olds_cool63 Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 Hey,gang. I'm new to the forum and glad to be here. I'm not a new player, just haven't played in 21 years! Started in '72 or '73. Anyway, I'm looking for a good practice guitar, something that's just gonna stay home so I can work on my skills. I really like the wider necks on the SG's. So, it comes down to SG vs. SG-310. Any owner's out there wanna share their experience or opinions? Likes, dis-likes, sound, playability, etc...? Since this is gonna be just for practice, I'm not looking to spend a fortune. Appreciate any info! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearhead Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 Welcome! Hope you enjoy it here! Ok then: If I were you and just looking for something cheap to practice on the G-310 should be ok. It's not the quality that the G-400 is.But it's cheaper. I'd go try them out and see what feels right for you before you buy. I have a G-400, and love it, but I use a cheap $60 Junior with bolt on neck at home to practice on. It sounds and plays great, but tonal variation is limited with just one pup, but it's an excellent axe for practice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 For an extra $50 or so, you can get a G-400. The 310's are ok for practicing, I guess, but they have cruddy pickups and laminate bodies. For a few extra bucks you get better hardware and a mahogany body. I have a G-310, and although it has a great feel to it and its been my main practice guitar, its only been two years and I am starting to outgrow it. It is not a good long-term guitar. Go for the G-400. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds_cool63 Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 Very cool. Thanks for responding. I've actully played the SG Special, 310 & 400 in the guitar shop. REALLY limited playing, though...I was on lunch at the time. Maybe I can make it out there over the weekend and really spend some time before making a decision. I saw the 400 for $150 more than the 310...I think, anyway. Anyone else out there have some comments, reviews, etc? The more the merrier! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 I saw the 400 for $150 more than the 310...I think' date=' anyway. [/quote'] My pricing is from the Guitar Center website. The G-310 is $250 and the starter G-400s are $299. I guess pricng at a local guitar shop will vary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds_cool63 Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 It's GC that I go to and test out the guitars! Hmmmmm......I think I'll head over there again today during lunch and double check the prices. And I guess I'll run them all through an amp. I usually play amp-free because I really wanna hear it, but I need to see how they sound amp'd. I've played the 310 & 400 through an amp yesterday while I was at GC, but just for a few mins. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 Sometimes GCs run specials on the G-310 for $219 or some such price on their website. I think the stores have some discretion to do this on their own as well. Maybe they have some 310's on sale right now? I play my 310 un-amped alot as well. It has a bright and loud sound, but is kind of on the tinny side and no resonance to speak of. As compared to my alder-wood strats that are deeper sounding and resonate quite well...un-amped, of course. I really favor the 310 because of the neck though. It just feels so darn good when I play. Nice and comfortable, like most Epiphones. I still have a hard time warming up to my strats because of the necks. They feel like I'm trying to fret a drumstick. I would imagine that the 400s feel even better. I'll be looking into them closer when I'm ready for my next guitar...soon, I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReneBoedker Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 A little comparison: 310 has 700T/650R humbuckers; 400 (faded) has Classic/Classic humbuckers; 400 (standard) has Classic/Classic Plus humbuckers. 310 has a bolt on neck; 400 has a set neck. 310's body is alder; 400's body is mahogany. So, the G-400 has better hardware and (in my opinion) better neck joint and wood. And go for the standard with the slightly more powerful Classic Plus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 A little comparison: 310 has 700T/650R humbuckers; 400 (faded) has Classic/Classic humbuckers; 400 (standard) has Classic/Classic Plus humbuckers. 310 has a bolt on neck; 400 has a set neck. 310's body is alder; 400's body is mahogany. So' date=' the G-400 has better hardware and (in my opinion) better neck joint and wood. And go for the standard with the slightly more powerful Classic Plus.[/quote'] My 310 is laminate. Sometimes they say alder, but mean alder laminate. I'd be curious to see if the Chinese 310s are actually alder or an alder lam. Mine is Korean. Are you sure about the PUPs being 700T/650R ? The Epiphone website just says "open coil humbuckers". I dont know the specs on mine, but they were most definately not 700T/650Rs. They were just awful sounding. Muddy distortion, dull cleans, no sustain and pinched harmonics were all but impossible even at full gain. Terrible, terrible pickups. EDIT: The Emily The Strange G-310's have 700T/650R pickups. The regular G-310's have the craptastic open coil HBs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds_cool63 Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 Well...just got back from Guitar Center...where I practically live during lunch these days! Turns out they had the 400 selling for $329 - $399 in the store. I told the guy about the $299 online deal and he said that's what I'd get it for. So, I'm sure that would be the $329 model. So, I played the the 3 SG's (Special, 310 & 400) through a little Fender practice amp for a little bit longer today. Gotta admit...ALL of them sounded pretty good for my purposes, which is for home practice. I felt the 400's neck was just a tiny bit narrower as I was touching strings on either side when I did a simple C at the 1st fret, for example. That's the problem with my Squier Strat...too narrow. So, I guess I'll go with a Special or a 310. They're asking $169 & $249, respectively. If I get a Special, it has to be black, which is in stock. If I do the 310, it has to be white and will be ordered. Takes 5 day to get it. The way I figure it, I can't go wrong with either one. If my Strat doesn't sell, then I'm just gonna trade it in. So, my concern now is, will these guitars last for years or will they fall apart? Even though I want one just for practice, I keep guitars for a long time. I had the Strat 10 years and that's LEAST longest I've held onto a guitar! Of course it sat in it's case practically all of that time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 Well...just got back from Guitar Center...where I practically live during lunch these days! Turns out they had the 400 selling for $329 - $399 in the store. I told the guy about the $299 online deal and he said that's what I'd get it for. So' date=' I'm sure that would be the $329 model. So, I played the the 3 SG's (Special, 310 & 400) through a little Fender practice amp for a little bit longer today. Gotta admit...ALL of them sounded pretty good for my purposes, which is for home practice. I felt the 400's neck was just a tiny bit narrower as I was touching strings on either side when I did a simple C at the 1st fret, for example. That's the problem with my Squier Strat...too narrow. So, I guess I'll go with a Special or a 310. They're asking $169 & $249, respectively. If I get a Special, it has to be black, which is in stock. If I do the 310, it has to be white and will be ordered. Takes 5 day to get it. The way I figure it, I can't go wrong with either one. If my Strat doesn't sell, then I'm just gonna trade it in. So, my concern now is, will these guitars last for years or will they fall apart? Even though I want one just for practice, I keep guitars for a long time. I had the Strat 10 years and that's LEAST longest I've held onto a guitar! Of course it sat in it's case practically all of that time....[/quote'] Mine is a 1994 model and is still great. Whoever owned it before me took great care of it. And thats the key. Be good to it and it will last a long time. The bolt-on models dont have the same problems as the 400's with the headstock breaking, which is good. Dont have to worry too much about that. I'm really hard on my guitars, and so far its been holding up very well. The only thing that I really didnt like are the stock pickups. They are really bad. Now, keep in mind that the tuners on the Specials are different than the 310. The 310's tuners are die-cast and hold up much better. You might have issues with the tuners on the Specials. You also get more volume and tonal control with the 310s. Aside from that, they are pretty much the same guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds_cool63 Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 Now' date=' keep in mind that the tuners on the Specials are different than the 310. The 310's tuners are die-cast and hold up much better. You might have issues with the tuners on the Specials. You also get more volume and tonal control with the 310s. Aside from that, they are pretty much the same guitar.[/quote'] Cool...thanks. Oh, yeah...I bought a Les Paul clone back in '77 or '78 which I had until I gave it to my nephew back in '96. I kind of miss the 4 pots set up. So, it could be the 310 going home with me this weekend (well, I 'd have to order it since I'd want it in white). I've never had a white axe before. Hmmmmmm......! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearhead Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 Remember to check out all the used stuff, I found a used Epi Goth G400 at one of the local GC's for $169 a while back! About $100+ less than a shiny G-400. Not real flashy, but a set neck mahogany unit with Grover tuners! Sounded OK. Good luck! Post some pics of what you come up with! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds_cool63 Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 That's a good idea. But here's the thing: GC has a deal going on where they will buy your guitar and then take %15 off the new guitar. Since the guy who was gonna buy my Strat disappeared, I'm gonna bring it in with me to work. Then I'll head over there during lunch and wheel & deal. My 2000 Strat is MINT because I had it stored the last 10 years in it's case about a month after I got it. Hardly played. Well, I know I won't get much, but check this out: if I get $50 plus %15 off, a brand spanking new SG 310 will only cost $162...$7 less than an SG Special! That's not a bad deal at all. Let you all know how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k1221n Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 I've been looking at the epiphone sg's at guitar center for the past month and have to say I was impressed with the way the sg special played, the neck on the 400 was just to fat and didnt seem to play as smoothly, didnt get a chance to play the 310. Found a used special for $100 and put a deposit on it, have to wait 30 days to pick it up. My only concern with these guitars is the durability, I like to bang on my guitars when I play. But other than that I liked the playability and even the sound of the stock pickups. Hey' date='gang. I'm new to the forum and glad to be here. I'm not a new player, just haven't played in 21 years! Started in '72 or '73. Anyway, I'm looking for a good practice guitar, something that's just gonna stay home so I can work on my skills. I really like the wider necks on the SG's. So, it comes down to SG vs. SG-310. Any owner's out there wanna share their experience or opinions? Likes, dis-likes, sound, playability, etc...? Since this is gonna be just for practice, I'm not looking to spend a fortune. Appreciate any info! Thanks! [/quote'] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReneBoedker Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Are you sure about the PUPs being 700T/650R ? According to the official Epiphone Catalog (page 45 to be precise) it's 700T/650R. I know the webiste says "Open Coil Humbuckers", but isn't that just a humbucker without pickup cover? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Arcadius Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Welcome to the forum man, Just my 2 cents: I started 2 years ago on a SG Special and it took me a year or so to start thinking about a better instrument, with better electronics / wood etc. It's not that the Special / 310 will not last for a lot of years (mine does, and I don't take particular care of it). It's the fact that a better instrument will keep you satisfied for a longer period of time. Plus, if you do stick with guitar playing this time ( I really wish you do! ) an SG-400 is a guitar worth spending some more money on, to upgrade it. The other 2 are more depending on how you look at it... Anyway, good luck with what you finally decide. It's the guitar playing that matters, I hope that, whatever you go with, keeps you thrilled enough to keep practising night after night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds_cool63 Posted March 5, 2010 Author Share Posted March 5, 2010 Hey, everyone...thanks for all the responses and advice! Well, today I'll head over during lunch and see if any of the other stores has a white 310 in stock and could I get it by tomorrow. I don't know, the 400's neck just didn't seem a good fit for me. Oh...and this time I will stick with playing. I have the time to do it. Even bought some instructional stuff (it's been so long, I'm starting over from the beginning). Hey...even bought a wah-wah pedal. Hahahahha! Last stomp box I bought was in the late '70's or early '80's! I'll keep you all posted on how it goes at GC during lunch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 According to the official Epiphone Catalog (page 45 to be precise) it's 700T/650R. I know the webiste says "Open Coil Humbuckers"' date=' but isn't that just a humbucker without pickup cover?[/quote'] I guess that I figured they were different because they listed the Emily The Strange amd Express as 700T/650Rs, but the Specials and 310s as just "open coil". I dont know for sure. Maybe the Koreans dad different pickups in them back then, because they were really awful. Mine had the pickups with the clear bobbins on them. In another thread awhile back, someone was talking about that particular pickup and how bad they were. And they were bad. Maybe they started putting the 700/650s in them when they moved operations to China and cut some costs? You know, now that I think about it, mine were not open coils. Mine came stock with covered pickups and they only ran them that way for a couple of years. Possibly that run of 310's had different PUPs in them. If the new 310's have better pickups these days, then that can only be good. They are good little starter guitars and any build improvements can only make them better, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesman345 Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 I bought my son an SG Special. I liked it - it played and sounded somewhat reminiscent of my Gibby SG in the '70's. However, the CHEAP open coil pups wouldn't stay put, they kept on falling into the pup cavities. Oh well, one day it fell over and the neck broke We finally went in and bought a beautiful used Elite '61 Reissue SG for $600. It looked and played better than the Gibson Faded next to it, selling for $1000! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds_cool63 Posted March 5, 2010 Author Share Posted March 5, 2010 So, I went to Guitar Center for lunch today (like I normally do lately) and played the SG 310 & Special again. I even played the Epi Les Paul Special 2. It sounded horrible, but it was badly out of tune and needed a setup, I'm sure. Played a couple of Ibanez's, too. I just like those SG's! I wanted white (which has to be ordered), but black looks so cool. My last 2 guitars were black, so I have to think about it. Anyway, tomorrow I'm going to another GC which is about 10 miles or so away from my lunch time hangout. I just want to see what they have. I'll have my guitar with me so I can trade. Between the 2 locations, I should find exactly what I'm looking for. So, sometime tomorrow I wll be one happy dude with a new axe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deflepfan Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Fingers crossed for you! Sheila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest icantbuyafender Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 meh, the g400 has an awkward feel to me due to the fretboard sticky all the way outa the guitar.... specials and 310's have the fretboard set further into the body, which i like better cause of the feel. The G400 necks were also chunky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds_cool63 Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 Hey, gang! Well, I did it! I went down to GC and got an SG 310! Got rid of the ol' Squier Strat Standard. Get this: $249.99 - $70 trade - %15...paid $155! I got it in black (I didn't want to order the white and have to wait until next weekend to get it). I'll have pics up later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deflepfan Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Good for you! Will await the guitar porn! Sheila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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