vanessa Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Just bought the Epiphone SG 400 Custom ! Here it is, next to my 3 year old Les Paul Standard. I 've been curious about this 3 humbucker guitar for a while and wondering how it would fare with the Epiphone Les Paul Standard soundwise . Well... after playing around with it on the Roland Cube 60 for a couple of days , I certainly feel being let down ! Its sounds shallow and a bit twangy to my ears compared to the Les Paul at identical settings on the Cube ! The thinner wood of the SG 400 certainly plays a role in this discrepancy . For the time being, I am playing the SG 400 a lot more as a relief for the Les Paul Standard which is suffering some advanced fret worn-out due to my intensive rhythm play using open chords !! I wonder if anyone has similar experience with the SC 400 Custom ? Please comment . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 My buddy and band mate, just bought one of those G-400 Customs. He LOVES it...he's been playing a '68 Gibson LP Custom...since '68! He loves the weight differences, obviously, but loves the tone, he's getting, too! (He uses a Vox AC-30 with boost). SG's do tend to sound a bit "thinner," than a Les Paul...but, not so much you can't compensate, with the amp settings, or the addition, of just an EQ pedal. Amp adjustments, may be enough. If not, a good EQ pedal can help, a lot! May just depend too, and your own expectations, and/or tone requirements. But, it's a great guitar, no doubt. Keep at it, there's lots of possibilities, there. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanH Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Hi Vanessa, I love LPs and SGs. There's no doubt that a good LP has a nice fat, creamy tone with lots of sustain. What the SG has going for it is the combination of great resonance and sustain and lots of snappy attack. The great SG players make full use of this - it's a fantastic guitar to play aggressively (not necessarily physically but in style and amp settings). IMO, they are a great guitar for blues and hard rock, both of which can benefit from a guitar that screams. Apart from not being used to the difference I can think of a couple of other reasons why you may not be as satisfied as you'd like: 1. The thick poly finish may (not sure if there's proof) deaden the resonance a little. If so, you may be better off with a faded SG. In fact, you could get a Gibson SG faded (with a thin nitro rather than poly finish) for not much more than price of your Custom - mine has an amazing unplugged tone and fab pickups. 2. You may just have a bad egg. Wood is a natural product and you may just not have a piece which rings out nice and clear. Can you return the guitar within a certain number of days if you can't get on with it? You could always then go and hunt out the SG for you. Please don't be put off by SGs altogether. They rock! Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskank Sally Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Just bought the Epiphone SG 400 Custom ! Here it is' date=' next to my 3 year old Les Paul Standard. [img']http://i38.tinypic.com/33pasfb.jpg[/img] I 've been curious about this 3 humbucker guitar for a while and wondering how it would fare with the Epiphone Les Paul Standard soundwise . Well... after playing around with it on the Roland Cube 60 for a couple of days , I certainly feel being let down ! Its sounds shallow and a bit twangy to my ears compared to the Les Paul at identical settings on the Cube ! The thinner wood of the SG 400 certainly plays a role in this discrepancy . For the time being, I am playing the SG 400 a lot more as a relief for the Les Paul Standard which is suffering some advanced fret worn-out due to my intensive rhythm play using open chords !! I wonder if anyone has similar experience with the SC 400 Custom ? Please comment . You may like it better if you turn that middle pickup down and readjust your volumes on the 'treble' and 'rhythm' - I owned one of these for a while -ended up putting an SH-6 Mayhem set in and putting the Epi Bridge pickup in the neck (Why? It's 13.5 would match the hot vibe of the SH-6's..it worked out pretty good!) where essentially it gained a different sound. The 3 pickup config was then modded to 'Black Beauty Mod' which I should've left that way. My decision to sell it came after I had it rewired to factory spec. Bad move. I shouldn't have 'fixed' it because it really thinned out the sound but I just liked the way the controls worked originally. Maybe some hot pickups and a 'Black Beauty Mod' would suit you for the Custom. Definitely a nice playing guitar no doubt at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanessa Posted August 9, 2010 Author Share Posted August 9, 2010 _Thanks Charlie Brown, AlanH & Gas Jones for your kind & most interesting comments & encouragements ! I doubt that I would return the guitar ! I'll keep fiddling around with those control knobs & the Roland CUBE and see what other sounds & tones I can squeeze out of the SG 400 :-) . The lighter weight of the SG really helps my shoulder & back while I play standing up for some extened period of time ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilshire Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Quote from another thread: Wilshire wrote: I think what alot of people don't realize is that the magnetic field from pickups actually dampen the strings vibrations. The bigger the pickup - the bigger the magnets - the greater the deadening affect. That's why I prefer mini-humbuckers, me and effin Johnny Winter! My amps got plenty-o-gain to make up any difference in output level. ----------- Well said, my two favorite pickups are minis & P-90s. I'm glad they finally reissued the Wilshire with the proper pups. _______ jerrymac That's a nice guitar but more and bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. I own several guitars including a 2 pickup G-400 and LPs with standard size humbucker pickups. None of them sing like the reissue 66 Wilshire with mini-humbuckers. If you end up getting one you may have problems with the wiring because the Indonesian soldering workmanship sucks - but that's labor only fix. If you have a music store nearby that has a 66 Wilshire, take the new G-400 down and do a comparison. Prove it to yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrosrock Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 If you would like a 3 humbucker guitar why have you bought an SG? SG is all about bridge pickup imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskank Sally Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 If you would like a 3 humbucker guitar why have you bought an SG? SG is all about bridge pickup imo. It's possible stuff in your avatar may be rubbing off on more than just you....I think I feel it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I reckon you guys are just messing with my already messed up head[angry] One of those babies (albeit that I am being a bit fussy) is already on my Lust list , but I just keep missing my chances[crying] I also reckon ('cause I do a lot of reckonin') that they are sweeeeet geets:-" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixfootepi Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I bought one of these used and quickly returned it – had a few problems I didn't want to deal with. I thought the sound was pretty thick coming through a Fender DeVille 4x10. But it wasn't particularly inspiring and of course, a little muddy with distorted tones. Had it been in better shape, I imagine an upgrade to the bridge pickup would've made it more enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 _Thanks Charlie Brown' date=' AlanH & Gas Jones for your kind & most interesting comments & encouragements ! I doubt that I would return the guitar ! I'll keep fiddling around with those control knobs & the Roland CUBE and see what other sounds & tones I can squeeze out of the SG 400 :-) . The lighter weight of the SG really helps my shoulder & back while I play standing up for some extened period of time ! [/quote'] You're welcome, Vanessa. I think, with a bit of experimentation, you'll find some decent, even "great" tones! They're sharp looking guitars! And, as I mentioned previously, my buddy really loves his, and he's "picky!" So, have fun experimenting, and let us know, how it goes. ;>) CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 My daughter's boyfriend recently played my 08 Epi G 400 Custom and liked it way more than his '00 Gibson SG, he said that the pups were hotter,the neck was better and the overall tone was far superior,of course that came as no surprise to me,this little demon sounds brutal through my JCM 800s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanessa Posted August 10, 2010 Author Share Posted August 10, 2010 bonzoboy: Wow ! JCM 800 100W power ?? I wonder if this Amp has special effect options ? On the Roland CUBE-60 , if I turn off the special effects, it sounds awful to my ears . But again, I am into soft rock for now .. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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