Why SG Instead Of Les Paul?

[SG standard]

circa 1974:
My '72 SG Deluxe was purchased out of a desire to be...
different and too have a name brand guitar that would feel right in my hands.

Great story - and very cool to have kept the same SG for so long. I had a desire for something 'different' when I replaced my cheap Les Paul copy in '78 - I certainly wanted an SG (my first guitar had been SG-shaped), but they were out of my price range. I ended up with this Guild:

Still have it today, and it's still 'different'! It's actually currently with Feline guitars for a refret, new tuners & new electrics. I want it to continue to be a real player, rather than a relic of my gigging days. :)

 

[Gibbo SG]

Really and truly, the archtop single out Les Paul is just as good as the SG, only different in that the SG is more of an all around guitar, whereas eas the LP archtop is more jazz and heavy rock oriented. I have both, and I find mine equally good for whatever I'm playing.
So maybe it's down to what mood you wish to set, visually. The Les Paul roundtop is for coat and tie gigs, whereas the SG is a bit more casual mood. And there are some that feel the roundtop LP is like a Telecaster in its tonality, so there is that as well. Cheers!
PL

 

[AngelDeVille]

circa 1974:
My '72 SG Deluxe was purchased out of a desire to be...
different and too have a name brand guitar that would feel right in my hands.

From learning my first chords to finally being a pseudo rock-god in my own mind with a high school garage band,
I always had played with hand me down guitars. My bands other guitar player (I played rhythm) had a Gibson LP and he was REALLY good. In the same town was another band - and the lead guitar with them played a Fender Strat and was a good player as well.

With money I saved from playing gigs, my parents & I went to the music store in the big city and looked around at guitars. The sales person presented a used Strat..."No" Just didn't feel right. Next was a well worn LP Gold Top... "Nope" didn't want that either. The neck was too thick and the asking price was far more than I or my parents had at the time.
The sales person even presented a used Gibson 335, but I didn't have to say anything, my looks said it all !
(never mind what those guitars would fetch $$$ for now in today's market, but that's another story)

Finally came a customize 1972 Gibson SG Deluxe (skinny neck & all). It had been hacked up by the previous owner with a tannish finish on the body, brown pick guards and control plate in addition to a phase switch next to the tone knobs. I liked the sound those humbuckers produced, it wasn't like anyone else's guitar, the small neck fit my small hands and the price was right!

I went home that evening happy as could be, even though I was dead broke. I had MY unique guitar and new gigs were already booked.

In my later years, I had a luthier refinished the body to original color. Add a few more decades and after going through some recent health issues, I picked the SG up again. It was great therapy! Thanks to the internet, I recently found the correct pick guard and control plate and now my SG looks damn good for a 46 year old guitar.

I had other guitars and equipment in high school & college, but not being in a band anymore they sat collecting dust. I sold them all except the SG to fund my new hobby, motocross! (but that's another story too)
I will never part with my beloved SG for I am forever young and immortal when I play!

1975, Me in the foreground rockin' on a SG

my '72 SG Deluxe today :-)

That is my dream guitar right there!

 

[Gasp100]

I love all guitars, but these are the reasons for me (and I own a custom shop LP Black Beauty):

1. More ergonomic playing sitting or standing at a gig on a strap (assuming no neck dive issues)
2. The neck really seems longer... I can have higher fret access, but more importantly even the lower frets seem to be "accessed" much easier.
3. The guitar is normally lighter, but solid body + good pickups/construction/setup + great pickups = FAT TONES!
4. Relatively unique; not every guitarist in every band in town is playing an SG. I am primarily a Tele player but will now rotate my #1 guitars as Tele and SG (with P90's)
5. Pretty cool history! Kind of the red headed step child of Gibson (vs. the late 50's-60's LP) but an astonishing design, built by McCarty!

This is the best place on Earth to ask this. With the Les Paul and the SG being Gibson's flagship models, we buyers had a decision to make. Why did you go SG instead of the Les Paul? (Or why do you prefer the SG over the Les Paul?)

Me?

I played my friend's Les Paul now and again and I always was put off by the weight and the thick (muddy?) tone. The SG looked cooler and to me it has more trebly bite to it.

 

[S.Ustain]

I like, have, and play both and don't find one or the other to be incredibly better or worse. What I love about my old SG is that there's none of the really insane furniture fetish nonsense you get with LP owners fixated on a specific type of flame or burst color/pattern. I like bursts, but absolutely throw up hearing people blab about how fabulous theirs is, when in truth most are mediocre, a fair % are clumsy and sort of ugly, and only a minority are really special. At least SG players focus on playability and sound -- you know, making music, not winning the antique show blue ribbon for "prettiest maple."

 

[Daniel.S]

I like, have, and play both and don't find one or the other to be incredibly better or worse. What I love about my old SG is that there's none of the really insane furniture fetish nonsense you get with LP owners fixated on a specific type of flame or burst color/pattern. I like bursts, but absolutely throw up hearing people blab about how fabulous theirs is, when in truth most are mediocre, a fair % are clumsy and sort of ugly, and only a minority are really special. At least SG players focus on playability and sound -- you know, making music, not winning the antique show blue ribbon for "prettiest maple."

Well said

 

[Ray]

Agree on that.

 

[Lynurd Fireburd]

To be honest I was never much of a SG fan, along with strats. Teles are my favorite. Then a lightbulb went off one day watching Gibbons play that '61 Lil Red.

Just picked up a cheap strat finally only because I have some Keystones but my space is definitely a non PRS zone. *shudder

 

[DrBGood]

Teles are my favorite ... but my space is definitely a non PRS zone. *shudder

Then you migh be missing on something great, because this SE feels like a Tele to me. I mean physically, it's the same simple down to earth blingless idea. Like someone went at a Tele body with a sander to smooth up the corners and made it more ergonomic. The fat wide neck on these is just incredible.

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[GrumpyOldDBA]

Then you migh be missing on something great, because this SE feels like a Tele to me. I mean physically, it's the same simple down to earth blingless idea.

In the picture this SE looks like an LP to me pretty much? Seems like a thick body and a carved shape that looks similar ...

 

[Lynurd Fireburd]

Then you migh be missing on something great, because this SE feels like a Tele to me. I mean physically, it's the same simple down to earth blingless idea. Like someone went at a Tele body with a sander to smooth up the corners and made it more ergonomic. The fat wide neck on these is just incredible.

View attachment 33615​

That looks do-able. I'm talking about those double cut & birds in the inlays. The headstock is also an abomination.

 

[DrBGood]

In the picture this SE looks like an LP to me pretty much? Seems like a thick body and a carved shape that looks similar ...

Contour is similar but more comfy than a run of the mill LP. Top has rounded bevels, not a domed surface like a LP. Body is 1 3/8" thin with a nice belly carve, and one inside the horn. I like the headstock, it's highly functional and compact.

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[jtees4]

....but but but....at one time the SG WAS a Les Paul, I'm so confused (NOT).

 

[paul-e-mann]

My faded brown SG was purchased cuz I didnt have the money for an LP and I figured an SG was the next best thing. I eventually got a 57 reissue goldtop LP which I love dearly but I seem to play my SG the most, it sounds just as good as the LP and its alot lighter to hold, I love them both though. Lately I've been drooling over the black SG Standard with the small pickguard.

 

[Logan]

My SG thinks it's a Les Paul

 

[JST1789]

This is the best place on Earth to ask this. With the Les Paul and the SG being Gibson's flagship models, we buyers had a decision to make. Why did you go SG instead of the Les Paul? (Or why do you prefer the SG over the Les Paul?)

Me?

I played my friend's Les Paul now and again and I always was put off by the weight and the thick (muddy?) tone. The SG looked cooler and to me it has more trebly bite to it.

I like the double cutaway of it where you can get to the highest fret with ease, and the weight of it. It’s like the rebellious child of a Strat and Les Paul. I also favor the tone of them. To my ears, it has a mean biting sound with the right about of mid range and just enough low end. I have played Les Paul’s, love the tones they have, and a lot of people have made so many great songs with them with great tones, but when I feel I play best, currently, with my Epiphone SG. I’ve had it since 2012, and it’s probably my most played guitar other than my Squier.

When I played LP’s (besides the weight I didn’t care for), the tone of it could sound too bassy or thick, so I’m glad I’m not the only one who has had that experience. SG’s just scream rock n roll and blues guitar. I thought I would have never liked one, and I don’t even remember what got me looking at them, but I’m glad I did. SG’s can sound just as thick lead wise than a LP. Sure the LP might have a tad more bark and sustain, but those are not deal breakers for me. I’ve never heard anyone make a living or become a household name due to their guitar’s sustain lol. A good SG can hold its own with any electric guitar.

 

[Gary Gretsch]

I recently picked up a Les Paul Tribute. 8.14 pounds and sounds great. It has a chambered body. I think the SG is a more comfortable guitar though. But I think I like the sound of the Les Paul Tribute a bit more.

 

[Maguchi]

1. For a change of pace
2. They feel different ergonomically and the switch up could inspire creativity
3. The increased upper fret access might make me feel like playing some high notes that I wouldn't ordinarily play on a LP
4. Because Mick Taylor played a SG as well as a LP with the Stones.
5. Angus plays the hell outta one
6. Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath

 

[ebonySGguy]

This is the best place on Earth to ask this. With the Les Paul and the SG being Gibson's flagship models, we buyers had a decision to make. Why did you go SG instead of the Les Paul? (Or why do you prefer the SG over the Les Paul?)

there are a lot of reasons why I prefer the SG over the LP.

First, the SG is lighter and easier to play. It just fits on your lap so much easier. It's light, so your shoulder won't shut down while using a strap, and The SG just looks cooler. I love both, but I also think that the artist selection on the SG is better. Not that this is a big deal, but I thought it would be sorta worth it to put out there. But the main thing is the versatility. The LP is very versatile, but the SG is so versatile that it can basically copy a strat sound with the right settings. The SG is the only thing you need if you are on a budget or if you don't want many guitars, just one good one that will last FOREVER. LITERALLY. The SG lasts so long. IT's also cheaper than the LP, so that's why I like it more.

 

[Rusty Chops]

SG has a snarly character to its sound. I like guitars with character. I play clean mostly, so I can hear what the guitar’s voice is.
Then, under full steam distortion, an SG can get a very vocal ow-ow-owww sound like a half cocked wah sound.
I prefer simple slab solid bodies. My favorite LP types are the Juniors and Specials.