rjames1973 Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 Forestabri, FYI, Sweetwater has pictures on their website of the SGs that they now have in stock in their warehouse. Each guitar has a serial number, so you can take a look at each one, decide which one you like, and request that your salesman set that one aside for you. I did that a few minutes ago. Just wanted to let you know this, so you can actually pick one out yourself. :) Just got the call from Sweetwater, I should get mine this Friday or following Monday. I asked him to pick out one with a dark fingerboard and asked about the different weights of the guitars listed. He said it all comes down to wood density. So if one prefers a light guitar, that's possible. I told him I thought density is a good thing, but to pick out a nice one all around. I'm already playing it in my mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forestabri Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I got my SG Standard 2013 one week ago, and overall it is a nice guitar. I do have a few comments and minor gripes that I hope Gibson will read and consider. As I said, overall it is a s nice as one could expect from a factory produced instrument. The neck is much better than the 1970 Special I had when I was a kid, ( less wobbly) and the thing stays in tune, and is intonated very nicely. Anyone making claims about the old days didn't own a 1970 Special! Fit and finish are overall pretty darn good. It is a three piece body. The fret work is good, but it will take some getting used to the very tall frets (hint hint Gibson), maybe a little smaller and more attention paid to crowning so that sliding isn't such a bumpy road. The neck relief was set dead flat, which caused the first few frets to buzz on the E, A and a bit on the D strings. After that was fixed, I had to do some nut work to make tuning smoother and not "ping" as I tuned the higher strings. Graphite was not enough, so I got out my trusty fret files and gently ran the appropriate one through each slot once, and applied more graphite. All fixed! Except I hate the corian nut in general, too white, and will put a bone nut on it very soon. Now for the action, which I could now adjust with the neck relief corrected. Almost there! I had a scratchy pot or two, so I cleaned and lubed the pots after blowing the sawdust out of the control cavity () All fixed. I will try different strings, probably 10's as that is what I'm used to. Not sure what they ship with, but the high E seems really light and occasionally slips off the fret board. Probably just me getting used to a shorter scale instrument, but it is a bit irritating. Lastly, the case stinks. I have been airing it out, but geeze Canada, go back to old glue, it was fine. Really. Please. By now you are wondering why I am keeping it. Me too. The truth is, it sounds amazing through my old FrankenFender twin, and it is actually a pretty good deal for ME, as I do my own work and can fix nit-picky things. You, on the other hand, would spend some cash or risk making it worse. So I have mixed feelings, and Gibson should really do the "check list" stuff they say they do in the glossy brochure in my case pocket. Thanks for reading, hope this helps with someone's buying decision, and with Gibson's Quality Control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjames1973 Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Forestabri, Thanks for the review on your new 2013 SG Standard. I got mine a couple of weeks ago, and was very disappointed with it. It had a small gouge on the side of the neck, just above the neck joint. There was also a blemish on the top right-hand side of the headstock. It was on the tip of the point of the right arch, and it looked like it someone filed down the wood. Needless to say, I returned the guitar and got another one. The second one was a disappointment as well. The wood on the fretboard was really dry, and the nut was cut badly. When I played the low E string, it made a dull "pingy" kind of sound. My understanding is that the low E string should just rest on the nut groove, but several of the nut grooves were cut much too deep. Also, the nut itself looked like it had been "melted" a bit on the edge just next to the high E string. Needless to say, I returned that one as well. I know I'm probably being too picky, but when you see and hear those kinds of issues with a brand name guitar that costs over a thousand dollars, then it's just not worth keeping. I'm very disappointed, as I've always wanted a Gibson SG Standard and have read so many good things about the 2013 model. I decided to use the money toward a 2012 Fender Stratocaster HSS with maple neck. I've always been a Fender guy anyway. Sorry, Gibson! I got my SG Standard 2013 one week ago, and overall it is a nice guitar. I do have a few comments and minor gripes that I hope Gibson will read and consider. As I said, overall it is a s nice as one could expect from a factory produced instrument. The neck is much better than the 1970 Special I had when I was a kid, ( less wobbly) and the thing stays in tune, and is intonated very nicely. Anyone making claims about the old days didn't own a 1970 Special! Fit and finish are overall pretty darn good. It is a three piece body. The fret work is good, but it will take some getting used to the very tall frets (hint hint Gibson), maybe a little smaller and more attention paid to crowning so that sliding isn't such a bumpy road. The neck relief was set dead flat, which caused the first few frets to buzz on the E, A and a bit on the D strings. After that was fixed, I had to do some nut work to make tuning smoother and not "ping" as I tuned the higher strings. Graphite was not enough, so I got out my trusty fret files and gently ran the appropriate one through each slot once, and applied more graphite. All fixed! Except I hate the corian nut in general, too white, and will put a bone nut on it very soon. Now for the action, which I could now adjust with the neck relief corrected. Almost there! I had a scratchy pot or two, so I cleaned and lubed the pots after blowing the sawdust out of the control cavity () All fixed. I will try different strings, probably 10's as that is what I'm used to. Not sure what they ship with, but the high E seems really light and occasionally slips off the fret board. Probably just me getting used to a shorter scale instrument, but it is a bit irritating. Lastly, the case stinks. I have been airing it out, but geeze Canada, go back to old glue, it was fine. Really. Please. By now you are wondering why I am keeping it. Me too. The truth is, it sounds amazing through my old FrankenFender twin, and it is actually a pretty good deal for ME, as I do my own work and can fix nit-picky things. You, on the other hand, would spend some cash or risk making it worse. So I have mixed feelings, and Gibson should really do the "check list" stuff they say they do in the glossy brochure in my case pocket. Thanks for reading, hope this helps with someone's buying decision, and with Gibson's Quality Control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forestabri Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Man, wonder what's up with them? I think a lot of folks just live with it? Even I didn't own the tools and know how to deal with the set-up, I would still keep it because it is a guitar I love owning. And IMO they never were that amazing (without some work) , even back in the day. I think the giant fret thing is pretty common these days, a friend bought a new strat, USA made that has huge frets too. But, yeah, gouges and blemishes and such, I'd send it back too! Methinks they are understaffed, overworked, and their best craftsmen aren't doing the setups, obviously. Just a guess. I also play violin, and the rule of thumb with fiddles is to buy from a shop that can work on them onsite, and has bothered to set them up. Sweetwater claims to do a 55 point check, but I couldn't see it. No way they could tune it up without hearing the strings binding in the slots. Aw. well, wuddyagonnado? Hit 'em up for BIG discount next time!!! Forestabri, Thanks for the review on your new 2013 SG Standard. I got mine a couple of weeks ago, and was very disappointed with it. It had a small gouge on the side of the neck, just above the neck joint. There was also a blemish on the top right-hand side of the headstock. It was on the tip of the point of the right arch, and it looked like it someone filed down the wood. Needless to say, I returned the guitar and got another one. The second one was a disappointment as well. The wood on the fretboard was really dry, and the nut was cut badly. When I played the low E string, it made a dull "pingy" kind of sound. My understanding is that the low E string should just rest on the nut groove, but several of the nut grooves were cut much too deep. Also, the nut itself looked like it had been "melted" a bit on the edge just next to the high E string. Needless to say, I returned that one as well. I know I'm probably being too picky, but when you see and hear those kinds of issues with a brand name guitar that costs over a thousand dollars, then it's just not worth keeping. I'm very disappointed, as I've always wanted a Gibson SG Standard and have read so many good things about the 2013 model. I decided to use the money toward a 2012 Fender Stratocaster HSS with maple neck. I've always been a Fender guy anyway. Sorry, Gibson! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 A Good Dealer, is essential! I got my SG "Original" a little over a month ago. It was "flawless" (I thought). Then, I discovered, that the Lyre Vibrola was "off!" That is, the handle was at too steep an angle, to move out of the way, in either direction. Come to find out, Gibson had some "faulty" Vibrola's, that got out, on the first few out of the factory, though...not consistently. Some were fine, other's like mine had that particular problem. But Gibson was great, about sending a new unit, right away... and my dealer's luthier, installed it. Works like a charm, now. Gibson even offered to exchange the whole guitar, but I declined, as I LOVED everything else about it... wood grain, beveling/horn tapers, color, playability, tone, etc. (My 2 '61's...2012 "Satin" on top, 2013 "Original," on the bottom.) So, in my case at least, BOTH Gibson Customer Service, and my Dealer were awesome! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forestabri Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Yeah, good customer service is awesome, but you have to admit that the check list piece of paper that comes with every guitar indicates that someone inspected it, and you gotta wonder sometimes. But, chit happens! And I love my guitar too and hope they listen to us end-user-buyer people!! I always thought the vibrola was a bit awkward. I broke the one on my 1970 Special in about a week. It was Deep Purple's fault! I took it off and tossed it, I think, around 1971. Nice guitars, BTW! quote name='charlie brown' timestamp='1363057081' post='1343515'] A Good Dealer, is essential! I got my SG "Original" a little over a month ago. It was "flawless" (I thought). Then, I discovered, that the Lyre Vibrola was "off!" That is, the handle was at too steep an angle, to move out of the way, in either direction. Come to find out, Gibson had some "faulty" Vibrola's, that got out, on the first few out of the factory, though...not consistently. Some were fine, other's like mine had that particular problem. But Gibson was great, about sending a new unit, right away... and my dealer's luthier, installed it. Works like a charm, now. Gibson even offered to exchange the whole guitar, but I declined, as I LOVED everything else about it... wood grain, beveling/horn tapers, color, playability, tone, etc. (My 2 '61's...2012 "Satin" on top, 2013 "Original," on the bottom.) So, in my case at least, BOTH Gibson Customer Service, and my Dealer were awesome! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sg4me Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I didn't want to buy the "one" that GC had banging around on the wall or order them one after another until I got one that was right so I gave Sweetwater a try for the first time and I was fairly pleased with the result. The service was good. I was able to select from several by weight and appearance and they supposedly inspect ahead of time. Anyway, I'm not the expert many here are but I scrutinized mine very well and the only complaints that I could find being very critical mind you were a couple of sanding marks on the back of the neck near the base, and while the bevels and contours were more pronounced than some periods they went through, the back side of the lower horn lacked beveling. From a lot of pictures I've seen of 2013's and even 61 R.I. this might be common right now. Funny how you can look at different examples from different periods and see all sorts of nuances. They are made from natural materials and with a lot of human intervention. I'm pretty happy. I was thinking the worst from some things I had heard on the internet. When you consider the number of steps in making a handmade, mass produced instrument and how hard it is to hide things under a gloss finish I think they did a pretty darn good job for $1299. It looks good, feels great and sounds awesome to a novice like me. I think 2013 was a great year for this model and I will be proud to own the Gibson I always wanted for the rest of my life, this one's a keeper for me. Then there was the smell of the case and lack of storage therein. I'm pretty sure I need something different there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 and while the bevels and contours were more pronounced than some periods they went through, the back side of the lower horn lacked beveling. That's right...'61-65 SG's never did have a true "spoon bevel" (AKA Chamfer) on the back of the smaller (lower) horn. It was tapered, but not actually spoon-beveled. For some model years, there was no spoon bevels on the back side, of either of the horns, and less and less tapering, until that virtually disappeared. Even the front spoon-bevels, were reduced in depth, and in the Norlin era, some models had almost no beveling, at all. So, the "spec's," have varied, quite a lot, over the years. Even the '61 CS versions aren't all totally consistent, one guitar, to the next. But the new 2013 "Stanadard, "Original," and the CS, and USA '61's are the best SG's (IMHO), to come around, in a LONG time! That new 2013 SG Standard, looks to be another great version, of that model! Most of us "Old" timer, SG lovers, have been waiting a LONG time, for Gibson to get back to the spec's of a "REAL/PROPER" SG! And, I think we're hoping (I am, at least) that Gibson will continue that early-mid '60's better beveling, on ALL SG models! We'll see... So, since the new 2013 SG Standard body is basically a '61 body style, it will have the taper, to some varying degree, but no small=lower horn spoon bevel, on the back. Nice deep versions, on the front, though! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sg4me Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Wow CB! Just when I think I've learned a few things, I learn some more. Thank you that is great info. Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinrazz Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 troysgguy,I just ordered mine today from Sweetwater and an engineer from Sweetwater called just to talk 20 minutes after placing order. I'm a lefty and they were the only ones stocking them. Hope I like it.I just returned a lefty Studio to ZZounds due to buzzing,popping and some neck issues. Although the 2013 SG '60s tribute isn't the same as the 2013 Standard, I appreciate the feedback. I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but you get what you pay for with Guitar Center. The Guitar Center in my area is the worst guitar store I've ever been in. They do not take care of their guitars, and half the time I demo a new one, it's damaged in some way. I ordered a Les Paul Studio from them a few years ago, and ran into similar QC issues like the one you described. Needless to say, I had to return two of them until I finally got one that was alright. My 2013 Gibson SG Standard is on order with Sweetwater. I know I shouldn't trash a guitar retailer and endorse another, but I will never buy music gear from anyone else other than Sweetwater from now on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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