Fred1972 Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 Hi everyone, I just bought myself a gibson sg special and it really is a sonic monster, especially after I've set it up with an invader and jazz pickup from seymour duncan! ..but I was just wondering after having looked very close to the body. The (faded) laquer shows that the body has minuscule diagonal carvings all over the body; very very small and can merely be seen when looking very close! Not a big thing but this made me wonder if the body is indeed made out of real wood or is it something else as material? Does anyone has the same finding? Thanks! Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 Hi everyone, I just bought myself a gibson sg special and it really is a sonic monster, especially after I've set it up with an invader and jazz pickup from seymour duncan! ..but I was just wondering after having looked very close to the body. The (faded) laquer shows that the body has minuscule diagonal carvings all over the body; very very small and can merely be seen when looking very close! Not a big thing but this made me wonder if the body is indeed made out of real wood or is it something else as material? Does anyone has the same finding? Thanks! Fred How about some photos (close up's) of what you're talking about! Otherwise, it's mere speculation, which can be totally inaccurate. Much better to actually see what you're describing, in order to come to a better (hopefully), and more accurate conclusion. Either way, enjoy your new SG! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerad12 Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 If your speaking about the 2017 SG specials I have one as well. I can't say that I have noticed any of the lines your referencing. Gibson has it listed as a Mahogany body and I know I can see at least one seam in mine so it's definitely a multi piece body construction. I absolutely love mine. For the value it's a great Gibson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megafrog Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Since there are no pictures, is it a SG Special Air Guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GibSinCity Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 Is this what you're talking about? Very common on those finishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 They don't fill the grain on those cheaper guitars, and that's what you get when you don't fill the grain. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twobeers Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 That is exactly what the finish looks like on a mahogany guitar I recently built. No wood filler, only 8 coats of hand rubbed "Minwax Wipe On Poly." Personally, I like the look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 If your SG is a Gibson this is real wood. If your "SG" is an Epiphone the top of the body is FOTO FLAME Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Pure Wood ... :D/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 If your SG is a Gibson this is real wood. If your "SG" is an Epiphone the top of the body is FOTO FLAME I don't think anyone is Foto Flaming today. It was abandoned because of high cost quite a while ago. What you are seeing on the Epis today is another form of mahogany that they can legally call mahogany when they sell it. Like Sapele, Ovankgol, Bubinga, few other woods that have at one time or another been called mahogany for sales purposes. I forget what that silly looking Epi wood is called. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 The top of Epiphone G400 is FOTO FLAME. An other picture ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 6 String Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Dude give it up already, we already went through this when you called yourself SG Player. EPi's use a thin WOOD veneer to cover the multi piece bodies NOT a PHOTO. You should google the word veneer and then google the word photo, you might maybe learn something instead of spreading mis information. Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 The top of Epiphone G400 is FOTO FLAME. An other picture ? Do yourself a favor, find out what Foto Flame was, what it entailed, who did it, and for how long they did it. It's all out there to read. Put something up here besides a picture with some circles on it and we'll talk about it. Not sure why you are so butt hurt about Epiphones. I don't particularly like them either, I've had a few in my life and they haven't lasted long with me. But I'm not about to go telling people they are doing something that is just too expensive to do on a cheap G400, because they are not doing that. It is possible they tried a few in the mid 90's when Fender was actually doing it, but I don't recall that. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 6 String Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 There is a reason Gibson Les Paul Standards are $2500 while Epi's LP Stds are $500. Chinese is whats for dinner. Sure there are lots of reasons for the price difference, but photo flame isn't one of them. It's fine not to like the EPI's (I'm personally fine with them, have 6 to go with my 3 Gibbies)but let's not be supporting misinformation about them. Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 6 String Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 What misinformation did I give? Apologies if I read into your reply, but it seemed as though you may have been eluding to the Chinese factories using photo, after re-reading and your questioning of me now, its seems you were simply stating China vs US production. Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 6 String Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 Yep. I've never heard of Photo Flame until I started to read this thread 10 minuets ago. And still don't know what it is. I assume putting a fake flame on the wood of a guitar by some means (sticker, paint, ect). Yeah in simple terms it's flame printed on a vinyl sticker under the clear. Fender did it, Hamer did it and prob a few others. Didn't last long. Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Epiphone use veneer or foto flame , same bad result Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Yep. I've never heard of Photo Flame until I started to read this thread 10 minuets ago. And still don't know what it is. I assume putting a fake flame on the wood of a guitar by some means (sticker, paint, ect). Since the resident Foto Flame expert can't be bothered to post anything but bad pictures of guitars he says are messed up and are Epiphones I, as usual, will manage the history that doesn't seem to matter to the cell phone as brain generations. Foto Flaming was taking actual high res(pre-hd days) high saturation photographs of real flame maple tops and printing that foto on to what amounted to slightly higher than wallpaper thickness base, and gluing that to veneer for the top of a guitar. Fender did it for a few years in the mid 90's. It was extremely expensive as compared to the retail for the guitar, meaning cost was way too close to what a reasonable volume dealer would pay per unit, so it wasn't cost effective/efficient in any way. These Fenders were selling over 600 dollars back then, so it wasn't a cheap alternative to actual flame top guitars. It hasn't gotten any cheaper and unit costs for all of the guitar makers have fallen by probably 12% in the intervening years. So no, nobody is photographing real flame maple and putting it on guitars that I know of, it just isn't worth doing. If anyone, especially Epiphone, was doing that I'd be shocked and surprised I tell ya, but I'd be glad to be wrong. It's possible that the hundreds of pictures of allegedly foto flamed Epiphones the resident expert has are all the same two or three guitars that Epi may have tried it on back then. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Since the resident Foto Flame expert can't be bothered to post anything but bad pictures of guitars he says are messed up and are Epiphones I, as usual, will manage the history that doesn't seem to matter to the cell phone as brain generations. Foto Flaming was taking actual high res(pre-hd days) high saturation photographs of real flame maple tops and printing that foto on to what amounted to slightly higher than wallpaper thickness base, and gluing that to veneer for the top of a guitar. Fender did it for a few years in the mid 90's. It was extremely expensive as compared to the retail for the guitar, meaning cost was way too close to what a reasonable volume dealer would pay per unit, so it wasn't cost effective/efficient in any way. These Fenders were selling over 600 dollars back then, so it wasn't a cheap alternative to actual flame top guitars. It hasn't gotten any cheaper and unit costs for all of the guitar makers have fallen by probably 12% in the intervening years. So no, nobody is photographing real flame maple and putting it on guitars that I know of, it just isn't worth doing. If anyone, especially Epiphone, was doing that I'd be shocked and surprised I tell ya, but I'd be glad to be wrong. It's possible that the hundreds of pictures of allegedly foto flamed Epiphones the resident expert has are all the same two or three guitars that Epi may have tried it on back then. rct !!!!Exactly!!!! btw.. all debate points aside, I have a few epi archtops. they hit home for me.. Not being a dedicated jazz player, it's a good option when you want to play something with that vibe, but not have a $4k price tag (at least) associated with it... I honestly DGAF what any one else thinks about Epi's either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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