Is SG Junior a lesser version of the SG Special?

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Is SG Junior a lesser version of the SG Special?

Рет қаралды 10,324

Күн бұрын

Comparing these two classic guitar models from Gibson. At first glance it might seem that they are almost identical guitars, but there are pretty clear tonal differences and they feel different to play too.
Gear used:
Gibson SG Special
Gibson SG Junior
Marshall 1987x 50 W plexi reissue
Marshall 1960ax 4x12" cab
Parts:
0:00 Intro
0:25 Spec differences
1:35 Playing the Junior
2:25 Playing the Special
3:00 Analyzing the differences
3:55 Playing the Special again
6:18 Playing the Junior again
6:48 Further analysis of the differences in tone
8:19 Junior with the tone pot rolled down
9:34 Special with the tone pot rolled down
11:43 Clean tone with the Special
12:26 Clean tone with the Junior
13:42 Final thoughts

Пікірлер: 76

@bluglass7819 10 ай бұрын

I’d take a Junior over a Special. I like single pickup simplicity.

@jogo2000 10 ай бұрын

Makes a lot of sense! Juniors rock!

@mariolafontaine5853 10 ай бұрын

Really interesting study between the two! Although we can hear differences between the two, I must say I like the way both sounds. Thanks, it really helps me for my next choice of sound machine!

@jogo2000 10 ай бұрын

Thanks! I really like them both too.

@robertleslie2467 11 ай бұрын

The Jr. all day every day. With only one p90 it doesn’t have to share the tone juice with another pickup. I have a 2006 USA Jr. that I play through a tweed deluxe, a tweed champ, and a tweed Pignose 7-100 all cranked up and using the guitars volume and tone controls. Sometimes I do the same but with a 50w ‘79 Marshall JMP 2204 into a 1960B cab. I go straight in no chaser, no peddles into the “HIGH” channel where the destruction lives. Mahalo!

@jogo2000 11 ай бұрын

That’s gonna work!

@cwengelking 7 ай бұрын

Great demonstration! I feel like the Jr sounds bigger and fuller. Maybe has something to do with how the strings vibrate without the magnetic pull of a second pickup. I’ve noticed on other guitars, the ones with just a single pickup generally sound beefier to me. Love both these killer SGs!

@jogo2000 7 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@austindowton6238 5 ай бұрын

They don’t sound better, they just sound different. Just a case of the right tool for the job! You’ll never get the rolling warm feel of a strat with a single pickup design but you will also never get as clean and cutting of a tone as you will with an LP or SG junior

@petemccarry2326 5 ай бұрын

I presently have a ‘66 SG Jr. In the past I had a ‘59 LP Jr. 3/4. I also used to have a reissue SG Special with Lollars. And I have a Firebird with soap bars. From what I hear through my iPhone, the Special has more sustain and midrange than the Jr. The Jr. is more touch/attack sensitivity. Bridge/ tailpiece is also a factor. ‘50s wraparound tailpieces were hollow, and killed sustain. That is one of the characteristics of Johnny Thunders’ sound - the short tail of notes. Nothing wrong with the tinkle of notes above the nut. Tony Iommi did bends there. It was part of his style. Thanks for the video.

@adrian_V99 10 ай бұрын

I maintain the dog ear pickups differ in tone due to the mounting. Deeper and rounder.

@jogo2000 10 ай бұрын

You're probably right.

@ickyfinray 11 ай бұрын

Thanks Matti , I certainly found it interesting and explained a lot for me. I just got a junior and love it . Cheers. Icky

@jogo2000 11 ай бұрын

Awesome! Thanks.

@hannumettovaara Жыл бұрын

Keep up the good work Matti! I think I prefer the sound of SG Junior.

@jogo2000 Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Yeah, it’s more “3D” for a lack of a better term

@arthur.monticelli 11 ай бұрын

Congrats man both guitars sound terrific... amazing!

@jogo2000 11 ай бұрын

Thanks! I love to play them.

@ItzhakWoolf 6 ай бұрын

Compared to junior, special bridge pickup sounds like strings being pulled by neck pickup magnets, which makes the bridge pickup sound get a bit narrow and compressed(?) rather than bold.

@BillyMuircroft-wh3cu 10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for making this video!!!!

@jogo2000 10 ай бұрын

Thanks! It was fun to make

@musicnasa666 10 ай бұрын

The Jr is sparkling bright..the Special is just bright...and warmer maybe

@jogo2000 10 ай бұрын

Good comparison!

@dalehamon4295 6 ай бұрын

I wish I would’ve bought a SG Junior when they were available a couple years back

@jogo2000 6 ай бұрын

Maybe you can still find one.

@pietrovicchio1055 9 ай бұрын

Congratulations for the video. If the woods and pickups contribute to the sound of the guitar, I believe that even with the same model there will always be a difference between one guitar and another. I tested it with five of mine custom shop SG Specials (P90) and none of them are the same. The same goes when comparing different SG Standards (Humbuckers). So it is "obvious" that between different models you will notice a difference!!!

@jogo2000 9 ай бұрын

Wow, that's quite a selection of high quality guitars!

@LivioC 7 ай бұрын

I love my Junior.❤️

@cor-man 5 ай бұрын

The position of the pickup in the body (where it is along the scale length) and the distance from the bridge to the pickup is what’s making the biggest difference to the two tones.

@jogo2000 4 ай бұрын

I think you are right

@davidbaise5137 Ай бұрын

Well some people think it is less… one less pick up, right? There you go.

@jogo2000 Ай бұрын

More is more?

@pj_ama2359 6 ай бұрын

i love the SG Yoonyer

@EazyDoor 4 ай бұрын

I play on the bridge pickup 90% of the time on my telecaster. Neck pickup gets sometimes in the way of the plektrum. I'll take the junior, gladly!

@rickrevoir1683 7 ай бұрын

They are both sweet guitars. Thanks for demo. Be careful switching them i almost had a coronary. My 2021 has 490r & 498t i love sg's .

@scarcam 9 ай бұрын

The Junior just looks cooler!

@jogo2000 9 ай бұрын

Can't argue with that! It's super cool.

@fishyfish6768 11 ай бұрын

I’m a big fan of the SG. I own a 70’s SG 200, but I really want a Jr. I’m also a huge fan of Johnny Thunders. I think a good portion of his sound comes from his Les Paul DC with single P90 played through a 100 watt amp on clean channel, but cranked way up. I think the sound of an SG single P90 should be the close.

@jogo2000 11 ай бұрын

It is a glorious sound! Rock’n’roll!

@adrian_V99 10 ай бұрын

Make sure you only use a dog ear like JT did.

@benallmark9671 9 ай бұрын

What’s the purple unit on top of the Marshall head ? I’m guessing an attenuator but I’ve never seen that one before , what exactly is it ?

@jogo2000 9 ай бұрын

That is a Rivera Rockcrusher, an attenuator unit like you guessed.

@BostonWhoFan515 3 ай бұрын

Pop a bone nut on that Special. I did. That nut probably isn't cut correctly, causing that sound behind the nut. Mine's much more resonant acoustically now. Very alive. I've also found that pickup height with P90s is more sensitive than most other pickups. You really got to find the sweet spot, and in the case of the Special, you must find the right balance between the two, as well. But go with a bone nut for sure! 👍 cheers.

@jogo2000 3 ай бұрын

Thanks. I ordered a music city bridge for the special. Will be interesting to hear how much of a difference it makes

@BostonWhoFan515 3 ай бұрын

@@jogo2000 I got "The Savvy" Music City Bridge on my SG Special along with locking studs from the same place. Again, all this stuff has made the guitar extremely alive. That Bridge nails the intonation. Especially with the locking studs. So much better than the Gibson lightning bar tailpiece.

@jogo2000 3 ай бұрын

@@BostonWhoFan515 glad to hear that! I didn't get mine yet so good to hear that it works well.

@BostonWhoFan515 3 ай бұрын

@jogo2000 Yeah, I've tried them all. Tonepros, Faber, Pigtail, Golden Age, Wilkinson, Gotoh, Shaller, Graph Tech, etc.... nothing even close to the Savvy from MCB because most of the others don't retain the traditional look of the original. Some do, but compared to the MCB Savvy, they just don't stand up. MCB has two models, the Savvy and the Stud Finder. The Savvy is for guitars like the SG Special that we have. Straight across from stud to stud. The Stud Finder is for like LP Jrs and older SGs that had the angled wraparound tailpiece. So go for the the Savvy. They offer both models and locking studs in a polished nickel finish or an aged nickel finish. I went with the polished version since my guitar is mint. I'll add my own wear to it. It really complements the guitar so well. The locking studs are a must. They drop right into the stud wells that are already in a Gibson. So, no modifying. It'll still work if you use the stock Gibson studs, but the bridge will have a little lean like the stock bridge and you won't get its full potential. Once it's locked with the MCB studs, the guitar becomes so resonant. The bone nut I added helped a lot, too. The guitar's a rock machine after those two upgrades. 👍

@Les537 10 ай бұрын

Could be as simple as different pots. You'd have to measure them. I think the biggest factor is the wood. There's a lot more routs in the special which would cause different resonance. Anyway, I have a LP and SG special (the LP sounds better). I prefer the specials cause I'm constantly flipping to the neck pickup.

@jogo2000 10 ай бұрын

You're right, I completely forgot about the pots! And the rest of the components like caps etc. They have pretty big tolerances.

@bobbyblue2632 19 күн бұрын

Are the necks the exact same size and shape?

@jogo2000 17 күн бұрын

I think very similar. The special has a binding though, which makes it feel a lot different.

@toneyisaiah3556 3 ай бұрын

Junior of course.

@DE-GEN-ART 6 ай бұрын

well i like the JR, but when it was created thats exactly what it was marketed as: a lesser version of the special. a student guitar. that doesnt make it bad but objectively the JR is made with less parts, less routes, lesser materials like the bond neck, all while sharing the same body shape. its absolutely a lesser version, just like a special is a lesser version of a standard.

@jogo2000 6 ай бұрын

I can't argue with that.

@LittleAng 11 ай бұрын

Great video, thx! I’ve got a junior and a standard, always thought a special would be very similar to my junior so I never bothered about them, but man that was quite a difference, think I gotta go hunting for a used special 😊

@jogo2000 11 ай бұрын

A good idea to try before you buy, as always

@dalehamon4295 6 ай бұрын

Single coil please 🙏

@johnnymarcy4904 3 ай бұрын

Are the pots the same?

@jogo2000 2 ай бұрын

As far as I know. They are both stock and from the same period.

@benallmark9671 9 ай бұрын

Are the bodies identical in shape and size ?

@jogo2000 9 ай бұрын

As far as I can tell yes.

@elvarwinston 6 ай бұрын

I never understood why somebody would want a guitar with no neck pickup. its half of the guitar missing IMO

@jogo2000 6 ай бұрын

Fair enough. Consider this. Is there something missing from an acoustic guitar?

@casqueadrian 4 ай бұрын

Tone pot...

@Drjoyitas 7 ай бұрын

I like the junior but with humbucker indtead of p90

@jogo2000 7 ай бұрын

Yeah why not? That’d be cool

@Drjoyitas 7 ай бұрын

@@jogo2000 yeah i got a cheap epiphone like that and has a great tone. Its my favorite guitar and I have more expensive others but that epiphone sounds so good. See in my channel If u want.