Gibson '71 SG. Any good?

[mesadude]

i used to have a 73 SG, very very very good guitar !
this seems a bit overpriced though..

nothing wrong with gibson in the 70's..
the only thing is they started moving from Kalamazoo to Nashville in november '73
which for some makes the post 73 guitars "unpure"..
they did have some problems in the transition, but nothing to worry about..

anyways, since this one is a '71, Nashville has nothing to do with it..

[mishisle]

Cool, I think I'll go check it out.

[Early21]

Not sure about '74, but I guess similar to my '72 SG. Took it down to the local store to try out amps, one of which was the Orange Tiny Terror. Interesting thing, a brand new SG sounded just like my old SG. I also tried a Fender amp, whatever it was, blues deluxe or something, which I did not like, but again, both guitars sounded the same through the amp. The Fender was very bright and harsh compared to the Orange.

So I think my point is, to compare guitars, you need to use the same amp. And in my own trials, I found I would have been happy with a new SG. One advantage of the new SG was that the neck was much more stable.

You should be aware that the '71 SG that you gave the link to is a Special, which was the cheaper model in those days. The pickups are not the same as the Standard. Could be a matter of taste, but they don't drive nearly as much. It's not the SG sound I'm used to. The Standard or the Deluxe should be going for more than the Special. The Standard was the guitar used by the pros back then - Clapton, West, Zappa, Garcia, etc. Not the Special. The price is too high too. Check ebay for what was actually sold for what price to get an idea what you should pay.

I've got a Strat too, and this is a good pair to have.

[string6theory]

I've got a '71 SG Deluxe and it plays/sounds fantastic. Bought it used a couple years back for about $1200 and it was in great shape. I really like the neck feel and action, but mainly the classic, gritty SG tones. You can probably find a better deal if you're patient.

BTW, compliments my main Strat, Tele dlx and LP std nicely.

[Musiclab]

after 1969 was the dark era for Gibson, the guitars after 69 were simply not in the same league as the instruments made before then. Having said that sometimes you find a good one. Since however they are now a "vintage" instrument, they cost for the most part, way more than they are worth.

[rogerbrain]

if you like it and it does what you want its good.

I will agree that IN GENERAL the 70's were pretty bad for most American guitars...BUT it was more about quality control and details than materials ...sooooo Gibson (and fender gretsch guild etc) accidentally built some very good ones ...some... I had a 77 les paul that had NO REASON to be a good guitar with 2 piece back/3pice top/3piece neck with volute ... but it was a very good sounding guitar...and very stable.

I would say IN GENERAL that guitars are better and more consistant since the late 80's . but they are not all good

so if you like it , it plays and stays in tune ...its good .

[rolandjuno6]

All things considered, it seems that just about every time I read a thread on this forum or on another forum about an older guitar somebody will almost always say that it is "overpriced". This is relative. $2400 is around about what I would expect a well maintained no need to be repaired completely original and very playable 1971 SG Special would cost. The SG in question in this thread has changed tuners and a repaired headstock. Not that these are bad things. Sometimes repairs and changes need to be made to get an older guitar into good playable condition. But this lowers the value in varying degrees. Not that this is a bad thing either since sometimes it makes older guitars more affordable to working musicians. But I would pass on this one.

[string6theory]

^ I do agree, it's all relative, and the main thing with these very personal guitar purchases is to be happy with it in your own mind. It did take me a while to find the right one for me (and it was my 1st SG purchase , but one could end up passing up an opportunity with this wait, see and try approach as well. I sort of followed my gut on this one.

[rogerbrain]

Originally Posted by rolandjuno6

All things considered, it seems that just about every time I read a thread on this forum or on another forum about an older guitar somebody will almost always say that it is "overpriced". This is relative. $2400 is around about what I would expect a well maintained no need to be repaired completely original and very playable 1971 SG Special would cost. The SG in question in this thread has changed tuners and a repaired headstock. Not that these are bad things. Sometimes repairs and changes need to be made to get an older guitar into good playable condition. But this lowers the value in varying degrees. Not that this is a bad thing either since sometimes it makes older guitars more affordable to working musicians. But I would pass on this one.

with ya.. at 2400 you are into the range of new custom shop SG's .. I have played several of them and a couple have been very good sounding, felt really solid ( quite important for an SG since the neck joint is SMALL) .. if you are over 2 grand on a 70's SG it would be a good idea to see whats in that range from the custom shop. I will say that some of the Les Pauls form the custom shop are pretty average.. but a few that i have played were just wonderful on all counts.

[jmikeperkins]

Early21 "The Standard was the guitar used by the pros back then - Clapton, West, Zappa, Garcia, etc."

I guess no one got around to telling Pete Townshend that the SG Special that he used during the Who's most famous period (1969-1974, Tommy Woodstock) was not a professional guitar. The tone that Townshend gets with his SG Special on Live At Leeds is pretty amazing, but it's a matter of taste (single coil P90's vs. Humbuckers).

I love and collect vintage Gibsons. Sure, they made some mistakes in the later 60's - early 70's and some of those guitars are not their best. However, they also made some AMAZING guitars during that period up until the day they closed the Kalamazoo factory. Everything after Kalamazoo is like a different company. The better early 70's Gibsons are probably some of the best values out there in vintage guitars.

There are some great SG's from the early 70's. The thing about SG's is that they are pretty fragile and a lot of them have broken headstocks and some of them have had problems in the joint where the neck meets the body. Sometimes the repairs have been done badly and you want to avoid those guitars if possible. I would much rather have a good early 70's SG than a new one. The mahogany in the older ones was better than what is available today and it has also had 30-40 years to dry out.

[Early21]

Good catch about Pete Townshend. Remember trying the Special at the time I bought the Deluxe I have, and the sound is quite different of course, as you point out, single coil vs. humbuckers. Special was also less cash if I remember correctly. Maybe Pete used them because he smashed one at every show! Probably saved $100 a pop, literally!

[Tapeworm]

My friend has a worn out 72 SG. I tried to make an even trade for my pristine 2001 SG. He didn't even think of biting. I'm just glad he's still my friend after asking.

Seriously, mine sounds good but his plays like butter and roars like thunder. There is serious mojo in some of those old Norlin's.

[FFTT]

Originally Posted by Tapeworm

My friend has a worn out 72 SG. I tried to make an even trade for my pristine 2001 SG. He didn't even think of biting. I'm just glad he's still my friend after asking.

Seriously, mine sounds good but his plays like butter and roars like thunder. There is serious mojo in some of those old Norlin's.

2000 & 2001 Historic RI's were supposed to be a great batch.

I agree, you have to look at every guitar regardless of age, but there's
a lot to be desired between 69-1982 .

When Shaw took over the Custom Shop in '83 some of those first run '84
Custom Shop RI's were very well done and the Shaws are some of the best sounding PAFs. That time slot 83-86 produced some good stuff that can be found reasonable enough.

I've seen clunkers in those years too, so the best advice is to take one guitar
at a time.

[Tapeworm]

Originally Posted by FFTT

2000 & 2001 Historic RI's were supposed to be a great batch.

I agree, you have to look at every guitar regardless of age, but there's
a lot to be desired between 69-1982 .

When Shaw took over the Custom Shop in '83 some of those first run '84
Custom Shop RI's were very well done and the Shaws are some of the best sounding PAFs. That time slot 83-86 produced some good stuff that can be found reasonable enough.

I've seen clunkers in those years too, so the best advice is to take one guitar
at a time.

Yes, I should have added that each one should be tested on it's own merit. There are dogs and gems in every era but if you find an old wood gem....mmmmm!

[kennybro]

Here's my advice after doing a lot of neck repair for the past 20 years. Don't do it. That guitar is worth 8 or 9 hundred bucks, tops. Actually, I wouldn't invest that in it unless I was primed to do some serious work on that neck joint, and god knows what that would entail. Even with that, it'll be a player; not a valued vintage piece.

Neck/headstock repairs, even very good ones, always remove guitars from the "vintage value" world. That's a terrible repair, obvious from just glancing at the photos. Take a close look at that gap where it joins the back. If that's stable, as claimed, it's packed with epoxy or something. Ouch!

[kennybro]

Deleted: Duplicate post

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by Early21

Good catch about Pete Townshend. Remember trying the Special at the time I bought the Deluxe I have, and the sound is quite different of course, as you point out, single coil vs. humbuckers. Special was also less cash if I remember correctly. Maybe Pete used them because he smashed one at every show! Probably saved $100 a pop, literally!

And Wodstock-era Carlos Santana too! Amazing tone and kinda the lead yang to Townshend's rhythm ying if you want.

SGs (and Specials with P-90 especially so) have great bite and cut. Just like with older Les Pauls (or some of the better reissues) there's much more treble than a lot of folks usually associate with the Gibson sound.

As for the OP, I'd try a few different new ones along with the '71. I noticed plenty of new SGs around lately, some very affordable ones like the '60s tribute' series among them. If you find a good one then that's it. No matter what the experts say about waning standards and so on......

I bought a few guitars from these guys here, actually I was very close to buying the 61' SG reissue still listed there but I opted for a 2006 Les Paul GO/RO instead which I must say is a fantastic guitar. I'm still lusting for an SG though....

Grinning Elk | Shop | Vintage Guitars | Rare Guitars | Collectible Guitars | Autographed Guitars | Guitar Sales

[Unclenny]

I love my '71 Deluxe but it's not the guitar for everyone.

That slim tapered neck is just perfect for me and that Bigsby is my best friend.

Not so sure, though about the one you are looking at. Play it. It might come alive in your hands. P90's have serious character.....I put a P94 at the bridge of my custom strat.

[mishisle]

Thanks everyone for yo replies. Super informative. Comments about the neck repair especially. Think I'll pass on this particular SG. I like the idea of the older wood though, and old guitar feel is 'priceless'.

[John Eppstein]

Originally Posted by mishisle

Howdy 'gang',

I'm in the market for a Gibson SG. I currently have a strat and want to change my sound a bit guitar-wise. Something thicker and warmer. Pretty sure I want an SG based on these requirements and also the aesthetic thing. Yesterday I went to a couple of guitar shops and tried a pretty beaten up '74 SG through a vintage Fender amp and it sounded awesome. Then I tried a brand new one in another shop through a new Orange (a good valve one) and it sounded allot worse compared. Soft and muddy, no tone etc. I assume the new ones are pretty shit compared to vintage ones? I've heard the 70s were a bad era for Gibsons. Anyway, I've found this other one which looks pretty sweet. It's a '71. Is it a good deal? I don't really know allot about any of these guitars, I've always been into Fenders.

Thanks peepz!

I'm an old guy, so I'm a bit jaded when it comes to so-called "vintage" guitars, but -

With very few exceptions, '70s era Gibsons and Fenders were the absolute WORST guitars those companies ever made in terms of build quality and sonics. During that era both companies were owned by major conglomerates controlled by bean counters who did not give a rat's rear end about the quality of their products. (During that period I worked as a tech for several music stores.)

Now I'm not saying that a new instrument is necessarily better - and not all guitars from that era are turkeys - but on the whole, I avoid '70s era Gibsons and Fenders like the plague. Noisy, microphonic pickups and neck problems are common. The quality of wood used in guitars of that time is generally very low as well.

If you're comparing tone, make sure you use the SAME AMP! The difference in tone you're hearing between the two quoted selections is almost certainly due largely to the amp. If possible, bring your own.

The very newest Gibsons are also not always that great, so pick and choose. Sometimes the new Gibsons have a lack of attention to detail, depending on the general price range of the instrument, however this can generally be taken care of by a good guitar tech. OTOH, if you have a set neck instrument that won't stay in tune because the crappy wood in the neck bends like a rubber band (as in many '70s SGs) you're screwed. Check the instrument out carefully.

[John Eppstein]

Originally Posted by jmikeperkins

Early21
I guess no one got around to telling Pete Townshend that the SG Special that he used during the Who's most famous period (1969-1974, Tommy Woodstock) was not a professional guitar. The tone that Townshend gets with his SG Special on Live At Leeds is pretty amazing, but it's a matter of taste (single coil P90's vs. Humbuckers).

I guess you never noticed that Townsend smashed most of the SGs that he played in that era. They were not selected because they were quality guitars - they were throwaways.

I love and collect vintage Gibsons. Sure, they made some mistakes in the later 60's - early 70's and some of those guitars are not their best. However, they also made some AMAZING guitars during that period up until the day they closed the Kalamazoo factory. Everything after Kalamazoo is like a different company. The better early 70's Gibsons are probably some of the best values out there in vintage guitars.

Maybe. If the necks stay in tune and the pickups don't squeal.

Incidentally, REAL vintage Gibsons are pre-1969. After that the quality of wood took a nose dive.

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by John Eppstein

With very few exceptions, '70s era Gibsons and Fenders were the absolute WORST guitars those companies ever made in terms of build quality and sonics. During that era both companies were owned by major conglomerates controlled by bean counters who did not give a rat's rear end about the quality of their products. (During that period I worked as a tech for several music stores.)

I totally agree.

Gibson was bought by Norlin in the late 60s and one of their major 'achievements' was adjusting to changed warranty laws in the US around that time. Acoustic guitars suffered the most as they just took the hardest woods they could find with ZERO regard to its tonal quality to make sure that the guitars 'held up' for a long time.

Things got better again later on, as they did with Fender after they came out of the dark CBS ages. And they all got their butt seriously kicked by the great quality instruments that the Japanese especially were putting out for much less money.

But on a pure practical level (and getting back OT): What are your options when you lust for an SG? The 'golden years' vintage ones are WAY out of reach for most working musicians and you easily will spend more than 10k for an early-60s original.

Maybe the '71 is a good guitar but at that price I seriously would compare it to the many Gibson Custom Shop reissues that go for about the same price. Not all of them are great of course but the same is true for the originals.

I think that we have it better than ever as far as guitar gear is concerned. There is more competition than before and when you look at all the SGs currently being made and reissues - and let alone what is available on the used market - the choices are vast.

There is no reason why you shouldn't find an excellent SG for a very affordable price. And with the PU choices these days I'd seriously consider something like a 60s Tribute model (try out 10 and pick the good one!) and upgrade it with say Seymour Duncan Antiquities.

[kennybro]

Originally Posted by mishisle

Thanks everyone for yo replies. Super informative. Comments about the neck repair especially. Think I'll pass on this particular SG. I like the idea of the older wood though, and old guitar feel is 'priceless'.

Good move. If you need vintage wood, a reputable dealer will give an comprehensive in-hand description on the phone and offer a return period.

Even better if you can hold it and play it yourself, but sometimes not possible to travel to the best one available.

I agree that the feel of a great old guitar is something that's really hard to replicated by "relicing." I've picked up a few by individual makers that felt eerily real. None of the Fender CS relics.

[jacktadoussac]

I don't know about you but I find the guitar in the picture has too many scratches. Has it been used to shovel gravel? It's a perfectly fine piece, I suppose, but I don't like the idea of loads of neck repairs without a big discount to the buyer.

[cinealta]

Have you tried the 1961 Gibson SG Reissue? It's a great SG.

[mishisle]

Yeah I reckon I might go for a 60s re-issue. I like the idea of 90s over humbuckers. Will play as many as I can. The problem is I'm in Australia so we don't have as many options as you guys over there. I'm sure something will come up though. Thanks again everyone!

[cinealta]

Originally Posted by mishisle

The problem is I'm in Australia so we don't have as many options as you guys over there.

Why don't you fly to California? You can spend sometime at True Tone in Santa Monica (no affiliation) and play every type of guitar. They can drop ship your purchases home to Australia.