Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

My SG Classic journey

heymisterk

By heymisterk
in Gibson USA

Recommended Posts

heymisterk

heymisterk

Posted
Posted

Hi All,

 

I will admit that I've been down on Gibson for some time. My first "real" electric guitar (I'm more of an acoustic guy who likes to have his Zeppelin/WHO/White Stripes and eat it too) was a 1995 Gibson SG Standard bought second-hand off of eBay.

After the initial thrill wore off and I got to know my guitar, a growing disappointment set in. I felt the stock 490 PUs were just dead weight. I know sound is so very subjective, but I just couldn't get that growl I was looking for. Sure, I could do a mean AC/DC, but I feel that might have been more Angustude than sound. I couldn't get past some sloppy build details, the cheap tuners, and the fact that it just didn't "feel" right.

Enter the Guild Bluesbird. With all due respect (I am, after all, on a Gibson forum), it blew it away, both in terms of sound and quality. True, it had the chambered body and SD SH1s that lent it a brightness that I loved and some others might not have, but I basically put away the SG in Ebay Heaven and never looked back. However, I did miss the SG's style and feel. So, I found my answer: a Guild S-100. I suppose Gibson purists will guffaw, but I was in love: handcrafted in Rhode Island, stock SD PUs, and Grover Rotomatics.

My second rock band (in my first, I played a gnarly Kramer Pacer) folded, and my acoustic guitar always beckoned. It just seemed like a lot less work to play acoustic than electric. (Plugging in, adjusting volume, tubes warming vs. forming a G chord and strumming.) Enter two talented attractive women who sang folk, and my song list of Sabbath and Foo Fighters was buried behind Dixie Chicks and Indigo Girls, and a new Larrivee became my ax.

So a couple of months ago, I'm watching the original Woodstock documentary for the 50th time. You know The WHO scene: Pete leaping into the air in photo stills as feedback filled the speakers, then launching into "See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me". At the end, he throws his guitar to the crowd.

So, I dig out my "Live at Leeds" CD with the "SuperSaver" sticker still on the wrapper and put it into my Prius CD player.

Now I've obviously heard this CD many times before, but the sound of those P-90s...well, it was as if a beautiful woman with ample bosom was beckoning to her cleavage. The sound was just unparalleled. Going back over some WHO DVDs, this SG Special (back then, the name) just looked so...comforting and comfortable...but ready to pounce. Very much like a loyal German Shepard.

I first tried to find a true "vintage" one, but found the cost just too prohibitive. But when I played a new SG Classic at Guitar Center, I became convinced that P-90s haven't changed a whole helluva lot since they were introduced in the '40s. They were still brilliant.

I found an '06 Classic on eBay from a guy who just "had to have" a Les Paul, which meant selling his Classic.

From the moment I unwrapped it and saw the mahogany grain and black P-90s, I knew that This Was It. When I got home, changed the strings, and plugged into my tube Mesa-Boogie, I nearly wept. When I swapped out the cheesy "Classic" truss rod cover with a blank one and the cheap-looking plastic button tuners with Grovers, I felt as if I had reached some sort of guitar apex. When I plugged in and played along with Metallica's "Seek and Destroy" and the Classic did just that, I felt I had to compose this love note.

So...for all of you SG people, you owe it to yourself to at least play an SG with the P-90s. It's a shame that the 90s have become more of a niche and 'buckers the norm.

But if you ever see those old WHO clips and Pete is absolutely going nuts with his SG, it's clear he Gets It.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
heymisterk

heymisterk

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Lous, that is an amazing guitar. Actually, when talking about vintage Gibson prices, the SG Specials are MUCH less expensive than a Les Paul from comparative years. In the future, I may buy one with the good 'ol broken headstock and/or input jack repair that has been professionally repaired, as that takes a tremendous amount off the price.

My guitar guy at the local guitar shop is also a big P-90 guy, and says that 'buckers are just too well behaved for his taste. He's right. After, say, a power chord, you certainly do get sustain from a humbucker, but it doesn't have that beautifully obnoxious "burble" that 90s have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lous1952

lous1952

Posted
Posted
Lous' date=' that is an amazing guitar. Actually, when talking about vintage Gibson prices, the SG Specials are MUCH less expensive than a Les Paul from comparative years. In the future, I may buy one with the good 'ol broken headstock and/or input jack repair that has been professionally repaired, as that takes a tremendous amount off the price.

My guitar guy at the local guitar shop is also a big P-90 guy, and says that 'buckers are just too well behaved for his taste. He's right. After, say, a power chord, you certainly do get sustain from a humbucker, but it doesn't have that beautifully obnoxious "burble" that 90s have.[/quote']

 

Mr. K-

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

That '68 Special has the original finish, all of the original hardware, and no breaks at all- even the original tuners.

 

A slab of mahogany and good P-90s are all that you need.

 

It's not a Gibson, and it's expensive, but this Hamer Monaco III is probably the most versatile P-90 equipped guitar that I've ever played.

 

It's one of the best guitars that I've ever played in 42 years.

 

It's got 3 custom wound Seymour Duncan P-90s, and it's beyond fantastic.

 

If you ever get a chance to play one, it's everything that you could want in P-90s.

 

DCP_2180.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
heymisterk

heymisterk

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Lous, that's a great-looking guitar. Before I bought the Classic and was snooping around for P-90 equipped pieces, Hamer also makes (made) a Special with two P-90s. I guess they made them in the mid-90s. They looked great, especially the TV Yellow one I saw. Because I love the Guild Bluesbird so much, they used to make the Blues 90, which is equipped with the 90s. That will probably be my next guitar. If only I didn't have a house to pay for... :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
VA_siCkBoy

VA_siCkBoy

Posted
Posted

I love my Classic also but one of my tuning machines is screwed up. The back cover keeps popping off. I've crimped it back twice and it still keeps coming loose. I'm trying to keep the original tuners on the guitar. Does anyone know where I can get one replacement tuner to match the others?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lous1952

lous1952

Posted
Posted
I have a 67 but the tuners have been changed for Grovers. What should the originals look like and does anyone know where I can get a set.

 

I'll post a pick' date=' when I chrage up the camera.[/quote']

 

Is it a Custom, Standard, Special, or Junior?

 

It makes a difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Anorak

Anorak

Posted
Posted

Hi Lous

 

It' a special. I've been trying to get an image on here, but haven't managed it yet (How do you do that BTW)

 

It looks pretty much the same as Plank spankers, but with a trem, but with gouges and crack in the varnish and with less of a red finish and more pronounced woodgrain. It has two strips of three grovers, but I'd like to fit the proper tuners if poss.

 

Actually, I've just scrolled up and seen yours special which is identical to mine, but your looks in better condition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lous1952

lous1952

Posted
Posted

Hi Anorak-

 

You have to host the photos at a site like photobucket.com, or any other image hosting site.

 

You will then upload pictures to the site.

 

You can then copy the image codes from the site and paste them into a message here, or most any other forum or e-mail.

 

Anyway- do your tuners look like this- these are what mine look like:

 

ShowLetter2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Anorak

Anorak

Posted
Posted

GJ I'll have to look into the photobucket thing then, thanks.

 

Lous, mine are nothing like that, but now I know what to look for I'll try and track some down. Luckily, i think the original tuners will cover up most of the holes from the strips of grovers.

 

I must say your guitar is in remarkable condition for an oldie. The varnish on mine as crazed all over, but yours looks mint. Funny, I'm really into worn-out looking fenders, but I prefer Gibsons to look as pristine as possible.

 

I've had mine for 20+ years and love the sound through my JCM800. You can get a sound that's pretty heavy, fat and very raunchy, but I tend to back off the overdrive using the guitar's volume and find that you can get some lovely warm bluesey tones from it. The lead pup is fine, but the bass or middle positions are my faves. I could never understand why anyone would go to the bother of building a whole guitar, then only put one pick-up on it. If you hold the tremelo in your hand whilst finger-picking, you get a very subtle vibrato effect but the range of the trem is limited.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lous1952

lous1952

Posted
Posted

Anorak-

 

Your tuners may have been 3 on a strip Klusons.

 

Specials and Juniors got whatever tuners were available at any given time.

 

You may have to remove your Grovers to determine exactly what you had.

 

If you see no evidence of individual tuners, then you had 3 on a strip Klusons, with either metal or plastic buttons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...