ShortScale.org

As mentioned elsewhere (the seller sent it to me in packaging that gave me a conniption, and yet somehow it survived unscathed) I've got a smashing new guitar. I've long eyed the SG Classics - meant to be one of the best value SGs you can get; Standard quality at Special prices, the necks are meant to be really big, and I'm a sucker for the batwing pickguard. The only thing that slightly gave me pause was the P90s; much as I'm a confirmed singlecoil fan (although I'm learning to love humbuckers again), I've always struggled with P90s, liking them most with the guitar volume turned down a bit (for some reason, this plays havoc with my guitar OCD).

I needn't have worried - it sounds fucking great; think I prefer P90s in an SG to a Junior - I wonder if the lighter construction stops them being quite so meaty. This relaxed chap's demo shows off its strengths rather well:

[youtube][/youtube]

The neck's not huge like I was hoping/expecting, but it fattens up nicely - I like tapered necks like that. And it plays ridiculously well (although the bloke had some comically high action on it when he sent it me, which always rings alarm bells - set it up fine though) - commented in a thread a while back that SGs always make me do an annoying flourish where whatever phrase I play, I celebrate by playing a showoff version of it twelve frets up.

Plenty of that action.

I remember reading an interview with Bobby Corkhill from the Smashing Pipkins a few years ago where he said he'd recorded a song with an Epiphone SG, but he'd had to stop using it afterwards as it was just too easy to play. I know what he means - SGs are fucking great (don't get me wrong, I'm still shit).

By no means a minter (has one of those telltale "I dropped my slide on it and it rattled and rolled off here, here and here" marks on it you see on acoustics sometimes), it's just dinged up enough for me not to feel paranoid playing it round the house. Body looks massively like a two-piece job in these photos (never think this makes a difference with SGs - or much else besides actually - anyway) but not so obvious in the flesh. Also really hard to see where the pieces actually join - could be something going on in the wood. It's an early (2001) one so it's got an ABR bridge, which some seem to turn backflips over, but again, I'm not that arsed.

The only thing I've done apart from a setup and some 11s is to put witchhats on it - the control cluster on an SG is too cramped for my sausage fingers otherwise.

It's great.

That looks sexy & makes me pine for the SG I sold to NickD

Nice one. I'm missing a P90 guitar, I might have to put some back into my Jag.
How is the Princeton by the way? Sorted out the hum?

Weeeeeeeeeell... Funny old deal about the Princeton. He had a good look at it and shrugged, and said a lot of the reverb hum is just the nature of the circuit. He hardwired some of the circuit (ie. rewired and bypassed the board) but said "it's as good as it's ever going to be". I love it to bits, amazingly sweet-sounding amp, and could just listen to notes bloom and do all sorts of pretty things I've never noticed on previous amps.

But sometimes the hum annoys me. I should just play louder.

Lovely, on my wishlist for "some day".

benecol wrote:Weeeeeeeeeell... Funny old deal about the Princeton. He had a good look at it and shrugged, and said a lot of the reverb hum is just the nature of the circuit. He hardwired some of the circuit (ie. rewired and bypassed the board) but said "it's as good as it's ever going to be". I love it to bits, amazingly sweet-sounding amp, and could just listen to notes bloom and do all sorts of pretty things I've never noticed on previous amps.

But sometimes the hum annoys me. I should just play louder.

My DRRI's the same...it hums, and when I use the reverb/trem channel it hums even more. I just came to the conclusion that it's an old circuit so doesn't have the low noise floor that some newer amps. It wouldn't be an issue live, but it's a minor annoyance for the studio.

Maybe it's par for the course with 'vintage' circuits.

Gorgeous SG though...I still miss mine sometimes...the chunky neck wasn't to my taste and the finish to the fret edges could've been better, but it was a lovely sounding guitar. I'd love to try out some P90s someday.

Absolutely lovely. I've been looking at SGs for years but have yet to pull the trigger.

I know it's going to happen someday.

Its lovely- I especially like the bound and dot neck.

benecol wrote:Weeeeeeeeeell... Funny old deal about the Princeton. He had a good look at it and shrugged, and said a lot of the reverb hum is just the nature of the circuit. He hardwired some of the circuit (ie. rewired and bypassed the board) but said "it's as good as it's ever going to be". I love it to bits, amazingly sweet-sounding amp, and could just listen to notes bloom and do all sorts of pretty things I've never noticed on previous amps.

Interesting! It is a lovely lovely amp.

benecol wrote:I should just play louder.

This is clearly the answer!

This is the only SG in ages I've been properly interested in. it's a lovely thing.

I hadn't seen these before... This may just become my first SG.

Nice- I saw this '75 with "second" neck stamp in Willies American Guitars in St. Paul last week. They wanted $2200 for it. It was a brown body. I couldn't find any cosmetic issues to warrant the second stamp- the owner said that Gibson would stamp a few guitars if they needed to make their sales numbers for a period- so they'd sell the second versions at a discount to dealers to clear inventory. Anyway- I really want it.

I miss my sg classic, they really are great guitars, regardless of cost.

[youtube][/youtube]

jculpjr wrote:

► Show Spoiler

Carrie Brownstein's is identical to that one

Love those P90 Classics benecol, likely the only SG I'd ever be interested in again at this point.

Oh yeah- you're right

A classic Classic! Dots / bound neck is definitely the best look for an SG. Have Classics ever come with ebony fretboards?

Very nice Tim.

Never actually played one of these but always wanted to, thanks to Pete Townsend.

Lovely guitar. The first SG that I fell in love with looked exactly like that with the addition of a Maestro Vibrato. I actually preferred the P90's over 57's. Congrats!