FINALLY!!!

[Markus1]

I finally found an SG Standard I could afford to buy. It was kind of a weird deal though. The guitar is a 2005 Standard, and was listed at $699.00 on guitar centers website. This kind of threw up a red flag for me because all the other used standards listed where a decent amount higher than that. Seeing as how the descriptions on the site are pretty anemic, and the pictures are horribly small and usually don't get much, if at all bigger when you zoom or enlarge, I thought I'd call up the store. I told the guy that answered the phone I wanted to inquire about a used SG standard listed on their website. He responded with something like "the chocolate brown one?" I told him I was referring to the red 2005 standard at which point he said, "Oh, we already sold that one".

 

I thought this was odd, but figured if they sold it in store, maybe no one ever got around to adjusting the website. I have been searching damn near 24/7 on CL, Ebay, guitar center, and pretty much any other place I can think, looking for a deal I could afford, so today I noticed the guitar was STILL listed on their site. I asked about the condition, and was told it has "normal wear" and that they try to list prices as competitively as possible. So... seeing as I have 30 days to return the guitar if I don't like it, I pulled the trigger on it.

 

It kept bugging me that guitar center would still have that listed this long after it had been sold, and I wondered if either the guy was just mistaken OR if because of the good price maybe the guitar had been set in the back somewhere hoping they could keep it from being sold so that either a friend, or maybe the employee could gather up the money to buy it. (I'm a pretty cynical person) Either way... my suspicions served me well in this case, because I ended up buying it.

 

I'll update once I get it, and maybe upload some pics. Well, that is once I've had a chance to check it out and take it to the local guitar shop to look it over. I'm horrible about not being observant enough and noticing issues later. I have an LTD M-200FM That I've had for months and just the other day, after noticing the strings were off just a tad to the side, discovered that the floating bridge on the guitar is mounted slightly off center to the right. But, I only paid $200.00 for that guitar and expected that it might have some factory defects.

[JM2112]

Maybe upload some pics?!?!?!? I hope that's a typo on your part! :)

 

Are you not aware that it's a standing forum rule that any new guitar day post is required to have pics!?!?!?! ;)

 

I've never dealt with GC's used gear, but if any stock item has a listing number it's always good to have that number when you contact them so there's no misunderstanding and they should be able to locate exactly what you're looking for.

 

Congratulations on the new SG, they rock! Look forward to seeing some pics when you get it.

[Markus1]

Maybe upload some pics?!?!?!? I hope that's a typo on your part! :)

 

Are you not aware that it's a standing forum rule that any new guitar day post is required to have pics!?!?!?! ;)

 

I've never dealt with GC's used gear, but if any stock item has a listing number it's always good to have that number when you contact them so there's no misunderstanding and they should be able to locate exactly what you're looking for.

 

Congratulations on the new SG, they rock! Look forward to seeing some pics when you get it.

 

Lol I was in fact not aware of that rule. I'd be happy to, I just didn't know if there was a point since it's not anything out of the ordinary. That was the weird thing.. when I called the guy and said "It's the red 2005 SG standard", he said Oh, that ones already been sold. And he said it without hesitation, like he knew exactly which one I was talking about. That's why I was a little suspicious about it. He didn't offer to check, didn't ask for item number etc... This is my third dealing with Guitar Center. I bought an Ibanez guitar from them and I bought an 80s model crate amp that ended up being defective. It worked fine the 1st night or two, but then when I had a chance to turn it up past the second mark on volume knob the sound would go dead after a few minutes. The good thing about GC is that you can return an item for any reason within 30 days if you're not happy with it. The Ibanez guitar I bought only cost me $175 used, but for a budget guitar made in Indonesia it's pretty damn well constructed. My only complaint with it really is the cheap bridge that's heavily oxidized. The tuners on it are great though. I doubt they're "high end" but they're perfectly smooth when tuning, they look nice, and the guitar isn't particularly bad about going out of tune.

 

I actually tried buying a black SG on ebay, but the seller cancelled the sale due to paypal saying they put a hold on the funds (for buyer protection). He had listed he wouldn't sell until funds cleared, and instead of asking me to look into it he immediately refunded my paypal and relisted the guitar as local pickup only. I was irritated as hell at the time, but i really didn't want a black one. The only reason I was going to go for it is because I'm trying to get a quality made guitar, and color was second. But I am happy as hell because to be honest... SGs are supposed to be red! Just like motorcycles are supposed to be black! :-p

[Bender 4 Life]

SG Std's are some of the BEST guitars ever designed......for ANY genre of music......mine gets more time playing the Blues & Classic/Honky-Tonk Rock than anything else.

congrats, enjoy !!

[Markus1]

SG Std's are some of the BEST guitars ever designed......for ANY genre of music......mine gets more time playing the Blues & Classic/Honky-Tonk Rock than anything else.

congrats, enjoy !!

 

Ok... So, I got my SG today. Overall it is a BEAUTIFUL piece of sexy mahogany. :D

 

That being said...

As I said before, the guitar was MUCH cheaper (at least $300 or so) than most used SG Standards coming from guitar center. But, being told it had no problems other than "normal wear and tear" I went for it. After receiving it I have noticed a couple of issues.

 

For one, it appears to have damage to the bottom of the head stock from being on a guitar hanger for an extended period of time. The finish is eaten through almost to the wood on one side, and on the other side... damn near to the wood. To me personally, this isn't a huge issue as long as I can get it repaired for a decent price eventually. The only reason I would even bother with that repair is that I'm worried if some of that damage is actually down to the wood, polishing the guitar might allow polish to absorb into the wood.

 

My other issue is that the tuners do not appear to be correct. I have not seen another SG online so far that has these tuners. They dont say "Gibson" on the back like most I have seen do, and they just look cheap. The bushings around the tuner "heads?" tilt towards the body of the guitar from the tension of the strings and the top of the heads have 'flat head screw driver' slots on top. From what I've read they might be locking tuners? They don't have the hex nuts on top like you normally see.

 

Attached are pics of the tuners... what are they?

I was going to attach more pics, but after reducing pic size by 80% I can still only attach a couple. I'll send other pics later if I keep this thing.

[rct]

The hanger rash is prolly why it was cheaper than the rest, been hanging around long time, have to blow it out of there. I wouldn't worry too much about it, like you said, maybe fix it someday. It isn't imperative, and you won't hurt any wood with polish or anything.

 

I'm not sure what you are saying about the machines, and the pictures are a little vague. Easily replaced though, whatever they are. Use them until they crap out, which they probably will.

 

rct

[kidblast]

Congrats on the SG Markus.

 

+1 to what Rich says!

 

Stew Mac is a good source for getting Gibson USA original replacement parts. at least that's where I've always gone for this.

From there, it would take you about 15 minutes to swap those out with new ones when the time comes.

 

then again, if they aint broke, maybe don't fix em!

 

Rock on!

/Ray

[charlie brown]

Those look (to me) like Gotoh (Kluson type) tuners. Maybe the original Kluson's

were damaged, or the buttons were broken, and CG or the previous owner, changed

them out? Who knows? But, if they work, use them until they don't, or replace

them with Tone Pro's, of the same type...that Gibson now uses.

 

At any rate, Congratulations, on your (new to you) SG Standard!

 

CB

[Markus1]

The hanger rash is prolly why it was cheaper than the rest, been hanging around long time, have to blow it out of there. I wouldn't worry too much about it, like you said, maybe fix it someday. It isn't imperative, and you won't hurt any wood with polish or anything.

 

I'm not sure what you are saying about the machines, and the pictures are a little vague. Easily replaced though, whatever they are. Use them until they crap out, which they probably will.

 

rct

 

Well... after doing a lot of reading about counterfeits being rampant, and reading about how counterfeits are becoming more and more convincing, the tuners threw up a red flag for me. This was coupled by the fact that originally, it looked like someone "missed a a spot" when applying the clear coat on the guitar. Now, after a bit I realized those "missed" spots where precisely where the guitar rested on a hanger, and realized what I was looking at was probably caused by a reaction with a hangers rubber. The tuners don't say gibson on the back, which all of the ones I've seen online appear to. Also, the tuner heads seem a lot shorter than normal. It was while I was writing my previous post that I decided to google to find out what was up with the "flat head screwdriver slots" that I read some locking tuners have that.

 

Any time I make a big purchase on something used, I tend to kind of go into panic mode. lol. I know I have 30 days to return it, so it wouldn't be the end of the world if something was wrong, but most of the ones I've found online in my price range are black... This thing is an absolutely beautiful red. And... I'm really getting tired of looking.

[kidblast]

Well... after doing a lot of reading about counterfeits being rampant, and reading about how counterfeits are becoming more and more convincing, the tuners threw up a red flag for me. This was coupled by the fact that originally, it looked like someone "missed a a spot" when applying the clear coat on the guitar. Now, after a bit I realized those "missed" spots where precisely where the guitar rested on a hanger, and realized what I was looking at was probably caused by a reaction with a hangers rubber. The tuners don't say gibson on the back, which all of the ones I've seen online appear to. Also, the tuner heads seem a lot shorter than normal. It was while I was writing my previous post that I decided to google to find out what was up with the "flat head screwdriver slots" that I read some locking tuners have that.

 

Any time I make a big purchase on something used, I tend to kind of go into panic mode. lol. I know I have 30 days to return it, so it wouldn't be the end of the world if something was wrong, but most of the ones I've found online in my price range are black... This thing is an absolutely beautiful red. And... I'm really getting tired of looking.

 

 

email gibson customer service with the serial number,, they can help you validate.

 

the pictures you uploaded dont' give a lot of clues.

 

Sign up for photobucket, add them there, then paste the img link here,, then we can see what you have and opine on authenticity.. your BEST shot tho.. is Gibson Customer service. the sooner the better if you are really concerned and want to know with in these 30 days you have.

 

 

where it's used, just realize that any one could have swapped out those machine heads. so that's really not a great indicator.

[Markus1]

 

Well, there she is. And OH MY GOD! I can't believe how much better this thing sounds than all of my other guitars. I can't even say exactly how it's better. Except everything. lol

 

It actually took a little getting used to. The angle of the neck to the body is much different from the others I have. And the finish on the neck felt kinda "sticky" to me at 1st. It even smells different. Mainly due to the fact I never noticed a smell from my other guitars that I can recall. It was especially noticeable when I 1st opened it, it was still a little warm from spending the day in a UPS truck.

 

Back to the sound... Like I said, I can't really even put my finger on exactly what's better about it. Although all of my other guitars sound different from each other, they're fairly similar. This one is like night and day from my others. Whether it's the wood, the finish, or the pickups... this thing is awesome. Once my brain got used to the different angle of this guitar, it just "feels right". It seems easier to play than my others in ways... Though, as with my acoustic I bought not too long ago, some chords where I'm not accustomed put putting my thumb on the back of the neck, are having to be "re-learned". I'm used to the wizard neck on my ibanez guitars mostly, and on other guitars I have trouble going from certain chords to others. (Although after getting more accustomed to "keep thumb on back of neck" I'ts getting better).

 

Now I have to figure out whether I want to keep all of my guitars, or sell a couple and maybe get some peddles, or start saving up for a tube amp. I was seriously considering trying to get a tube amp to replace my Fender Mustang amp, and I probably will at some point, but to be honest... the addition of this SG to the mix has made the need for an amp change much less urgent.

[Aster1]

HNGD & Congrats. Looks like a good find and glad it sounds really great for you too!!

 

Like the case & flapper as well.

 

Aster

[Markus1]

HNGD & Congrats. Looks like a good find and glad it sounds really great for you too!!

 

Like the case & flapper as well.

 

Aster

 

Yes, me too! Like I've said before, guitar center descriptions on used gear are very anemic, but since it wasn't pictured or mentioned, I assumed it would be up to me to buy a hard case eventually. So, I was pleasently surprised to pull a case, rather than just a guitar out of the box. I had assumed that maybe a lack of hard case was the reason for the cheap price, but now have seen that it's due to the guitar hanger damage to the finish. Although, at least it was a hanger and not a stand... thankfully there's no damage to the bottom end of the guitar.

[Bender 4 Life]

origional owner probably swapped the origional tuners to a set he'd gotten stock on an Epi before he took it to trade-in/sell back to GC.......wouldn't give it a 2nd thought, when they go bad, Gibby Deluxes are quite reasonable by the set.

 

nice grain on a really sweet Std btw !!

when you get the tuners, grab a Gibson historic/blank TRC for it too......they're what $12-$15 ?

[Markus1]

origional owner probably swapped the origional tuners to a set he'd gotten stock on an Epi before he took it to trade-in/sell back to GC.......wouldn't give it a 2nd thought, when they go bad, Gibby Deluxes are quite reasonable by the set.

 

nice grain on a really sweet Std btw !!

when you get the tuners, grab a Gibson historic/blank TRC for it too......they're what $12-$15 ?

 

Actually, it looks like the tuners are these: Locking tuners

 

So I think I'm going to keep em. I've already broken the high e-string and was planning on going ahead and taking it in to the guitar shop to have the action lowered a tad and have it set up with some 10s on it, but then remembered I had partial set of strings laying around... I had to google those things to figure out how to string it. lol, I'd never used locking tuners before, but it was nice not having to wind the string around the post. It made changing the string pretty fast, just pull the string tight and go, stretch a little and retune. I like em, I just initially thought they looked like cheap knock-offs of the original SG tuners since they didn't say Gibson on the back, and the post was so short on top, and lacked the hex nut you see on the stock ones.