cjlandry Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 My daughter loves noodling around with my guitars, but they're just too big for her. I noticed that Epiphone has released an SG Express. I'm hoping this may be the right size for her. Is the body significantly smaller than the original SG size? I really don't want to stick her with some "Hannah Montana" crap. She is a tiny one: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Cjlandry, Cute little princess you got there. Sorry, but I don't have any first hand experience with the SG express. What I can tell you is that my grandson wanted to start guitar a couple of years ago. (he was 7 at the time) I bought him a 3/4 size Squire Strat for $100 new. I also purchased a gig bag for it. I think it was in the $30-$40 range. So, the SG Express seems to be in about the same price range. The ones I have seen online at M.F. come with a gig bag for about $150. (Plus they have free shipping right now!) I don't know if all the dealers out there include the gig bag. The reviews on the Express seem positive. (as much as I would expect for a mini or starter guitar) The tuners seem as they might be a little better than was on the Squire. (They list them as die cast) There are some members here that work in guitar shops. Maybe one of them will be able to give you better information. You could also call M.F's 800#....Tell them you are thinking of buying one and ask them to give you the measurements. They can be fairly cooperative when it comes to a sale. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 I dont know much about the Express either, but one thing I can tell you that the Express has over a mini is intonation. A big problem with minis is that it is hard to intonate open chords and barre chords together. If one is on, the other is off. I've heard that going up to 11's helps solve this problem, but now we are talkin about a little girl and big strings. The Express is full scale with a full sized neck and shouldnt have this problem. I'm pretty sure the only thing small on an Express is the body. The pickups are full size as well, so if you compare pics of an Express to a G400, you can kind of get an idea of the size difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjlandry Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 Thanks, guys. I didn't even think about the scale length and intonation. My Traveler Speedster has a full 24.75" scale, and it plays fine. Perhaps I should let her pick on it for a while, just to see how her hands handle the neck without the huge body in the way. I appreciate the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrymac Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Thanks, guys. I didn't even think about the scale length and intonation. My Traveler Speedster has a full 24.75" scale, and it plays fine. Perhaps I should let her pick on it for a while, just to see how her hands handle the neck without the huge body in the way. I appreciate the input! I don't know about the express, but how about the Squier Duo Sonic??? Small body, 24" scale: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_edward Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 +1 on the squire Duo Sonic, we had one - my son bought it on a whim and we did sell it, but it was a very nice player. It's perfect for your daughter - light, smooth edges, thin neck, short scale... most importantly after a few years you can do a few mods (nut, tuners and all electrics) and it'll be good for life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjlandry Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 There's a thought. I never even look at Squier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjael Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 They are really fun little guitars, I've been looking at getting one... And unlike the PeeWee/VeeWee, they aren't just toys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 They are really fun little guitars, I've been looking at getting one... And unlike the PeeWee/VeeWee, they aren't just toys. Nice pic Sjael! I looked for something like that, but couldnt find anything. My Google-foo is weak today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjael Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 Nice pic Sjael! I looked for something like that, but couldnt find anything. My Google-foo is weak today. No google-fu necessary; I simply remembered there being comparison images on the press site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjlandry Posted September 23, 2010 Author Share Posted September 23, 2010 I'm gonna try to make it to Sound Vibrations today to see if they have any in stock. If not, I guess I can truck on over to GC (sigh). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReneBoedker Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 The Express is full scale with a full sized neck and shouldnt have this problem. I'm pretty sure the only thing small on an Express is the body. Yes, the neck of the Express has the basic dimensions, but it has been moved closer to the bridge so the scale length is 22" instead of the standard 24.75". See page 21 in the 2010 catalogue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrymac Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 Yes, the neck of the Express has the basic dimensions, but it has been moved closer to the bridge so the scale length is 22" instead of the standard 24.75". See page 21 in the 2010 catalogue That's misleading tech speak. By definition, the scale length is the distance from the nut to the bridge and the 12th fret is the half way point. You just can't move a 24.75" neck closer to the bridge and make it shorter scale!!! The distance from the nut to the 12th fret would still be 12.375", but the distance from the 12th fret to the bridge would only be 9.625". Every fret would be off, causing every note you play to be out of tune. You can change the distance from the heel of the neck to the bridge by altering the neck pocket or changing the number of frets, but the nut to the bridge has to remain constant. Looking at the photo Sjael posted, it's obvious that the Express has a shorter neck (I assume the photo shows them in proper scale to each other). The nut width and profile might be the same as the full scale neck, and I think that's what the catalog is referring to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 Looking at the photo Sjael posted, it's obvious that the Express has a shorter neck (I assume the photo shows them in proper scale to each other). The nut width and profile might be the same as the full scale neck, and I think that's what the catalog is referring to. Compared to the G400, absolutely. I assumed it was the same neck as a Special, but I guess not. My bad. So does this mean that the frets are actually slightly closer together than a typical Special II neck due to the shorter scale length? Still, It has to intonate better that a mini. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midiman56 Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 Sorry to be so late with this ... been a busy week! We did get the Les Paul and the SG Express along with the Explorer GT in at the store. We also carry mini's made by Squire and Ibanaez. I will tell you that the Epi's are much nicer guitars than the other two. They are also more expensive (by a few bucks) but sound much better and unlike the others ... STAY IN TUNE! Whe people bring their kids into the store to buy them a guitar, I will generally do anything I can to make a full-size guitar work for them. The mini's (up until these Express models) were just so terrible that I felt they might actually discourage a kid from learning to play! These Epiphones are solid little guitars though and I have no issue with recommending them Hope this helps! By the way, your daughter is adorable ... it's great that she's showing such an interest! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animalfarm Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 #1. Sjael - excellent memory. That pic is perfect for side by side comparison. After initially viewing thread and reading specs and reviews by FULL-GROWN folks, I wasn't convinced that the git was "small enough" for CJ's daughter. NOW, I'm thinkin it is... #2. CJ - Totally a BIG Thumbs Up from me on your daughter wanting to learn to play!!! I've been teaching a co-worker's 13 yr old daughter to play. Her dad had been given a firewood-worthy strat copy and 10W amp free, but the git had so many problems, that I broke down and bought a guitar for her myself on the condition that if she ever QUIT, the git was MINE again. I'm still waiting to get it back (GOOD). I told her I was going to teach her to play the pants off the boy git players she either currently knew or would eventually meet - it was going to be her "Secret Weapon"! She can currenty hold her own on playing 8 bar blues rhythm in A (while I play lead), and can play the 1st major pentationic scale - I'm working on getting her to try some note bending, and trying "triplets" just for finger practice. She does know 7 or 8 of the basic open chords, and has a couple of song books. She wanted a PINK guitar, so I found an SX "Callisto" Les Paul for $99 from Rondo Music. After it arrived and I set it up, I wanted to keep it - I was dumbfounded by the QUALITY of the $99 guitar. And of course, you can't get the $99 price anymore. I believe current pricing is around $149. Tell your daughter the "guys" on the forum are saying "GO FOR IT!!!!" Then show her this vid just for fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMejjSWStaw&feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milnthorpe31584 Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 The only flaw I can see is the bridge. It is a bugger to re-string and I have tried everything I could think of to re-string without kinking the string but failed, other than that i looks like a decent little starter guitar. Tell her good luck and rock on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjael Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 The only flaw I can see is the bridge. It is a bugger to re-string and I have tried everything I could think of to re-string without kinking the string but failed, other than that i looks like a decent little starter guitar. Tell her good luck and rock on! Interesting, I would have thought it was a fairly standard fender-esque string-through dealio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milnthorpe31584 Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 Interesting, I would have thought it was a fairly standard fender-esque string-through dealio. Yeah it is but the bridge was slightly offset and trying to bring the strings through always used to kink em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjlandry Posted September 24, 2010 Author Share Posted September 24, 2010 Sorry to be so late with this ... been a busy week! We did get the Les Paul and the SG Express along with the Explorer GT in at the store. We also carry mini's made by Squire and Ibanaez. I will tell you that the Epi's are much nicer guitars than the other two. They are also more expensive (by a few bucks) but sound much better and unlike the others ... STAY IN TUNE! Whe people bring their kids into the store to buy them a guitar, I will generally do anything I can to make a full-size guitar work for them. The mini's (up until these Express models) were just so terrible that I felt they might actually discourage a kid from learning to play! These Epiphones are solid little guitars though and I have no issue with recommending them Hope this helps! By the way, your daughter is adorable ... it's great that she's showing such an interest! Jim Thanks, Jim! I appreciate the input. #1. Sjael - excellent memory. That pic is perfect for side by side comparison. After initially viewing thread and reading specs and reviews by FULL-GROWN folks, I wasn't convinced that the git was "small enough" for CJ's daughter. NOW, I'm thinkin it is... #2. CJ - Totally a BIG Thumbs Up from me on your daughter wanting to learn to play!!! Tell your daughter the "guys" on the forum are saying "GO FOR IT!!!!" Then show her this vid just for fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMejjSWStaw&feature=related Thanks, animalfarm! I go pick her up from gymnastics in an hour. I'll show this to her then. I went to Sound Vibrations and Guitar Center today, and neither had the Express models. SV probably won't get any, and GC said they haven't seen them yet. I leave for a month in Italy on Monday, so I went ahead and got her a black Squier mini-Strat, just to get her by. I tuned it, played it, and found it was acceptable. They then sold me one in a box. I brought it home, took it out of the box, and it was horrible. I returned it for the demo guitar that I'd played. I've since changed the strings and broke 'em in. She doesn't even know she's getting this, yet. I figure when I get back from Italy, just in time for Halloween, I'll order one of the SG Express guitars from one of the online retailers. I'm sure it will be a much better instrument, but this one will do in the meantime. If I like it enough, I'll probably pick up either another one, or a Les Paul Express, to have something better for when I travel. The Traveler Speedster is great, but I'd much rather have a guitar with a body and headstock, rather than a board with a pickup. Thanks for all the excellent posts on this subject. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniak Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 Funny coincidence,I was just looking at one of these little SG's in my local Music shop last nite.They seem to be darn fine little instruments,,very well put together and reasonably priced.ANd they are just friggin cool lookin ,,i almost want one for myself (i love Sg's)I say go for it!!! MY Noisemakers: Epiphone 2008 Sg Custom Prophecy GX Epiphone 2003 Korina G-400 Sg Epiphone 1998 Korina Explorer Epiphone 1998 Korina Flying V BC Rich 1981 Maple Mockingbird Handmade Ibanez 2010 ART100-VLS Ibanez 1977 Les Paul Ibanez 1976 Stratocaster Gibson 1968 Les Paul Custom Charvel Fretless Bass Washburn Lyon P bass Guild Madiera P-600 Jumbo Acoustic Applause A-25 Acoustic Chuan Yin Marina Mark 20SS classical Carlo Robelli 5 string Banjo Carlo Robelli Electric Violin Kay Electric Mandolin Lignatone Mandolin Midiman Radium Keyboard 2 Marshall JTM-612 60 watt 1 12 Combos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReneBoedker Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 That's misleading tech speak. By definition, the scale length is the distance from the nut to the bridge and the 12th fret is the half way point. You just can't move a 24.75" neck closer to the bridge and make it shorter scale!!! The distance from the nut to the 12th fret would still be 12.375", but the distance from the 12th fret to the bridge would only be 9.625". Every fret would be off, causing every note you play to be out of tune. Thanks for correcting me. After your explanation, I realize that I jumped to the conclusion yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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