Gibson’s electric guitars have a special place in the world of blues and rock and metal. The company has for more than a century given its guitars excellent design, innovation and technology. With this in mind, which Gibson model is better for you, the SGJ or SG?
| Features: | Gibson SGJ | Gibson SG |
|---|---|---|
| Frets: | 24 | 22 |
| Neck Inlay: | Dot | Acrylic Trapezoids |
| Pickup: | 61 Zebra double-coil | 490T |
Gibson SGJ
You may think that Gibson doesn’t know what “affordable” means. However, it wasn’t always like this. If you’re hoping for a budget Gibson guitar, then the SGJ probably isn’t it.
A few years ago, Gibson took some aesthetic and premium features out of their SG guitar series. The reason for this was to create an unbeatable mid-priced rock guitar: the Gibson SGJ.
Perhaps you may not have seen much of this guitar as it had a limited production. It represents one of the few products from Gibson that has been made for the hard-working musician.
Gibson originally made the guitar in 2014 and never again made it back to production.
Design
Gibson’s SGJ has the classic Gibson SG shape, with very minor changes to the SGJ.
Gibson has given the SGJ a nice and traditional mahogany body, giving it a rich, lightweight tonewood that’s standard on most Gibson guitars.
On the body, you’ll see that the SGJ lacks one of the SG’s trademark features, which is an elegant pickguard.
Gibson has given the guitar a maple neck with Gibson’s temporary SlimTaper profile. The SlimTaper shape is slightly asymmetrical, making it very slim and allowing for more straightforward chord playing and easier solo playing.
Gibson has given the SGJ a satin finish all over the body and neck. It should be noted that satin finish typically wears down over the years, so the more the guitar is used, the less finish the guitar will have. In regards to satin, it’s an okay ingredient that’s used to protect the guitar from dust and scratches. However, it’s just not the premium finish material an expensive SG guitar would have.
Sound
Plugging Gibson’s SGJ into a decent amp and you’ll discover a full-blown Gibson rock sound. The SGJ is powerful, balanced, and as close to the SG as it can be.
The Gibson SGJ isn’t a cheap copy. It’s still the real thing as it only lacks some aesthetic features.
The SGJ’s sound is the rock bread and butter that many guitarists want. It has a fat and low-end solid, with a crunchy and round mid, and robust highs. Every note is articulated, giving space to the next. The harmonies of the SGJ are perfect, giving an overall balance that’s superb.
Gibson SG
The simple and distinctive SG has drawn many of us in who love the raw, loud, and sometimes harsh guitar tone. If you were to pick up an SG, those are the thoughts that would run through your head. When picking up an SG, it’s hard not to play something by AC/DC or Black Sabbath, I dare you!
Design
From a distance, the cherry red that the SG has looks great. However, when up close, you can see something more. The Gibson SG has a grain with A-grade mahogany giving a darker colour. Gibson’s process is to paint the raw mahogany black, then sand it back until only the grain is black. Once the cherry red is sprayed on top and finished with nitrocellulose, the effect seen by the finish gives the guitar amazing depth.
The Gibson SG comes in different available colours: cherry red, ebony, classic white, and a natural burst. Gibson has upgrade options to include Min-ETune, which is a small device that sits snugly behind the headstock.
Sound
The tone that comes from Gibson’s SG is brighter than you would hear on a heavier Les Paul, giving you a growl that’s less throaty. Its clean tones are also notably brighter. Many are surprised by how good the pickups are at responding to delicate finger-style. This gives the SG versatility that can be used in so many other genres other than the classic rock that it’s most known for.
Conclusion
Both Gibson models are great because they’re similar to each other and have a decent price tag. The SG comes with two finishes: the faded, which is less expensive and looks more like the SGJ in finish and the gloss, and they put way more attention to the finish there. While it costs more, it ends up looking great. While the faded look looks good, the finish on the SGJ looks better than the SG’s Faded look.