Les Paul or SG

[Chasbo]

SGs don't have quite as much top-end bite as a Les Paul, but they have next to no low mids, in my experience. I know Iommi gets a great chunka-chunka rhythm out of his SGs, but I've never been able to get that. They just sound really thin to me. As Jacksonfreak said, Les Pauls have so much low-mid that they can get muddy very easily. It's all a matter of preference.

Personally, I'll take a San Dimas Soloist over either SG or Les Paul anyday.

When I play my LP Standard and SG Standard one after the other, I do have to readjust my EQ. I accept that as they are completly different guiatars. I always boost my SG's mid's, so I would agree that the SG doesn't have the massive midrange that the LP does. It's a matter of mass. From the same standpoint, I always reduce the bass for the LP.

I will say though that while each of the SG's I have owned have all had their own particular sound, they did all sound nice and fat. No thin loss of tone. Anytime I read that somewhere, I question the pickups. I have run 498's, JB's, SD customs and 57's in my SG's and all sounded good if different. It is a matter of taste, I can name a dozen different artists that have used SG's and sounded great with them live.

I have never played a SD Soloist, and would love the chance to do so. So many guitars, so little time as a friend of mine likes to say...

chuck

[Bengal65]

Yea, mentioning the SD Soloist is taking this thread into another context. We are looking at strictly the LP vs. the SG. I have a SD Soloist and newer some of the ones and PC1's which are fantastic in their own right, but we need to confine ourselves to these 2 guitars. I have a LPC with '57 Pup's and a '65 SG Jr. with P-90's, but have an interest in an SG with '57 Pup's. Again a whole different spectrum.

[pro-fusion]

Yea, mentioning the SD Soloist is taking this thread into another context. We are looking at strictly the LP vs. the SG. I have a SD Soloist and newer some of the ones and PC1's which are fantastic in their own right, but we need to confine ourselves to these 2 guitars. I have a LPC with '57 Pup's and a '65 SG Jr. with P-90's, but have an interest in an SG with '57 Pup's. Again a whole different spectrum.

I wasn't bringing a third guitar into the comparison--just pointing out that neither SG or Les Paul float my boat enough anymore to actually own one. They both have their positives and negatives, I suppose. When I was younger, the LPC just always did it for me, though, where the SG never felt or sounded right for my needs. And that's coming from a guy who idolized Tony Iommi. I always *wanted* to like the SG, just for the cool body shape.

And the SD Soloist isn't entirely irrelevant. It was basically designed to bring many of the attributes of a hotrod strat to players accustomed to Gibson necks and features. They've changed the Soloist somewhat away from that since then by enlarging the frets and getting rid of the neck angle.

[pro-fusion]

I have never played a SD Soloist, and would love the chance to do so. So many guitars, so little time as a friend of mine likes to say...

You should check one out someday. As a Gibson player, I think you'll appreciate the SD Soloists even more than many would. Funny thing, though, back when the SD Soloists were new, I was a Les Paul diehard. Go figure. Of course, you could get a perfectly good recent used LPC back then for $500. I still kick myself for getting rid of my '76 three-pickup LPC. Now that was a piece of gear...

[KLNowak]

I would take a Les Paul over an SG anyday. I just love Les pauls, and while I do really like SGs the neck is just a little too thin for my tastes on a Gibson.

[Bengal65]

I would take a Les Paul over an SG anyday. I just love Les pauls, and while I do really like SGs the neck is just a little too thin for my tastes on a Gibson.

You must have not played a LP with a 60's slim taper neck or the "Fretless Wonder" LP Custom. The necks are identical to a '61 spec SG.

[DonP]

I hate fat chicks and fat necks LOL!

[Bengal65]

I hate fat chicks and fat necks LOL!

...Or should we start using "Full Figured" to be politically correct?

[shredmonster]

Another SG vote here.

[fett]

If I had decide whether to buy a vintage LP or an SG. I would go with the SG. They look way more cool.

[JACKSONFREAK]

Well the only SG with the 57classic pups is the 62 reissue. everything else has either 2 490's Or a 500/496 assortment. The 62 reissue is the on ly thin necked SG (aside from the 62cutsom les paul SG)> everything else has the 50s fatter neck. By saying the Sg sounded thin earlier i didnt mean thin like a tele but thin in comparison to a Les Paul. They have less mass to them which results in a brighter tone with less bottom end and not as much mids. They do still sound warm in comparison to a strat or a Solist mode out of alder. But thats the mohagony's charactor. If you like thin necks go SG 62 reissue or a sLes Paul std 60s neck. The supreme is a great guitar. Its a carved maple top and back with sound chambers inthe body. It clean up really well and doesnt mud out as quickly as a custom does due to the chambers making it a bit brighter than a custom and giving it more bite. Plus the supremes have the same pups as the custom the 498/490. But you can get the triburst that has the 57 classics. Too many options and opinions get in the way sometimes. If ya havent decided yet just go play some and see which you like better.

[zyx345]

I'm in the market for an LP or SG as well. I would recommend that you try the alpine white LP Studio with the ebony board. I played one at GC last week along side an SG Standard. Even though its a studio you really don't notice the lack of binding as much cause of the color and the ebony board brightens it up a bit.

This guy did a quick comparison. You can hear the differences played under medium gain pretty well in this video.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FQNo3w0sdHg&search=gibson%20sg

[siggy14]

There are so many different LP's and SG's so i am sure you can find something you like. Most LP's have a maple cap, i happen to have a LP custom 68 reissue with the maple cap and a les paul custom lite without, both have great tone but different.

As to tone difference, the sg is darker, but the LP with maple cap m ight be brighter, but it has more depth to the tone.

As to necks, well depends on which guitar you get, they are all difference including the SG's. If you like thin necks go with the 61 reissue or the supreme which have the slim tapers. If you like mid go with a standard, if you like thicker find a gothic or a special, but stay away from the special runs of the specials, i have a black satin special that i think was a music 123 special and it has a 60's neck, took me a long time to figure out why i loved the guitar so much, till one day i finally measured it and now i know.

LP's are the same roughly, you have the standards and classics with 60's necks, standard and customs with 50's (medium size) and you have some of the reissues and studio's with thicker necks.

Man i could go on all night, so many different choices when it comes to these two guitars.

[JACKSONFREAK]

The Gibson necks are'nt that vast. They only use three differnt necks between the SG and the Les Paul. The 50.s neck the 60's slim taper. and the supreme/custom neck which is on the Les Paul cstm and supreme. The SG supreme has the 60 slim taper. They do have a few mlore models recently but they all still use one of the three necks. The rounded neck is the Supreme and the cstm neck profile.Its similar to the 50's style neck but smaller.
The custom shop is another story for another time.
Gil

[siggy14]

Actually They are all simular, but here is how they mostly classify them.

60 slim taper
60's
50's
rounded

The Gibson necks are'nt that vast. They only use three differnt necks between the SG and the Les Paul. The 50.s neck the 60's slim taper. and the supreme/custom neck which is on the Les Paul cstm and supreme. The SG supreme has the 60 slim taper. They do have a few mlore models recently but they all still use one of the three necks. The rounded neck is the Supreme and the cstm neck profile.Its similar to the 50's style neck but smaller.
The custom shop is another story for another time.
Gil