btoth76 Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Hello! I would choose any Les Paul over any SG, but that's just my obsession with LPs. SGs are very nice guitars - no Gibson collection is complete without one, but for me they are too bright sounding guitars. It takes lots of wood to have that thick, mellow sound I like in Les Pauls. Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bongoscot Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I like them both but I have owned neither yet. I would love to have them both but I can only afford 1 and I am saving for a Les Paul. The Les Paul is just the guitar I have always wanted. I love the tone, I love the weight, the look is pure sexy, it is everything I love about an electric guitar. I do really like the look of the SG in the pearl white color though. I dont think you could go wrong with either. Some of my favorite guitar players play SG and they do sound great, but its Les Paul for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 A very interesting post... Of almost religious import to many players/collectors... My first quality electric was an SG in the 70's...a great working tool with accessible sounds, good looks, reliability etc For some reason I've had little temptation for a full-blown Les Paul, although acknowledging the high profile users in the league of Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Paul Kossoff, Pete Townsend, Peter Frampton et many al... Nowadays the Les Paul is a many nuanced product with something for everyone...at a price... And via players like Slash, has become a bench mark for many tone searchers...particularly(IMO) the heavier Marshall-esque players Including the LP Junior in the discussion adds an extra dimension...a somewhat different proposition Much lighter weight...often wearing a cheeky grin...yet with many aficionados(including moi)...an often under-rated guitar In the UK the luthier Gordon Smith has built a well respected business specialising in many variations on the LP Junior theme And also SG's in various configurations... As ever...So much temptation...So little time... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiz Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I like SG's because they're lighter, and I like the thinner body. I think the highest percentage of my personal 'guitar heroes' played SG's. One of my dream guitars would be a 70's SG Standard in a sunburst color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevoz Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I got Gibson and Epi SGs and LPs and I've got to say they are all great guitars in their own right. It just depends on what type of music/sound you want to play. As much as I love my Gibson Les Paul (my all-time favourite) I have to say that a Gibson SG is hard to beat. i find the SG a lot more comfortable to play, particularly when sitting down. I find it easier to bend the strings on the SG too. I wonder if the Custom models sound much better than the standards? There are a lot of things that can impact on how a guitar sounds, including type and quality of amp, gauge of strings, set up of the guitar, and effects. if you haven't got the right combination, it will be hard to get the right sound regardless of the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPguitarman Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Les Paul: Looks, sound, feel. SG's are ok, but it just doesn't do it for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I used to hate SG's. Didn't like the look of them and they just felt like they were going to fall apart to me. But my locale Guitar Center kept this SG special sitting by the stomp boxes so you could try out the pedals. I played it many time just because it was there. Not because I liked it. But as time went one I started to notice how well it played. Eventually the store marked it down to $450 so I bought it. Since then it's had some work done to better fit my needs. I still don;t like 90% of the SGs I play at the store but this one is just me. It has become my main guitar these days. Here's my pimping the SG. Oh... that those two videos were both filmed in the same room. Sort of a before and after for the room and the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 As an old guy ... <chortle> Angus who? <bigger chortle> Seriously, I've never owned, nor have I cared to own an LP. Just never felt right. It's not the weight. I played an old hollow/semi Gibbie version some years ago and it didn't feel right either even though it was feather-light. I don't understand criticism of the SG as too trebly. I'd suggest that's a matter of setup although one is quite likely to get a bit more sustain out of some LP versions. Never had a problem with neck dive, although some brands/versions of the SG would have it more or less depending on the particular materials and design and the strap you use. My current, and only remaining solidbody is functionally an SG. It's an early '70s Guild S100c. It's played almost everything you can do on an electric guitar wearing 8-38s on a very low action. Fat jazz chords for Misty are almost as thick, just not as woody, as on the semi or such as the 175. Turn things around and mess with the amp and... it works fine for an almost glass-breaking treble country lead. Honestly, I figure the SG "type" is the high point of solidbody guitar design. Without copying the others, from Tele to LP to Strat to Vs and whatever, it can conceptually emulate them all and - if you wish, take a step into the domain of the semi and thin hollow. So... A mahogany HB SG, a 335, a 175 to me pretty well cover what I figure are the perfect trio of six-strings. Of course, none of us are likely to be satisfied with just that stable, so... <grin> m EDIT: BTW, I wouldn't swap the old Guild - original case, too, and tags - for a new 175. That might could suggest something about how I view it's feel and versatility. I've seen various pricing on them that is well upward from $1,500 in far poorer shape. HenryJ might talk me into the swap but not much of anyone else. Even then, I'd have to go look for another SG type to have an nice versatile solidbody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky349 Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 GOT 'EM BOTH,LIKE THE SG MORE, SG'S ARE EASIER TO REACH THE HIGHER NOTES ON THE SOLO STRINGS, THE SG DIABLO WITH TREM DOES A LITTLE NOSE DIVING BUT I CAN'T SAY THE SAME FOR MY EARLY 60'S SG/MAESTRO VIBROLA, I THINK ALL THAT HARDWARE AT THE REAR BALANCES OUT THE OLD SG, GOT PICTURES OF THEM BOTH SOMEWHERE ON A FORUM HERE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenderGuy1 Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I reckon the SG is the best of the two IMHO I just prefer their sound over an LP, Now dont get gear-snobby over me, but I prefer SGs mainly because Aussie guitarist Angus Young from AC/DC played one :) I actually prefer the older SGs too, because they're lightweight, not to trebly and are really good at AC/DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzy Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 @ Searcy Aww...was that video of the slide in open E for moi? I like how you pimped your SG, man. Very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 @ Searcy Aww...was that video of the slide in open E for moi? I like how you pimped your SG, man. Very cool. Yes Ma'am. When I think of slide Duane Almond is the first person I think of. Here's one for Milod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I love Les Pauls and some day I will own a gold top with cream P-90s, but I have been an SG player the past eight years and there is no looking back. My main axe is a Classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 SG Cons - Neck dive issue, not as versatile, sound can sometimes be "too bright and punchy" and a bit thin at times. Too bright? I don't think that's possible with a slab of Mahogany with either humbuckers or P-90s. I happen to like the brighter tones I can milk from my SGs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 What would a '61-'62 SG bodied Les Paul be classed as? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoreyT Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I had a brand new '73 Les Paul Deluxe back in '73. While I liked it a lot, it had the fat neck and I seem to struggle with that guitar, and I did not care for the mini humbuckers on it. I was a little naive back then when my dad and I went shopping for a Les Paul. Also got a '73 Les Paul Standard with the bigger humbuckers and in tobacco burst color, but it was a few hundred more I think. By the way, my LP back then was only like $600. Fast forward to this year when I got back into guitars again after a 30 year break, I picked up the new 2012 '61 SG Reissue as I remember playing a friends mid 60s SG back around '73 or '74, and the action and playability just blew my Les Paul out of the water. So for me I would say the SG is a better choice, and I like the lighter weight too. However...after seeing badbluesplayer's new LP he just picked up, I may get the same model and color down the road as it has the slim 60's neck on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo1951 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 As the title suggests. If you had to pick one, would it be a Les Paul or an SG? Why? Aside from the whole "it's all a matter of preference", what are the pros and cons of each? LP for sure, prefer the tone, but to satisfy my SG fix which I prefer for slide, I got a 1275 Doubleneck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazytrain513 Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 This is what I see as a reoccuring theme: Sound Les Paul > SG Playability Les Paul < SG Not EVERY time but for the majority of the time. I think I personally prefer the warmth of the Les Paul tone as well. The light weight of the SG is definitely a plus for me though, as well as the upper register access. However, that neck dive is definitely an issue for me. Possibly enough of an issue that I would choose the tough upper-fret access of the Les Paul over it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Had to go with the Les Paul Because it's some much meatier... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanH Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 So, taking upper fret access out of the equation, why does the SG feel so much slicker to play? I have a chambered tribute LP and an SG faded, both are light and both have fat 50s necks and identical hardware but my SG is like greased lightening and plays as smooth as butter. How is that so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Alan... Just a guess here, but the LP does bring a different geometry to playing. The SG is closer to the player's body and offers a more flat connection compared to the LP. That would provide at minimum a more stable player geometry both with the neck and the picking hand. We may be talking fractions of angles and timing, but I'll wager that the SG may feel more smooth because it has less "back of the mind" messing with angles when playing standing. A lotta what Les himself did was seated.... which would somewhat lessen the SG advantage. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpiNova95 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 So, taking upper fret access out of the equation, why does the SG feel so much slicker to play? I have a chambered tribute LP and an SG faded, both are light and both have fat 50s necks and identical hardware but my SG is like greased lightening and plays as smooth as butter. How is that so? Could be the difference in neck position between the SG and LP. The neck and bridge sit further to the left (if you're holding the guitar in a playing position). To me this make it far more comfortable to play, just a more natural feel for fretting. I'd take an SG any day, for tone, playability, and looks. They're my favorite electric, followed by the ES-335 types. Les Paul's seem old fashioned to me, with the neck buried into the awkward body, and all that weight. They do sound nice and have better sustain but they just arent the right guitar for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazytrain513 Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Alan... Just a guess here, but the LP does bring a different geometry to playing. The SG is closer to the player's body and offers a more flat connection compared to the LP. That would provide at minimum a more stable player geometry both with the neck and the picking hand. We may be talking fractions of angles and timing, but I'll wager that the SG may feel more smooth because it has less "back of the mind" messing with angles when playing standing. A lotta what Les himself did was seated.... which would somewhat lessen the SG advantage. m The neck on the SG feels longer and I guess the neck dive contributes to it "falling" into your palm. At least, in my case. I don't like it but that may contribute to why people feel better about it than the Les Paul neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Crazy... I think the SG also tends to have a "lead" type player lifting the neck into a greater angle - one such as a classical guitarist tends to use. To me it's an overall "player-instrument geometry" thing. What the heck, why do I feel more comfortable with the 175 than the 335? Geometry. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaicho8888 Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 I enjoy my SG as well as a LP! SG is lighter and have easier top fret access; mine has no neck dive; a little brighter if equipped with P90's. LP feels more solid handling next to your body; has more pronounced and lower frequencies from the same type humbuckers. I would play one for months then switch to the other. The only problem I have is getting messed up with the location of the toggle switch. So, I love them equally; but... I also love my other guitars as well...LOL ! ...ah,so many guitars; so little time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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