimed by Gibson specs are fiction. That would mean a difference of about the diameter of a human hair in height adjustments to achieve same string action. No way - 15 angular minutes, 60 times the deviation, would match reality better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 but balance and tone are fine either way. I even can't discern them in a blind listening test. Me either, its cosmetic but a reality for sure in looking them over. I don't know what to tell you but to look around as some are flush with the body and others raised a bit. Ordering blind won't help, maybe places like Sweetwater with photos or looking in person. Its just a common aspect of production line tolerance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyote Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 Personally, I adjust the stop bar to make sure the strings don't contact any part of the bridge other than the saddles. Sometimes that requires raising the stop bar a bit, depending on the basic height of the action. Even string gauge can effect that. If you change string gauges, and have to move a saddle towards the nut to fix the intonation, the string might now contact the edge of the bridge body. Which, in my case, would require me to raise the stop bar. I don't really consider this a quality issue though, it's a matter of setup preferences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 My "issue(s)" with 2016 models has more to do with "spec's," than overall quality. I like the HP version's (original '61 style) beveling, and horn tapering. That has always been MY ideal=preference of the SG, at correct spec's. Why they have gone back to the pre-2013 bevels and no horn tapers, on the "Traditional" models, is beyond me?! If anything, you'd think "Traditional" SHOULD have the original '61 beveling, and horn tapering. But, no...apparently. Other than that, and the "odd" placement of the front strap button, from the center of the neck joint, to the back of the upper horn bout :unsure: , they seem to be nicely done, overall quality wise. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Why they have gone backto the pre-2013 bevels and no horn tapers, on the "Traditional" models, is beyond me? Beyond me too especially after all they went through with these SGs. I never thought the Standard model out today without bevels and 61 neck joint was their premier model SG model for sales. In fact I was under the impression the reason they could NOT get the SG prices up was because of that model. To raise the SG price obviously they introduced the 61 style SG Standard? Then Gibson bought back this years model at the end of last year after the price jump. I don't get it, couple years back around 12-13 when they momentarily dropped the present batwing model Standard they were blowing them out new for $7 and change. But you never seen the 61 Standards or 61 RIs drop like that but for the initial drop when the Standard and 61 RI were almost the same, The 61 took a hit. Go figure. Gibson should hire me I think they are confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Oh, but the Stop-Tail. I get what people are saying and I have seen many where the ST rests right on the body and many others elevated. But its appearance and minor tolerance with QC for sure. No difference in tone that I hear or with sustain, you? BTW....String clearance is a give in the equation on the bridge. Yes the strings need to clear the rear of the bridge. And regardless of the ST height. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaygl Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 You can't go wrong with one of these.... I have owned and played many SG's, and this one will stand up against any of them, play ability and sound wise. If it had neck binding it would be 2 grand. I think Gibson is selling this model at too low a price point. I would have gladly paid a few hundred more than I did. Try the 70's and a Standard side by side and you'll see.... As someone else said, the stop bar should be up from the body to make sure the break angle of the strings is high enough to clear the bridge on it's back edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burchster Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 Thanks everyone of the input I won't fear a raised tailpiece now. Now the hard part is deciding between either an Ebony standard, cherry p90 standard or an Ebony 70's special like above! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 yea, it's a tuff call for sure, they are all going to sound different. don't worry about the stop bar, that's easy to change! I have a classic from 2006 that has P90s, I love those pickups, but you gotta "Want" P90s, they have a raw powerful sound to them. my SG Standard has the same pups that came with my 95 Les Paul Standard, despite the same pickup selection, they sound NOTHING alike. I've only had one axe with Mini's (my first Les Paul, it was a deluxe from 1973.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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