Cheapie SG review demo & thoughts on SGs vs LPs

[Naillerz78]

Hey all

Just bought a cheapie SG - Platinum Series by Monterey in lovely cherry red. All stock pups etc.
I love this model specifically.

I thought I’d include my thoughts re SGs Vs LPs also in between the demos. (Cos why not? )

Warning - contains rock riffage!
This guitar still has old strings on it from shop also.

https://voca.ro/1mQD4YwvOzLd

Lemme know ur thoughts on my points if u have any interest..

and also specifically why u would choose an LP vs an SG for “tone” and why ? What tones does an LP excel at vs an SG do u guys think?

I’m scratching my head on that one now tbh.

cheers Naillerz

[pekbro]

Never wanted an SG, I've wanted an Explorer for years, tho I have yet to pick one up. I wouldn't mind a Firebird either. I don't care about weight myself and tbh I wouldn't trade a lp for either. To me the lp is just a given, like a strat or tele, you just have them, you don't trade them out for a different model. I've always thought of the lp as an acoustic guitar players electric guitar, with the broad flat fingerboard and a feel that's so similar to playing a steel string acoustic.

[Uncle E]

SG's are fantastic. Lots of midrange honk. If you're looking for a swampy slide sound or want to poke through a dense mix, they're perfect. But comparing to a Les Paul is ridiculous. Entirely different animals. An SG's tone is rawer and less refined, and doesn't have a Les Paul's depth or thickness.

[Naillerz78]

Never wanted an SG, I've wanted an Explorer for years, tho I have yet to pick one up. I wouldn't mind a Firebird either. I don't care about weight myself and tbh I wouldn't trade a lp for either. To me the lp is just a given, like a strat or tele, you just have them, you don't trade them out for a different model. I've always thought of the lp as an acoustic guitar players electric guitar, with the broad flat fingerboard and a feel that's so similar to playing a steel string acoustic.

Yeah I used to think they were a given too.. and a “must have”. lots of my favourite all time hero’s use them.
But I’m almost always unhappy with the sound most of the time? It’s like they do 2-3 sounds that’s it,
And to have those 2-3 tones sound “ amazing “ it’s also a given u gotta find the 1 in X number of great Les Paul’s or something. Like 1 in 5.
Otherwise it seems they generally are pretty.. average sounding (?I dunno) just from what I read of forums of owners saying I tried LP 1.2,3,4 and finally found a good/great one at #5(?) or #8 (!) etc,

What model do you own?

[Naillerz78]

SG's are fantastic. Lots of midrange honk. If you're looking for a swampy slide sound or want to poke through a dense mix, they're perfect. But comparing to a Les Paul is ridiculous. Entirely different animals. An SG's tone is rawer and less refined, and doesn't have a Les Paul's depth or thickness.

Well E .. “rediculous” is a bit of a stretch now cmon,
Both 2 humbucker Gibson scales they sound very similar tbh.
Depth I really don’t know, what do u mean by depth isn’t that the same as thickness really?

Thickness yes .. but TOO much imo.
Ever play an LP in a band - really gotta dial them in to cut through there’s so much bass in them.
“Too much content “ I watched one session guitarist say , and also Uncle Larry /Tom Bukovac often remarks of the woofiness and turning bass on amp down to 0. He prefers SGs and has played probably hundreds of great LPs.
He’s just one guy sure tho…,

I would say they lack complexity across the frequency range or something, too bunched up and thick.
And sooooo heavy.
What LP do u own,
Please tell me you have actually owned one IRL in person.

[pekbro]

I have an 87 studio, tho my buddy collects them so I have played a lot of them, he's a millionaire so they are all sick custom shop guitars $8k and up, also he has all the collectable issues and is a big fan of slash, so he gets the custom shop signatures... he has about 70 of them in all.

Anyway, imo the lp is awesome. I might have other guitars in addition to it, but I wouldn't replace it. It's the electric guitar I have played the most in my life and the one i am most comfortable with.

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

It is the guy above that Gibson makes LP for. I have had several ....didnt like any of them. Generally like SGs. I have a walnut The Paul that is the cats meow. Its like a SG n LP had a baby. Best Gibson I have ever played except a 335 years ago. Should have bought that one

[Naillerz78]

I have an 87 studio, tho my buddy collects them so I have played a lot of them, he's a millionaire so they are all sick custom shop guitars $8k and up, also he has all the collectable issues and is a big fan of slash, so he gets the custom shop signatures... he has about 70 of them in all.

Anyway, imo the lp is awesome. I might have other guitars in addition to it, but I wouldn't replace it. It's the electric guitar I have played the most in my life and the one i am most comfortable with.

Cool nice life, I’d like to try a Slash model for sure with the A2 custom pups,
So as a user of one what tones does an LP excel IYE what kind of music do U play w it,
Try an SG.

[Naillerz78]

It is the guy above that Gibson makes LP for. I have had several ....didnt like any of them. Generally like SGs. I have a walnut The Paul that is the cats meow. Its like a SG n LP had a baby. Best Gibson I have ever played except a 335 years ago. Should have bought that one

How come u didn’t like them?
Did they excel at any tone for you?
Gary Moore and obvs Slash tone I reckon they excel at ,that huge neck pup saturated sustain tone,
But to me that is mainly it! vs an SG,
Bridge Pup is almost too much on an LP.
I love Jimmy Page but ., tbh his live LP sound not so much? It has that “too muchness” to the sound live ( he shoulda played more Tele live)

Les Paul’s slow me down man.
I heard an analogy of strat vs LP using cars,
Strat was like a euro sports car -powerful yet nimble and quick
LP was like a big US muscle car - LOTS of power and grunt but bigger and “heavy in the turns”. Always found that to be a good analogy..

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

To me it was more about feel. Just not comfortale to play. Something I noticed on the different LP is that the neck angles were all different. One was so bad that i could stick my pinky under the bridge. That one actually hurt my fretting hand wrist to play. They sound fine and can be made to sound quite different with different Pups

[Uncle E]

Well E .. “rediculous” is a bit of a stretch now cmon,

They sound completely different. If someone wants the sound of an SG, they won't want the sound of a Les Paul, and vice versa.

Both 2 humbucker Gibson scales they sound very similar tbh.

Except they don't.

Depth I really don’t know, what do u mean by depth isn’t that the same as thickness really?

Depth of tone. The sound is thicker and heavier.

Ever play an LP in a band - really gotta dial them in to cut through there’s so much bass in them.

So you're saying they sound different?

“Too much content “ I watched one session guitarist say , and also Uncle Larry /Tom Bukovac often remarks of the woofiness and turning bass on amp down to 0. He prefers SGs and has played probably hundreds of great LPs.

So he's saying they sound different?

I would say they lack complexity across the frequency range or something, too bunched up and thick.

Yes, as said, SG's have stronger upper midrange. I love SG's.

What LP do u own,
Please tell me you have actually owned one IRL in person.

I've owned around 40 Les Paul's and SG's. I currently own a 1959 Les Paul Special (bought for $400 because it fell down during the Northridge earthquake) and a 70's Ibanez lawsuit model with patent sticker PAF's, and we have 5 Les Paul's in stock at the shop.

[pekbro]

IME the lp certainly does the humbucker thing better than my $3k tele, not even close really, completely different tone, with the tele being way brighter and the lp being thicker and heavier soundwise, yet still with excellent definition and sustain on the low end under heavy distortion. Not that the sound is better, it's just different. For hard driven rock and chords, I'm gonna go with the lp. Anyway, I have never played a lp that wasn't made by gibson, nor have I played an SG. I'm sure I would like the SG, but I'd still buy an explorer or firebird before the SG. For one thing, I am not super fond of the look of them personally.

I am not super technically knowledgeable about the guitars themselves, I'm a guitar player not a tech, I will pay a guitar tech if I need something done. It's hard for me to put into words exactly where I think they excel. IMO the lp is a staple, just like the tele or strat, I see no need to choose one over the other, I only see the need to own them all to cover all your bases. These are not the only staples I would own if I could either...

*btw: my friend the collector is not a musician, he just always wanted to be one (seemingly) and spent years as a sound guy for his late wife who was a professional musician. He can barely play anything on all those guitars and vintage Marshall amps he has... He views them as an investment more than anything.

*He's only a millionaire because his dad left him 20 mil or so when he died.

[Naillerz78]

E’s Replies..etc

Good replies E! Your debating skills are really shining through! You still need practice but you’re getting better

In reply to your replies

1. Yes they do.

2. “Depth of sound” is pretty much a meaningless description. So yeah it’s thicker and more bassy ie too much content and overlap w the bass guitar for the frequency where the guitar lives (the midrange)

3.& 4, I already said from the get to they sound different dude - but not “ rediculously different” that means “poles apart different”.gimme a break
An LP is basically an SG with more bass and mushier SG and less useful AFAICS IME

5. That’s great. So you should have some info re my first OP question then - ie WHAT SOUNDS/ TONES DO LES PAULS EXCEL AT VS AN SG,
That was the main question I was most interested in!!!! Ie Why bother choosing a Les Paul over an SG if it’s mushy / too much bass.( which it is )

What are the reasons you prefer a Les Paul / what sounds tones do u think they excel at if you have owned & played ao many good ones dude??

That’s what I’m tryna get at. I.don’t.understand .why.they.are.so.revered. In comparison to an SG,
Hello? hello? Anybody home??

[Uncle E]

They’re revered because Jimmy Page and Peter Green played them. That’s about it.

[Naillerz78]

They’re revered because Jimmy Page and Peter Green played them. That’s about it.

That’s great info E thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience