Hello everyone !
I notice a lot of people post questions regarding the SGJ, especially from those who are considering acquiring this model of instrument. So I decided to take a few minutes and share my opinion after almost a year of ownership, and answer/address some of the more common questions I see.
My background with Guitars:
One of the hardest things about taking someone else's review at face value is that everyone has different expectations and desires; what works for one person doesn't work for everyone. I have owned/rented dozens of guitars, and have played all the "common" models (Tele's, Strat's, LP's, SG's, ES335/339, etc.), and by no means is any one of these particular instruments "better" then another- they are just different. Even within any particular model there is a vast amount of options and tonal variety that can be purchased. Is an SG with p90's tonally representative of "SG's" in general? I think anyone can agree that there is a vast amount of difference between EVERY individual instrument, so for the purposes of this review I will hope to offer some comparison to standard models that you all may be familiar with.
I have went back and forth as to whether I prefer Gibson's or Fender's, but the truth is it wasn't until I acquired my SGJ that I realized the value of sticking to one particular Axe. You begin to develop a strong connection with the instrument- knowing where to find the hidden tones and sounds that the instrument has to offer. I am very biased towards this instrument as I use nothing other then my Gibson SGJ now, but I will try to keep this review unbiased.
Overall:
Electronics-
Potentiometers 2 Volume Controls,
2 Tone Controls
Type 500K Non-Linear
Toggle Switch Three-way Toggle with Black Plastic Tip
Output Jack 1/4" Mono
Neck
Species Maple
Profile .818" / .963" '50s Rounded
Truss Rod Standard
Joint Angle 5° (+/- 15 seconds)
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50
Hardware
Knobs Max Grib Black Speed
Control Plate Black
Trim Rings Black
Strings .009 - .046, Genuine Gibson strings
Strap Buttons Aluminum
Nut
Material White TekToid™
Width 1.695
Slots Gibson PLEK System
Pickups
Neck Position '61 Zebra (Alnico V)
Neck Position '61 Zebra (Alnico V)
Body
Body Mahogany
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50
Build Quality:
You may be wondering where Gibson cut the corners in order to offer this guitar at such a low cost. There was definitely some liberties taken to allow the price tag to be where it is at, and this is probably the category that there was the most "give" from the traditional SG Standard design.
The guitar is by ALL means a no-nonsense guitar. No true finish, only an extremely thin nitro later, and little to no grain filler used prior to finishing. I have held around 8 Gibson SGJ's from the same year and each one has minor flaws or marks in the wood. Things such as a drastic color change between wood "panels", open pores on the wood, non-perfect body contour's (I had seen some where the grooves on the top of the body are no perfectly rounded). All of these to me were very easily overlooked- I loved the "raw" look to this guitar but to some people it is simply too "imperfect" for their own taste.
The wood used for the body is obviously not their highest grade. My particular body is constructed of three piece of mahogany glues together, as opposed to higher end Gibson models that may be comprised of 1 or two pieces of wood. With this being said, play a few. It isn't that I discourage online shopping- I am all for saving a few bucks, but there is something to be said about seeing the instrument first hand and inspecting it. Tonally, the body is great. It produces warm undertones and sustains very well.
The wood on the neck (Maple) is a stray from the traditional SG, that is built with Mahogany. This is one of the most important things to think about when picking up an SGJ. Hardware, electronics, etc are all replaceable, but you really want to make sure that the body/neck produce the tone you are looking for. The hard Maple neck to ME is a bonus. I enjoy the increased tuning stability, and I love the bright overtones that it adds to the guitar. It is probably in my imagination, but I enjoy the FEEL of a maple neck. The wood feels hard, and the tone sounds "spanky".
The electronics used on this guitar are pretty awesome. the two Zebra 61' Humbuckers are aggresive, bright, and they have a good amount of bite to them. They can be warmed up substantially with the tone controls, to the point where often I never find a huge need to play on the neck pickup. The humbuckers do an amazing job for hard-rock, some metal music, blues, really anything as long as you are able to manipulate the volume and tone controls effectively. The electronics are obviously a common mod for people who may be looking for a different sound- just remember that tone will always be subjective depending on the guitars wood. Even with the same pickups as a 2014 SG Standard, it will have a brighter tone. This could be due to the maple neck, slightly thinner body profile, etc.
The fret board was perfect for me, a tradition Gibson radius and a full two-octaves (24 frets). I never venture onto the upper frets enough to justify the need for 24 frets, although I play a lot of Eb tuning, and I do occasionally hit the 23rd/24th frets on solo's (Much to my neighbour's dismay). The 120th anniversary 12th fret is different for everyone, personally I like it. I feel that it stands the instrument out, and down the road (20-30 years) maybe it will add value to the guitar (Not that I plan on parting with it).
The finish
As you can imagine this is an area that bothers many people. The lack of a traditional layer of nitro (It is coated, just a very thin layer) lends to quicker wear. The stain was a tendency to "rub off" after a while, leaving a "worn" look. Mine didn't start to show real wear signs until 300-400 hours of play, but once the wear started it progressed fairly quickly.
I will add to this review over the next day, if you have ANY questions or comments feel free to reply and I will include your questions in my review.
T.
I notice a lot of people post questions regarding the SGJ, especially from those who are considering acquiring this model of instrument. So I decided to take a few minutes and share my opinion after almost a year of ownership, and answer/address some of the more common questions I see.
My background with Guitars:
One of the hardest things about taking someone else's review at face value is that everyone has different expectations and desires; what works for one person doesn't work for everyone. I have owned/rented dozens of guitars, and have played all the "common" models (Tele's, Strat's, LP's, SG's, ES335/339, etc.), and by no means is any one of these particular instruments "better" then another- they are just different. Even within any particular model there is a vast amount of options and tonal variety that can be purchased. Is an SG with p90's tonally representative of "SG's" in general? I think anyone can agree that there is a vast amount of difference between EVERY individual instrument, so for the purposes of this review I will hope to offer some comparison to standard models that you all may be familiar with.
I have went back and forth as to whether I prefer Gibson's or Fender's, but the truth is it wasn't until I acquired my SGJ that I realized the value of sticking to one particular Axe. You begin to develop a strong connection with the instrument- knowing where to find the hidden tones and sounds that the instrument has to offer. I am very biased towards this instrument as I use nothing other then my Gibson SGJ now, but I will try to keep this review unbiased.
Overall:
Electronics-
Potentiometers 2 Volume Controls,
2 Tone Controls
Type 500K Non-Linear
Toggle Switch Three-way Toggle with Black Plastic Tip
Output Jack 1/4" Mono
Neck
Species Maple
Profile .818" / .963" '50s Rounded
Truss Rod Standard
Joint Angle 5° (+/- 15 seconds)
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50
Hardware
Knobs Max Grib Black Speed
Control Plate Black
Trim Rings Black
Strings .009 - .046, Genuine Gibson strings
Strap Buttons Aluminum
Nut
Material White TekToid™
Width 1.695
Slots Gibson PLEK System
Pickups
Neck Position '61 Zebra (Alnico V)
Neck Position '61 Zebra (Alnico V)
Body
Body Mahogany
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50
Build Quality:
You may be wondering where Gibson cut the corners in order to offer this guitar at such a low cost. There was definitely some liberties taken to allow the price tag to be where it is at, and this is probably the category that there was the most "give" from the traditional SG Standard design.
The guitar is by ALL means a no-nonsense guitar. No true finish, only an extremely thin nitro later, and little to no grain filler used prior to finishing. I have held around 8 Gibson SGJ's from the same year and each one has minor flaws or marks in the wood. Things such as a drastic color change between wood "panels", open pores on the wood, non-perfect body contour's (I had seen some where the grooves on the top of the body are no perfectly rounded). All of these to me were very easily overlooked- I loved the "raw" look to this guitar but to some people it is simply too "imperfect" for their own taste.
The wood used for the body is obviously not their highest grade. My particular body is constructed of three piece of mahogany glues together, as opposed to higher end Gibson models that may be comprised of 1 or two pieces of wood. With this being said, play a few. It isn't that I discourage online shopping- I am all for saving a few bucks, but there is something to be said about seeing the instrument first hand and inspecting it. Tonally, the body is great. It produces warm undertones and sustains very well.
The wood on the neck (Maple) is a stray from the traditional SG, that is built with Mahogany. This is one of the most important things to think about when picking up an SGJ. Hardware, electronics, etc are all replaceable, but you really want to make sure that the body/neck produce the tone you are looking for. The hard Maple neck to ME is a bonus. I enjoy the increased tuning stability, and I love the bright overtones that it adds to the guitar. It is probably in my imagination, but I enjoy the FEEL of a maple neck. The wood feels hard, and the tone sounds "spanky".
The electronics used on this guitar are pretty awesome. the two Zebra 61' Humbuckers are aggresive, bright, and they have a good amount of bite to them. They can be warmed up substantially with the tone controls, to the point where often I never find a huge need to play on the neck pickup. The humbuckers do an amazing job for hard-rock, some metal music, blues, really anything as long as you are able to manipulate the volume and tone controls effectively. The electronics are obviously a common mod for people who may be looking for a different sound- just remember that tone will always be subjective depending on the guitars wood. Even with the same pickups as a 2014 SG Standard, it will have a brighter tone. This could be due to the maple neck, slightly thinner body profile, etc.
The fret board was perfect for me, a tradition Gibson radius and a full two-octaves (24 frets). I never venture onto the upper frets enough to justify the need for 24 frets, although I play a lot of Eb tuning, and I do occasionally hit the 23rd/24th frets on solo's (Much to my neighbour's dismay). The 120th anniversary 12th fret is different for everyone, personally I like it. I feel that it stands the instrument out, and down the road (20-30 years) maybe it will add value to the guitar (Not that I plan on parting with it).
The finish
As you can imagine this is an area that bothers many people. The lack of a traditional layer of nitro (It is coated, just a very thin layer) lends to quicker wear. The stain was a tendency to "rub off" after a while, leaving a "worn" look. Mine didn't start to show real wear signs until 300-400 hours of play, but once the wear started it progressed fairly quickly.
I will add to this review over the next day, if you have ANY questions or comments feel free to reply and I will include your questions in my review.
T.
. They are not my favorite overall Gibby pickup, but they are a 'rock' solid pickup. Pun intended 
.
