Wondering about the Kaizen guitar in the background? I have a Patreon-exclusive tour up right now. I also have exclusive videos of the Klein and the Shawn Lane Signature vigier: www.patreon.com/Andrefludd. These unfiltered videos won’t be coming to KZfaq.

I think the SlimTaper necks were one of the original selling points of the 60s SGs - in the years when the SG was the Les Paul, and the classic Les Paul wasn't sold. The whole idea was a newer, faster-playing guitar. A lot of the "modern" necks on shred guitars are basically direct descendants of the SG neck.

The one thing I REALLY don't like about the standard Epi SGs is that veneer. They should just make all their SGs two-piece mahogany like the 61' Les Paul SG. It shouldn't cost that much to do that.

Epiphone humbuckers are perfectly fine, especially clean. I've been pleasantly surprised by the nicer quality tuners and wiring on the very recent ones. Love to see the variety of price points reviewed on the channel!

I totally get what you say about the neck. I got an SG Classic just before Xmas and the neck really shocked me. I'm a thumb over the top player and this neck could actually be painful. I almost sold it. But I decided to let the guitar be what it is instead of trying to fit it into what I thought it should be. After a few months of playing, I got accustomed to the neck and it feels fine to me now. I do play it differently from my other guitar (Stratocaster) but that's why you have more than one guitar.

Anyone else have a problem with people saying "The tuning CAN be stable IF you know how to work with it..." on a $2,500 guitar? I'd expect those flaws to be non-existent or barely noticeable if I'm dropping that kind of cash on a guitar. At least with Epiphone, it's not a couple mortgage payments so you can live with it if theres a problem. And yes, I had a Vibrola on my Gibson '61 SG Reissue and yes, after trying everything (locking tuners, rolling bridge, trying to fix the bridge post holes to stop any possible "wiggling" etc) I just gave up, took it off and threw it away, replaced with a non trem system. Still a beautifully made SG and an awesome neck to play after adjusting to the different feel.

I agree I hate the veneer. It's probably there to hide a body made of 10 pieces of wood.

Maybe the smaller neck is to make them more 'beginner friendly' or 'modern' compared to their gibson counterpart

I love epi slim taper necks personally. My favorite necks, even over my expensive guitars. Just imo.

I personally own a 1961 reissue Epiphone Les Paul SG. I love it. Wish you had tested that one!

Back in 2016 I got an Epiphone g400 sg from my parents. It had the same wierd d-shaped neck which would make the thumb on my fretting hand hurt over time when playing barre chords. In 2021 I traded it in at Halkans in Stockholm for an Epiphone Tony Iommi sg custom, which is more c-shaped and sits just in between the neck profiles of my old Epi and my Gibson Les Paul studio. Epi necks seem to be a lottery of sorts, depending on year of manufacture and model, though the sgs seem biased towards flat d. Anyway, love your content! Don't agree with you on all topics, but it's still good to hear opinions and viewpoints that differ from my own. If I could spare the money I'd already be a patreon subscriber!

I'm the total contrary in neck taste... One of my first guitars was an Epiphone sg G-310 and now I can't stand a thick neck. My dream guitar was a Gibson SG standard and now that I live in a country where you can try Gibsons, I grabbed it, I sat, I played the first chord and I hated it right away, that was a crazy and sort of sad experience. Love your content Dr!

Zappa's Baby Snakes SG had veneer that stopped at the contour carves just like this one. The Tonepros locking roller bridge is the thrifty single-action option for keeping this in tune. That and dial in the nut slots I really like the flat spoon handle trem arm, plus it has three pivot mounting hole so you can shorten it considerably

I have an Epiphone 335 that I love to death and the neck is my favorite part but it’s a little thicker, but it’s a D shape which I really dig.

I’ve owned this model since it was released and very pleased with it. Considering it’s a fraction of the Gibby version it’s a clear choice. It actually has many advantages over the Gibson and when your playing Freebird the audience doesn’t know the difference

So the big question is; is the Gibson 4.1667 times better than the Epiphone?

My hands aren’t too big. I love my Ibanez w/ a wizard 3. I loved my epiphone SG’s slim taper neck just as much. I like guitars with really nice veneers. I’m lookin at one of the Pango SG kits that has a quilt maple veneer, and I think it would look wonderful in a finish like the faded SG studios that were for sale when I was 1st starting in the mid 00’s

Nice review, thanks a lot!

Great tones from the AxeFX :) that first chord blooming with the Plexi Jump !!!

The top having a different grain from that of the bevel is an added feature, considering SGs, Gibson or not, don't ordinarily come with a veneer, let alone a top slab. And getting that veneer to cover the entire top surface would probably require binding, which compromises arm comfort and IMO looks like cheap plastic. As for the thin neck, im sure you could find a thick one, as Gibson guitars were known to have baseball bat necks at one point. So there should exist an Epiphane model that duplicates that. I think you should consider keeping an SG as it suits your playing acoustically, better than any of those fancy guitars you have. Maybe pitch in for a pro setup, or a better nut, rollers, and lockin pegs, if you find an SG with that neck you like, of course.

André, in early 60's, Gibson Les Paul did not sell well so they change the shape completely and this include the "baseball bat" neck style! And, some of the original SG even have smaller width(around 1.625" instead of modern 1.695"). They probably try to overcome the "neck dive" issue with a lighter neck. Who knows? For the noise(knock,knock) when you push down the arm, it's probably the spring body that hit the top of the guitar. Just glue a 1/8" thick foam rubber(insulation for windows in winter at Loew's) under the curved spring and everything should be fine.😉

Over the course of almost 15 years of playing the sg is essentially the rg of Gibson and Epiphone and I fucking love it!

I have to say, Mr. Fludd, I couldn’t tell that it wasn’t the neck profile for you. You appeared to navigate it just as well as I imagine prince would have done if you were still with us and connecting the same demo. As for the Vibrola system, I can imagine the only way anybody would notice the clicking sound during a live gig or recording session would be if somebody shoved a live microphone against it. Having owned one Gibson guitar and several Epiphones, I can definitely tell the difference in the neck profile between the two brands. The profile of this one that you compare with that of Ibanez has actually been helpful to me. Although I’m capable of playing my Gibson Les Paul and enjoy doing it, there is something a little more comfortable about the slimmer profile in the Epi neck that works for me because I’ve got small hands like Tommy Shaw. That’s also present in my 335 knock off that was made by Yamaha. All that having been said, Mr. Fludd, i’ve got a question. The guitar that is sort of talking to me as I comment on Oct. 2023 is the BMG Metal May. That is essentially a close approximation of the Red Special in all black and with slightly modified hardware. Have you ever played an instrument of that type? If so, how would it compare in your opinion with some of these standard models?

I want an SG so bad because they look cool, but I hate how they feel so much

If you can get your hands on an Epi 59 special edition.... It's VERY good! I say that owning several Gibsons. The matte finish feels great!

Yes! Been waiting for this one!

You should really give the SG Modern a try. Those have the asymetrical slim taper, which is completely different. I liked it alot and wish more Epiphones had them. The 60's slim taper is garbage.

As you show, like with all non-locking trems, 99% of staying in tune is the nut. You don't need locking tuners. You don't need roller bridges. You just need a really well-cut, well-lubricated nut (the back of the slots can be rounded to reduce the need for a string butler significantly too). A bit of locktite blue will keep the arm in place. Unfortunate with the arm angle though.

Great guitar, i would only swap this pickups for Lindy frailins, lollar imperials, or throback paf pickups , but that is just me being a perfectionist. And i would put locking vintage tunners from gotoh, because i like these locking tunners. And if you don't like the vibrola, trading it for a stetsbar might just love the problem. The only downside : it might look ugly to some people.

Cool that you put the FRX on the Gibson, it’s a great underrated trem in my opinion…

That's exactly why i love my Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro so much, because of that Slim-Taper D neck. It is the best of both worlds. Played much thinner ones, and thicker ones too, this neck is just perfect balance.. So its an individual thing afterall :)

Hi Andre, when I started playing more, I purchased 2 2nd hand 2008 and 2009 made in China, epiphones (that my younger brother purchased in another country and carried all the way, so sentimental attachment),'56 reissue lp gold top P90s and a white-Cream sg g-400, changed the nuts, bridges and tailpieces, and after playing them, loved the lp rounded c neck, because of my big hands, and really disliked the left shift position on the sg, the neck dive, (not that pronounced), the mud buckers-alnico classic pups sound and the odd slim D tapper thin neck, that is thinner than the 60s lp D necks, but after 2 years of using it and practising with it, now I love the thin body, the 6 pounds weight, the aged cream colour tone, the small black pick-guard, the symmetrical naughty horns, the upper fret access, the easy access and tonal difference, when shifting your right hand closer and far from every pickup and how fast and comfortable the neck feels for chords, tap, slide and finger-style, sitting and standing up, classical or casual positions, (changed the pups to open black SD Pearly gates). In my case I adapted and now love it, it was a process and I was willing try it, very glad I did, it feels and sounds very good and different from Lp's, strats and thin superstrats, so now, I can say that is my 1st guitar choice among the ones I have. Oh and I have never seen any guitar that looks so good with silver-fox, Olive Drab Green, Inverness Green, white-cream and sparkling burgundy colour as the Sgs because of their bevels and overall aesthetics.Cheers, and take care.

Very nice review, as usual. Let's talk about that JUICY Music Man KAIZEN NOW !

I always wondered if Gibson/Epiphone would again produce the vibrola tailpiece. Glad to see it back! Nice video and information on it. I like the slim tapered neck. I can move. I might get one.

I love the neck profile its super fast

SGs ARE KNOWN FOR HAVING SMALLER NECKS. The original first guitar ever made with the body shape we know as an SG, the 1961 SG was not called an SG. IT WAS THE 1961 MODEL LES PAUL!!! It had a thin body and thin neck as an answer to THE POOR SALES OF THE LEGENDARY 1958-60 Les Pauls, the famous "Bursts", at the time they were released. The 61 SG basically originated that thin neck profile. Although, it sounds like this Epiphone neck may be thin, but not exact to the original 61 SG/Les Paul. It sounds like the Epiphone factory workers are trained to make that one neck shape and only their premium models (1959 Les Paul recreations which cost around $1000 while all their standard models are around $600) get custom different necks.

Bro you already know just like me that faded with say Lyndy Fraylins in it like mine is all the SG you need if you want vibrola get a stratacaster from Mexico and. Just enjoy the freedom of th SG tremolo free

I have the SG Epi Classic, with the P90's and green satin finish. I totally agree with your take on the neck profile. I don't mind it, but you described it perfectly. I also feel like the frets are a little smaller than normal. But I really like the guitar

SGs aren't for me - but the Epiphone Firebird and Coronet keep tugging at me and saying "buy me buy me buy me".

When l was younger neck profile was super important- used to hate thin necks- because l anchored the top of my hand on it - but now ( very big hands ) l just kinda float back there ( no anchor ) - so…it means whatever diameter really doesn’t matter anymore

Great comparison! Thanks

WOW, shocked how good the pickups sound 🤔

Excellent video. I hope Epiphone keeps up the good work of late.

Your comment about the Vibrola arm was just another example of some of the Gibson/Epiphone inefficiencies (mainly Gibson). They must not believe in the concept of standardization or part interchangeability. There are SO many little variations among the same guitar models, and they aren’t even related to incremental improvements. They’re just… different. Even a lot of their reissues have weird little detail changes from the originals that don’t make sense.

*sight* There's no way to put this respectfully to the audience members that requested this so here it goes: They're wrong. People *always* want to make a case for bridges without locking nut and fine tuners and honestly it never works out (EDIT: Never works out for these type of guitars as in Gibson stuff, there's a bit of a better case for Vigier or Musicman for example, but just clarifying before I get a lot of people mentioning those) Yes I know there's gonna be a bunch of people rushing to tell me I'm wrong and that it *can* have a stable tuning and so on but even what Andre here does is already on the level of at least an amateur guitar tech. See there's always people talking up these instruments and their vintage choices and they talk a lot around the glaring issues because they just like something traditional: Gibsons and Fenders first released half a century ago at least are what they like and will justify pretty much anything to not move away from it. Yes if you give Gibson close to 3000 USD and then spend several months of your life learning how to become a guitar tech and really set up guitars in an ideal way and adjust some aspects of your playing you *might* be able to get 90% of the way of just getting a modern guitar with a locking nut and fine tuners that can probably be had for under a third of the price, except it's not gonna be an SG or a Les Paul or a Strat or Tele.

Your pet peeve about how many screws come on a truss rod cover baffles me.

yeah the veneer is something else right,😂,... in 2023. Im a great lover of affordable guitars and some of the best Korean 90's axes have veneers that leave a bit to be desired; around cutaways etc. This current SG Epiphone veneer style is perfectly fine with a tobacco burst, but ive avoided getting one of their new p90 faded specials because of this very same "veneer feature".

The neck is thin to avoid neck dive.

got my SG from Epiphone back in 2020 before everything went weird with the world and they had to still call it the G400 pro. I love it, but I do get what you mean about the neck. It is thin and surprisingly thin. Everything still works and sounds nice so... I'll keep it. I do have slight issues with the veneer, but I got it to scratch that SG itch since I've always wanted one but can't really afford a Gibson.

I sometimes suspect that multi-leveled veneers/bevels are going to be looked back on as the 2020's equivalent of pointy headstocks...

Good video. Subscribed. Have you considered the "Epiphone Crestwood Custom"? Similar to the SG, but has a chunkier neck and a great trem system. Very nice pickups too. It seems to get good reviews. I've had one for quite a while now and it's great.

the muse is cool and has a thicker neck

Intro was cool , Eric Johnson vibes to me

Seems to be a lot better than the Epiphone SG from a couple of years ago. Thanks for the video

Does the neck ever feel “Stratty” to you? I haven’t played one in a while and I came away feeling like it felt the most like a Strat out of every Gibson/Epiphone save for the Firebird.

I jave the Frank Zappa Roxy on this guitar the Vibrola works really good but its more like a little wiggle on chords thing not a normal tremolo like a strat or floyd stuff 2:25

Sounds like a winner even the negatives sounds positive.

Thin D necks.... So I'd expect that to feel like the ESP's I played in 2015 felt, I still remember picking one up after playing mayones felt like picking up a toy guitar, the ESP necks were that tiny. That's a guitar I'm not gonna try anytime soon 😂

The best trem for that guitar is the frx for sure, by miles

The Gibson SG seems awfully skinny to me too. I have one of those and a Les Paul with a baseball bat neck. Maybe someday I'll find the Gibson Goldilocks's neck. I have read that the newish Tony Iommi SG has a thicker than normal SG neck and also P-90s which I did to mine. I know there's not supposed to be such thing as electric guitar tone wood, but the Buckers in the SG sounded ice picky thru my Deluxe Reverb. Buckers in the LP sound fine thru the same amp. I generally play the amp clean.

Sounds cool, hate the epiphone neck carve though. I wish they would change it

I've heard you compare vintage freysbwith modern frets. I play both Gibson & Epi guitars. I wish I could understand what you precisely and exactly mean by "modern" frets.

you got my sub i enjoy your videos you play the opposite type of guitars i do but i love your views on things

I just picked up an epiphone SG special with the P90s. Bought it because it was really cheap secondhand. I've always been kind of a guitar snob and looked down on the Epiphone Guitars. In this case I have to say I'm absolutely Blown Away by the guitar. Absolutely equal to my Gibson's. The neck is a little slim up by the nut I totally agree with that but by about the 7th fret up it is excellent nice and wide and just about to the right depth. Very close to my 1961 SG reissue. I also have the Epiphone Les Paul special TV yellow. I have a Gibson TV yellow Les Paul special as well. There is no discernible difference between the two other than the Finish. Epiphone is a thick poly and Gibson is a nitrocellulose. In my opinion it's also too thick. Unfortunately these days to get the correct finish you have to get the custom shop model. Gibson you need to get your act together. I've started buying Eastman guitars because of your policies.

Certain years the Gibson SG Standard was given a bigger neck.

The dreaded Epiphone Slim 'D" with that really uncomfortable 'shoulder'. I have an older Sheraton that apart from the neck carve would be wonderful. Supposedly better if you're a thumb on the back of the neck player, but, man, is it horrid.

people want to abuse eery trem like they never played it live and then complain it doesnt hold tune, people complain about the jaguar trem and i think its the best trem ever i play 10s tuned to standard on my 1963 fender jaguar guitar and down a full step on my other 1964 fender jaguar. i go crazy on my jag trem and its fine however trems like these arent made to go nuts like a floyd when you use them correctly they usually work

I just bought a schecter reaper floyd rose sustainiac and the high e string slips off the edge of the fretboard when i use my 8s. Trying to send it back and sweetwater doesnt see my issue. I see the issue, the bridge is screwed in too close to the low side, pushing the strings over just 1 to 2 mm to that side. Giving the high e string barely any room on the fretboard to play. Anyone else play with 8s and have had a guitar with this issue? Ive always used 8s and 9s and all my guitars ive never had this issue before. But i have seen that this issue does exist with some guitars.

Early squad 😂 really enjoying this series and get an opinion rather than just a demo. 👍🏻

I love slim necks, I’m the target buyer 😂

Just thinking about buying this beauty...really love the look of the vibrola but I don't want to use it and I'm scared of what would happen if I broke a string..is everything out of tune like with a spring based fender tremolo? Can I do double bends? Is there a method to "fix it"?

i dont know on the normal Epiphone they always have this D necks i also don like it they should make them more like sg tributes or 61 reissues

Not every Epiphone has that neck profile. I have a 2014 LP Standard Pro Plus that has a really fat C neck like a 50’s LP.

Hi Andre. Is the Vibrola floating? As in it goes Lower and higher pitch?

Ur right. It looks tacky. I didnt realize til you pointed it out cuz i thought it was the light reflecting.

I had a Gibson tweedy SG, and the vibrola was terrible… it was a shame, because I am a Wilco fan and loved the guitar’s aesthetic, but I couldn’t get the action low enough because the string break angle was effectively zero… that guitar should’ve been awesome, and I was extremely disappointed in it 🙁🤷‍♂️ I’m very gun shy on Gibson systems period, but I appreciate this video!

Was effect was that at the beginning? Sounded like ring modulation

Sounds like the bolt on the bottom of the arm is hitting the body.

Older epiphone sg's didn't have that ugly veneer. I miss those.

Does it not come with rollers on the saddle?

How's the balance? SGs have a bad rep for neck dive.

I have a Gibson vibrola arm that I'll give you. It is from a sixties SG Standard, I believe. Give me an email or mailing address to send it to. You should have bought the Custom. It's much nicer.

Did the FRX SG ever get sorted?

Andre, I've been meaning to ask you how you set up your guitars as far as string height. Do you keep all 6 strings (or both E's on Gibson style bridges) the same height? Or do you raise the low side and if so, how much? I play a lot like you. And I have big hands, too. Your preferences in a guitar are very similar. Espically neck profiles. I've been setting all bridges with 6 adjustable saddles at the same height. 1/16th or about 1.6mm off the fretboard.

Great review. After trying many epi's i found that i liked none of them. I settled on a Vintage V100. It felt better in every way to me. Maybe a "better than epiphone" series could be fun to try budget alternatives. Have you found a different trem for the gibson? I liked the previous video.

Very good review, but I'd have to agree with you about the neck profile, I had the Epiphone Custom Ebony and returned it because the neck was thin and did not feel right as you said.

Anything with some sort of Floyd rose system is gonna be better

I have bought a couple Gibson SG's in the last year. And if it was not for that stupid thin neck I would have bought The Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG. Check it out. But it was so hard to play with that super small neck. Great vid. The Epiphone sounded good.

I have replace my old sg by a 2015 sg i dont like there slim taper ..i cant play to much longer Time longer in it ...neck IS very large 43 .5 mn a the nut ..its like similar a classic nylon guitar ..and yes liké Ibanez profile..nothing right AT compair AT the Real sg .. Gibson became Silly and stupid ..

They should sunburst it to hide the ugly rim

I always feel Gibson is Overpriced af ...

i always say, save your pennies and get a Gibby!

That headstock is absolutely ugly, more and more looking at it now its not aged well since thr redesign And yeah sounds maybe like my dad's actual 60s sg, the nut width feels like probably it's 36mm wide, and then the 12th fret and above its fat and weird And no, string butlers are trash, all that excess stuff isn't necessary if your nut if perfect, I have a 2006 tokai les Paul Japanese copy and it stays in tune perfectly just absolutely perfectly.... I also put a graph tech on it And it's still great. All that stuff is just coping with a bad guitar from a bad guitar brand lmfao

I have been looking at the British made Vintage SG with Vibrola. vintage-vs6vcr-reissued-electric-guitar-with-vibrola-tailpiece. It's much less than the Epiphone and the reviews I have seen seem nice. Tuning and the vibrola is the obvious issue.

Hey Andre, I love watching your content! Would you also happen to have an instagram? I’m always on there so it’d be easy to see what you’re up to!