Not a musician Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 Ok, my son has been playing for some time (used squire). Since he is a huge Angus Young fan, I want to treat him with an SG For Bday and X-mas. I want to buy it for him while in a business trip to the USA (Boston). Reading this forum, it became obvious that simply ordering online is not such a good idea (trust your ears, right?). So, here is the catch: I am not a musician and I cant take him to the store. So, here is the challange: what should I check and look for (or avoid) on an SG Standard T? After reading this (and a few other forums), I came to the conclusion that great guitars are like great Wines. Each year is different from the other and each bottle from a same year is different from the other. Some bottles are spoiled by the way they were handled, transported and/or stored. So, with wine, the trick is knowing how to choose between two bottles WITH OUT DRINKING IT. This is kind of what I am asking you guys to help me with.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steverz Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 HI: Since you are NOT a Musician, there is really nothing to watch out for with a Gibson SG. You certainly can order online safely through "Guitar Center" as I did (I already had an SG and others, so I ordered mine from one of their stores and they shipped it to me 100 miles away). They ship the guitar from their distribution center in Kansas City and deliver it to your residence, still in the brown sealed box from the Gibson factory.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 Ohh that's a tough one... Its kind of like trying to pick out cloths for someone.. Its such a personal thing... you would have to know their exact size and taste to get it right. The thing is, just because someone is a fan of a guitarist, doesn't necessarily mean they like the guitar they play, or more importantly that it will match their personal preference.... And I do have to say SGs can be a bit marmite (love it or hate it).... I also love Angus but have never really got on with SGs, same for Fenders (and Hendrix is my favourite guitarist of all time). The main things to look out for on a Gibson guitar is neck size and type of pickups... You have 50s necks that are quite fat and then the slim 60s necks on a, then on the 2015 models you have the extra wide necks... Then the pickups can be higher or lower output. Higher output is usually used for like heavy metal players and the lower or medium output for rock and blues stuff (in very generalised terms). If he plays a Squire, then it may be good for him to get a nice Fender if hes used to that? I donno, no one can say apart from your son... Has he mentioned wanting an SG? I would worry less about getting a dud online than what the players preferences are. And a dud would be a guitar that doesn't tune properly (wrong bridge placement) or some other technical aspect is wrong like the nut isn't cut properly(it does happen) or it just has a really bad finish. As you say.. Each guitar is kind of unique as they are hand finished instruments.. So each neck is just slightly different and the way its set up, neck angle an all that.. Its why really when trying to find a new guitar the only real way is to try it yourself... buying a guitar based on official specs alone is never really a good idea... Maybe the surprise should be that you go on a mystery car ride, end up at a guitar shop and let him try a bunch and pick one? That may be better ? Either way, that's an amazing gift to receive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 Hello and welcome to this nice place in the web. Rabs mentioned lots of important points in post #3 and concluded with a suggestion that seems nice to me. I don't know where you live, but I think buying a guitar abroad is a debatable plan, in particular without exactly knowing what to buy. This is why I second Rabs' idea. Most retailers offer their return policies also when buying at the store, not only via web. I also concur with Rabs when it's about guitar models. I play Fender Teles featuring six saddles and Strats with Floyd Rose vibratos as well as Gibson Les Pauls, SGs, some more Gibsons and some more guitars of other brands. It's a question of the desired tones and personalizing the guitar setups to one's own likes. A reputable dealer with skilled, reputable luthiers at the shop or in close vicinity can be helpful for a player in finding the comfort zone of adjustments on a specific guitar. This starts with choosing strings of personal like - a huge topic in itself. Let us know how you decided, and what guitar you and, if so, your son finally bought. Good luck for the hunt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Robinson Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 Hi great idea. An SG will feel quite different to play than a squire/ stratocaster style guitar thought and that's one thing if your not a player that you may not know is than different types of Guitars feel different to play and have different neck profile's, neck thicknesses etc. Unfortunately SGs are not for everyone and as stated above different models and production years do vary......plus your son needs to like the look of any new guitar as well. IMO if he's been playing a while a better idea would be go to a store and try a few yes you can get something online but if your son tried a few in a shop he will be able to choose something he likes and you will have checked it over so know it's in good order, especially important if he's going to be spending your money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Regarding online purchases, you know it really depends on the merchant. it's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as they have a good return policy and you take some time to talk to them and let them know what your trying to do, someone should be able to be your eyes and ears and pick out something for you (eg: your son) that would pass their own approvals. just something to consider... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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