Slartibartfarst42 Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 I realise this is probably the wrong place for a really unbiased view but what the hell, I assume you know SG guitars better than most people! I own two guitars, a 2013 Gibson Les Paul Studio and a PRS SE Custom 24 in quilted purple. I love them both but you know what it's like as a guitarist - you get these sudden GAS attacks and sometimes they work out and sometimes it's the daftest thing you've ever done. Well I'm having one of those moments and I really would appreciate an opinion or two. Because I love my Les Paul so much, it has crossed my mind that I might want a Gibson SG and I've been looking at an old stock but new 2013 60's Tribute model. I like the fact that it has the mahogany neck as opposed to the maple they seem to use more these days and it's the right sort of price bracket. The only way I can afford it is to sell the PRS so I tested the water last night and I have a buyer already so now it's decision time. Is this a sensible move? How does this model SG stand up to the PRS in terms of quality? Is there another model at a similar price point I should be looking at or is this model the best option? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Welcome here, I'll try to be as honest as I can. Quality is some expanded term, and so I have to say first there are points one can't really compare. A quilt maple top with a glossy finish is a story rather different from a satin finished mahogany surface. The Tribute series Gibson made in 2013 were nice adds to the model line with interesting features. So they came with 24 frets but one had to live with the satin finish. I also would have bought a hardcase and left the gigbag alone. I do the same with my Fenders, too, although they have maple necks. Considering their price points, both the Gibson Les Paul and SG Tribute series are very attractive, in particular when thinking about the present model line and an uncertain future. There might be no similar chance in the near future to get something like these brand-new. I do love my Gibson SGs and never bonded with any PRS guitar, but in the end you will have to decide. Good luck on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfarst42 Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 Looking at different guitar stores, it seems that I can get either a 60's Tribute model or a 2014 Special for about the same price. I was originally drawn to the Tribute because of the traditional mahogany neck as opposed to maple but perhaps it makes little difference in reality. I'm unsure exactly what the differences are but for much the same price, would you say one is a better bet than the other? In actual fact, I can get the Special for about £60 less but it doesn't have the Min-Etune system on it, which isn't the end of the world for me as my LP uses normal tuners too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 When about maple or mahogany necks, along with a third fretboard timber differences can be very subtle. Maple/maple or one-piece maple are different stories. Although a bit different when in two different stores, I would try which one seems better to me as far as possible. I once have been in a similar situation. It was about a specific Gibson Custom Shop model. Three of them from two stores 370 kilometers apart from each other, 280 kilometers respectively 620 kilometers away from my dwell. I tried my best to compare them, had to borrow some money, had the one sent from the latter store, went the 280 kilometers to the store having two, checked them out, took the better one with me, compared the both of them at home, and returned the one I had from the store having two... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgplayers Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Hello I noticed the situation here and wanted to ask if there was any way to keep the PRS being it would be hard to replace being a limited edition. I don't have a PRS but have heard good things about them and plan on checking one out. Maybe waiting a few months would allow to save a couple more bucks. I love my 2 S-Gs and wouldn't part with them but, I have got rid of a sweet guitar that wasn't a Gibson and I wish I still had it. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autumn Light&Shade Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Hi Slartibartfarst42, Welcome to the forum. I'm a proud owner of a 2013 Gibson SG 60s tribute, vintage gloss in vintage sunburst. As Capmaster has stated these guitars are not a high gloss finish. You can see/feel the grain of the wood as it is a much thinner finish. I love this guitar , it is my number 1, and boy does she resonate, great sustain. Beautifully shaped neck, very comfortable to hold and play (I've a habit of playing sitting down). Body/neck weight ratio is very good, neck doesn't want to dive towards the ground. Pickups are Burstbuckers 1 + 2 which have a nice bite. I can't speak highly enough of this guitar, I can get all the tones I want from my baby ranging from AC/DC to BB King. Volume and tone very responsive. I didn't realise when I got her, that under the hood she had the PCB board, pickups are Quick Connect. I know some like the traditional wiring but I'm embracing this (new to me, only started playing guitar again last August after a long break) new technology. Can change pickups in a matter of minutes (no soldering, which I haven't done in a long while). If you can, try out a couple of the SG 60s tributes. Maybe you could save for one and still keep your PRS. Nothing worse selling a guitar you enjoy playing. Back in 2009 I sold my 1992 Les Paul Standard, that too was a vintage sunburst, even to this day I think of her and hope she is being well cared for and played.But at the same time I'm grateful to that Gibson Les Paul as she got me out of a financial mess. I will get another Gibson Les Paul (if anything, to redeem my evil ways) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 SGs are great guitars but not for everyone.. I am a LP man, always shave been... Really the truth is no one can really tell you which way to go, you just gotta go try some out.. If you play an SG and you think its way better than your PRS then you know what to do :) The one thing I would mention about SGs is that you should try it standing with a strap.. They are known for their neck dive which to a lot of people isn't even an issue (and you can fix that with a nice leather strap) but its certainly an issue for me when I have tried them in the past... As for the satin finishes on them.. Well I love a satin finish as much as a glossy one. As mentioned you can actually feel the wood grain on them and I love that, I feel more connected to the guitar in a way.. But its all down to you really, one mans trash is another mans treasure. Happy hunting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfarst42 Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 Right, I've played both the 60's Tribute and the 2014 Special and while they were both good guitars, I really didn't find they inspired me. Frankly, my PRS is better. I was going to just keep the PRS but then I did find a couple of guitars that interested me. One is an EVH Wolfgang Special and the other is a Sterling JP100D. The EVH played really well and felt like a quality instrument but the Sterling wasn't in stock and nobody around me has them. Does anybody know anything about these guitars and which would you say is better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10K-DB Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Ill take an SG over a PRS anyday,,I like the "Small Gtr" I know PRS are nice,,but it gets subjective at a certain point really,,which one might be better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvercrow Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Hi Fellow Guitar Enthusiast! I am new to Gibson guitars but not new to guitars in general, having played for over 40 years. I've had many acoustic and electric guitars come and go in my life; some with good riddance, some with heartfelt sadness. Fenders, G&Ls were my lot in life when I got serious about playing and gigging regularly. THEN I got PRS McCarty...soapbar p90s, Seafoam Green color, I bonded instantly with this guitar, a 1998 model, and loved it until it was stolen from me just less than 3 years ago. SOMEDAY when funds allow, I will seek another one. Until then, I am EXTREMELY pleased with my 2008 SG Special in a limited edition Blue Mist color. It did not have a glossy finish- but not a satin exactly either. Definitely not a "faded". I just spent three night buffing it out to a nice, albeit not "deep" gloss. The guitars you are mentioning are all over "the board" stylistically and manufacturer-wise. ALL nice guitars to be sure, but a Wolfgang is not an SG which is not a PRS...Etc. Etc. I BELIEVE what you are jonesing for is just a new guitar. My honest advice to you would be to keep what you've got, if you truly love them, and save for something you really desire. Once you've found THE guitar, or type of guitar, THEN think about selling whats in your stable to finance it. Selling guitars just to satiate GAS is ALWAYS a losing proposition as ALL guitars, except for some vintage and collectables, most often lose value on a trade. And you are just as likely to be looking at another guitar and selling off your Wolfgang or "*****" model. The other approach is to have a bunch of guitars. IF you are fortunate monetarily, you can have a bunch of high end guitars; if not, perhaps some adequate albeit less expensive ones. OR you can have a TON of cheap ones.... Seriously, I would play various types, manufacturers, styles, at guitar shops, friends guitars, hell I've even approached Dave Mason (yes THE Dave Mason) after a gig one night and ended up playing his RK guitar. I didn't like it BTW... Best wishes on your quest! I've always found the hunt to be as exciting, or more so, than the acquisition! Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvercrow Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 ONE MORE THING...many of us ask others the question you've asked. As each and every one of us is as individual as our DNA, we are also just as varied and pre-disposed to our likes and dislikes in guitars. Also it is difficult for ANY of us to give a truly, 100% unbiased and unfiltered assessment of any guitar as we are influenced by previous experience, our ever-developing taste and style and myriad other things that cause us to be "Brand loyal" or type/style adverse in all things; guitars, cars, fishing rods, underware.. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgplayers Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 that's it. nicely said Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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