Reventon11 Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 What are the differences in sound between the Standard: Flying V, Firebird and Explorer? I'm Choosing which gibson to buy, i dont like Les Pauls and i was considering a SG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I can speak about the SG and Firebird from your list.... Maybe listen to great players to form an opinion.... The Firebird is unique because of it's mini H/B's...... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PP_CS336 Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I'm a recent convert from Les Paul to the SG. I'm really liking the latter for it's lightness, but great sound, and the easy access to the higher frets. The Les Paul always made that hard (I have small hands and fingers). The SG looks cool, too! I've never tried a Flying V, Firebird or Explorer before; so those I can't comment on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Choose one that you actually have your hands on. Make sure that there is no burg jerky, and that the fretboard is not falling off. That's my experience - hope it works out better for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpo Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 What are the differences in sound between the Standard: Flying V, Firebird and Explorer? I'm Choosing which gibson to buy, i dont like Les Pauls and i was considering a SG. Get a Gibson Explorer Pro (if you can find one). Why? Bad Arse Rocker with hot pickups. 10% smaller than regular Explorer. Slim fast neck. Balanced, neck won't ride down on you!!! And unlike a V you can play it easily sitting down:-) Whatever you buy, enjoy it! Oh and really, if you want to hear sound differences go onto youtube for that, not a written forum:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ne14t? Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Get a Gibson Explorer Pro (if you can find one). Why? Bad Arse Rocker with hot pickups. 10% smaller than regular Explorer. Slim fast neck. Balanced, neck won't ride down on you!!! And unlike a V you can play it easily sitting down:-) Whatever you buy, enjoy it! Oh and really, if you want to hear sound differences go onto youtube for that, not a written forum:-) I could agree with this 100% I was going to state Explorer because of my own preference for them. But I am like 6'2" and I still find awkward positions to have my Explorer in, making it feel weird to play sometimes, but I still love it to death. As mentioned you can play it sitting down, I really like the looks of the Flying V but when I tried playing one it was bulky and awkward to play with unless you were standing up. The access to the upper frets on the Explorer or V are unrivaled, very nice feature if you get into the music with high trills and fancy pants shredding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rokkstar 2210 Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Get a Firebird...If you don't end up loving the mini humbuckers(i doubt you'll ever hate them), you can just put in some P-94s and bring the house down.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 And unlike a V you can play it easily sitting down:-) Whatever you buy, enjoy it! The V is very easy to play sitting down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I tend to agree mostly with Riverside on this. Sound-wise, you may hear more variations of different sorts of sound from "sg" shaped guitars equipped with variations of pickups than among similarly equipped guitars (pickups, etc.) of different shapes. I personally can't imagine playing a V, mostly 'cuz even when I was playing in a rock band I liked to practice sitting down. Some guys figure the V works. I don't. Explorer type shapes look okay to me, but as with the firebird, I don't particularly care for that much extra board off to the sides of the strings. The SG... so many, many variations and sub-variations. That's where Riverside's comment about trying guitars comes in. Every neck is different. Every set of pickups will respond somewhat differently to different electronics setups between the guitar and an audience's ears. Personally the feel of a given guitar and its neck is my priority. My only solid body is an SG type that I consider an exceptional instrument for almost any style of music that's appropriate for an electric guitar. I love the feel of it and I love the neck. Your mileage may vary. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ne14t? Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 The V is very easy to play sitting down. I find it uncomfortable, feels too big or something, hard to put my finger on. Whats your secret? (probably none :P) cause I really love the shape of the V but always felt awkward with one unless standing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 What are the differences in sound between the Standard: Flying V, Firebird and Explorer?I'm Choosing which gibson to buy, i dont like Les Pauls and i was considering a SG. Sounds like you need to visit some shops and invest some time in playing these instruments so you can make a decision based on your personal experience with them - the feel, the comfort level, the playability and the sound/tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Play them all. After you decide which model you like the best, buy it used. You will easily have more than enough extra money to buy a very cool amp, or kick that $500-$1000++ to your slush fund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 One reason I tend to be a "playability" guy 'stedda a "tone" guy is that I've never played the same guitar with the same equipment in different places and felt that it sounded the same. Even if you buy guitar, effects and amp, and play the heck out of it in a guitar store, it'll never quite sound the same elsewhere. On the other hand, it'll play pretty close to the same... m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Get a Firebird...If you don't end up loving the mini humbuckers(i doubt you'll ever hate them), you can just put in some P-94s and bring the house down.. You might prefer an SG if you want a " Standard or Regular " tone....If you want an amazing guitar with unique tone, I'm with Rokkstar here....Get a firebird...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Points well made about what sound one might get with a particular guitar/rig Ambient acoustics and volume play a large part in achieving tone The only real test is to play 'for real' Borrowing or hiring before buying is sometimes possible.... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 As a few people have already said go play as many of those guitars as you can find and one of them will be the one.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Sounds like you need to visit some shops and invest some time in playing these instruments so you can make a decision based on your personal experience with them - the feel, the comfort level, the playability and the sound/tone. 100%........best advice yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
This_Dying_Soul Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 They all sound great to me, I'd be happy with any of them but would have to say check out as many variations of the SG as you can find. They're a versatile guitar with a distinctive tone. I have an SG Special and I love it. On the other hand, keep in mind what's comfortable for you. SG's tend to have thinner necks, and while that suits me fine because I have small hands, some people like a more substantial neck. My Les Paul has a 60's neck profile but I find it's still bigger than the SG and is taking some getting used to, but at the same time it still plays like a dream. The explorer and V are great for rock and metal tones. The V was also used by Albert King for blues to great effect. A trick I've often used with sitting with a V is to put the lower fin so it's going under the thigh. basically so the space between the 2 fins and is against one leg and the side of the guitar is against the other thigh. Some still find this difficult, but it helps. as for the Firebird... like the SG it's got a distinctive tone. Check out Johnny Winter for an example, he used firebirds most of the time. Ultimately it's going to be a matter of what's more important to you, comfort, playability or tone. Like the others have said he only real way of knowing which is best for you is to find as many of them as possible and play them yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SG FAN Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 There's nothing "regular" about SG tone. I'm with Milo on this one, IMO, the SG is the most versatile Gibson guitar there is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geff Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I am biased and have not got a lot of experience but I would say you cant really go wrong with an SG as your starting point for comparisons. The shape is a great all-rounder for playing stood up or sat down. Prices are generally a little less than other styles and there are plenty out there to choose from. There are a lot of variations in pickups that have been produced although your two main options are P90 or Humbucker. Just remember all humbuckers are not the same. For what its worth, I prefer the bound fretboards to the unbound ones you will find on the specials. Worth the extra dollars in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
This_Dying_Soul Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I am biased and have not got a lot of experience but I would say you cant really go wrong with an SG as your starting point for comparisons. The shape is a great all-rounder for playing stood up or sat down. Prices are generally a little less than other styles and there are plenty out there to choose from. There are a lot of variations in pickups that have been produced although your two main options are P90 or Humbucker. Just remember all humbuckers are not the same. For what its worth, I prefer the bound fretboards to the unbound ones you will find on the specials. Worth the extra dollars in my opinion. I will say that while I love my SG Special, I sometimes wish I'd spent the extra $500 to get an SG Standard. I think over time the Standard will hold it's value better and the pickups and hardware are different. While the main differences are mostly cosmetic, they do affect the tone to some extent also. For example, my SG is the Special Faded. The Standard has a thicker laquer finish... I think it's 32 coats as opposed to 3 or 4 or something like that. I find this seems to give slightly tighter bass response and the guitar should be less affected by humidity. The way I view the Specials is this, if you want a quality guitar for every day use that won't break the bank, you won't find anything better for the price. If you find yourself playing gigs where you are afraid your more valuable instruments may get stolen or damaged; like in a bar with a rep for having a rough crowd, or crazy parties and stuff; the Special is a decent alternative that can easily be replaced if something happens to it because they're very common and don't cost much compared to most other Gibsons. This way you can save the more valuable guitars for the gigs where there is less risk of something bad happening to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rokkstar 2210 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 You might prefer an SG if you want a " Standard or Regular " tone....If you want an amazing guitar with unique tone, I'm with Rokkstar here....Get a firebird...... Cheers mate!! and yeah, my name's Vignesh (I know it's a bit difficult to pronounce..its Vig-nesh...like 2 words together) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 RE: Appearance... 1. I'm an SG guy when it comes to solidbodies. 2. "Bling" is fine, and may add to trade-in or sale value of a guitar at some point, but I guess in ways I passed the point of valuing bling to the point that it's part of a buying decision. 3. Every neck is different; every guitar feels different; every guitar will sound different through various amp/electronics combinations. So... again, my perspective is playability. If a guitar is relatively "cheap" looking but seems somehow to play itself ... super. If the more expensive one is the more playable (with one's eyes closed), then you gotta figure out how.... m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 I've been playing bass for a good while, and I backed sooooo many great guitar players. The majority of the better players used an SG of some type. That great tone, and a full power sound if want or need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmnc Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 I find the Firebird to have a very versatile tone, and imo kinda sound like Gibson thickness meeting Fender brightness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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