Steve Taylor

Yes. I see a lot of SGs with string alignment off center. I bought two, both misaligned, and sent back the worse one. So I looked at dozens of photos online and noticed two things. 1) when an SG is photographed straight on, so you can see the alignment, some will be clearly misaligned. 2) there are many SGs for sale where they will show you several photos from various angles but not from straight on. Don’t buy an SG that you have not played.

In my experience, Gibson has a problem with string alignment. I ordered a 2018 SG and had to send it back because the high E kept slipping off the rail when I played in the low positions. The dealer sent another one, which I kept, but there was still the alignment issue, but not as bad. I solved it by using a heavier gauge string. At these prices I should be able to play nines or tens, but I can’t. It ain’t my left hand, because I never had this problem with Fender and my Les Paul doesn’t do this. I think what’s happening is — because their necks are set, there is a certain amount of variation in alignment from one axe to another. For economic reasons, they have to pass some guitars that they shouldn’t. The upshot is DO NOT buy a Gibson that you have not played.