From Leo: I bought one of those a couple years ago when Musicians friend put them on special discount. It has been excellent and I have really learned to enjoy the split switch on the humbuckers, I find the tones pretty useful. My old gibson SG does not have the split feature so I cannot compare. I think the Epiphone pickups are more articulate than the gibson for clean work. I put a plastic bag full of shotgun lead shot in the control cavity to help the neck balance.
Mine is one of the older ones with the maple neck, VERY neck heavy. I relocated the strap button to the upper horn like Iommi did, that took care of it on mine. Even better with a Bigsby 🤘😁
Guy, I bought one of these 2nd hand, spent 45minutes doing a really good setup on it, this guitar is AMAZING! you won't be disappointed. Clean, dirty, it does it all!
Just bought the Epiphone SG Pro in cherry yesterday. I've had the cherry and black versions of the standard G400 and they were great but the SG Pro sounds amazing and the neck binding really classes it up. Coil tapping is another big reason i bought this guitar since i also like that clean stratocaster sound which you can get on this. Playing it through my Boss Katana Artist MK2 is just pure awesomeness!!
I've got a 2018, same model, etc. It's a favorite for two reasons: I love the neck, it's as fast as I can be. That Alnico bridge pick up is by far the best I've heard- Gibson, Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio, you name it. However, there are a few downsides- the biggest being the wiring. I've already replaced the switch, and the Neck volume pot, and I'm thinking about just gutting the wiring and jack which comes loose about every third gig. Others are very minor- like I never liked red, and would love to repaint it in Pelham Blue, and I have to oil the neck pretty often- the Pau Ferro is very dry. But, overall- the SG is my favorite "type" of electric, and the newer G400 Epiphones are honestly the best sounding SGs I've ever played. Oh, and yes, I have played Jazz gigs with it!
I’ve always wanted to get this guitar!!! For the price it’s a great humbucker equipped guitar. For whatever reason, I never pulled the trigger on it. I’m sure if you had done this review four or five years ago, it would be in my collection!!!!! Cheers!!!!🎸🎸🎸🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
It amazes me that I haven't found this channel before. Myself being a hardcore left handed player who feels offended that guitar manufactures often put a price premium on their left handed models. Then when signature models, especially those known of left handed players such as Tony Iommi, get demonstrated on most channels on right handed models. Also this host (Shane?) is a blues man. Which is my choice genre of playing. I look forward to more.
I recently picked up a used 2008 Epiphone SG G400 in a worn cherry satin finish for $300 and it's rapidly becoming my favorite guitar. Now I wonder why I didn't try out an SG sooner, it sounds massive and super comfortable to play.
Had mine for a while now now and still can't stop playing it. I fitted some Irongear Tesla Sharks and moved the strap button to the top horn to help the balance with the strap. Massive value for money guitar.
I have the previous model without binding on the neck. Never really mattered to me but the binding does look nice. These SGs are really great sounding and feeling guitars.
I have one of these,, and a Gibson 2017 SG Standard, which has been nothing other than a pain in the butt...loads of problems with the electrics to such an extent it was completely rewired......The Epiphone is so good it actually made me explore and buy a ES339..which is awesome.. Great Value Guitars...Great Video by the Way..
Great video! I have a mint 2016 SG-400 (not the pro) in worn cherry that I picked up at pawn shop for $150 and it’s a very good instrument! Pick one up and play it unplugged an you can really hear and feel how good they resonate.Mine has Grover tuners, so neck dive is definitely there, which sucks, but you work around it. And I’m glad you pointed out the neck flex tuning issue. I noticed that early on with mine as well. One other thing that kinda throws me off is the scale length vs. overall length. The scale is shorter than my Stratocaster, but it has a longer overall length, so it takes some getting used to when switching between the two instruments as far as hand positioning. Cheers! 🤙🏻😎🎼🎸
Great vid Shane. I've never had the Pro version but every other high end Epi I have had was well worth the money. My 2005 Chinese build SG Custom is one of the best SG's I own and easily equal in playability and sound to a 2007 Gibson SG Special I have. A nice leather strap with a bit of texture on the back (underside) helps with the balance. The latest Epi Iommi SG is also cool - and available as a lefty.
Love the review. There are not many reviews of this particular model (left or right handed). Wanted an SG worn brown, but due to unavailability decided to get the cherry version of the G400 in may 2020 and ended up with this beast of a guitar. Sales pictures of the G400 model never showed binding, but it came with it, just like all "inspired by Gibson" models now. Feels great, sounds great and it is worth every cent spend... 10/10
@@crypticreality8484 I have an inspired by Gibson Les Paul and it is awesome. I got my G400 pro brand new for $349 where as the inspired by Gibson is $150 more. I think the only difference is the headstock. Actually the inspired by Gibson don’t have split coil. I prefer to keep the money in my pocket. The older g400 pro didn’t have the neck binding like the more recent ones. Epiphone is really good.
@@ka4sxi Oh and the G400 has a Rosewood fretboard and the SG Standard has an Indian Laurel. I have a fretboard of each and.... they're virtually interchangeable. I can't pick a clear winner. The coil split is kinda cool. I wouldn't use it myself.... I play the bridge humbucker 99% of the time. Thx for the info. I can't compare got and finish though but, the new Standards have 4.8 ⭐ reviews and the G400 has 4.6 ⭐'s.
Great demo - Accurate in terms of the pros and cons. I have one as well as an Epiphone ES 335 Pro - love them both! The humbuckers growl. Both great, budget-friendly options.
Probuckers are actually pretty decent pickups, and the late model Epiphones generally make decent modding platforms (in my experience, the Chinese factories from 2008 compared to 2019 are night and day different). You could simply upgrade the nut, and pots&caps and have a great guitar.
Yes, I have Probuckers (Alnico II) in an Epi Les Paul. This SG has Alnico Classic PRO pickups (Alnico V), just visible on the stickers at 2:10. Looking at the current Epiphone line up, they put Alnico Classic PRO in the Standard, Muse and Custom, Probuckers in the 'Standard 60s' (61) and Modern, and Burstbuckers in the '1961 Les Paul SG Standard'.
Everyone remarks about the neck dive on SG guitars. I played a Gibson SG bass for years and it never bothered me, though the propensity to tip neckwards is even greater than on the six-string. I now have the SG 400 Pro, and I love it.
Thanks for the awesome review! My 11 year old hard rock player of 7 months wants this Epiphone 1966 SG-400 for Christmas😁🎸 It sounds lovely the way you play it here💖 I'm sold
This is one excellent SG. I grabbed one for a friend of mine this last past Christmas for only $299 on sale from Musician's Friend. I got the 1966 model with the batwing pickguard with the Cherry Red finish. It too also had all cream binding along the fingerboard. I wished I had purchased one for myself too. The new 2020 models should be awesome as well as they are supposed to like many of the new 2020 Epiphone guitars should also have Gibson open book headstocks only with the Epiphone name on them all. This should make many people who say they don't like Epiphone guitars because of the headstocks finally happy.
TVLTNT Are they finally doing that? When I was stationed in Japan in the Air Force, the Epiphone Japan headstocks we’re already like that 20 plus years ago. I don’t think Gibson will hurt their high end market by switching the headstock. I don’t think it’s hurt Fender’s market share up at the expensive guitar level.
Yep, they're doing it. I recall seeing a beauty of a Les Paul Custom that had the Epiphone name on it from Japan. It was a exact copy of the USA made one. It even had the full size diamond inlay on the full size headstock as well. Epiphone is going to be HUGE come the 2020 models.
Cheese mate, been looking for a decent, no nonsense review of this guitar for ages, usually only find music stores doing their QVC bit. Much appreciated, keep up the good work Shane
Back in February I ordered a set of Alnico Classic Pro pickups and a wiring harness from eBay to put in a 1977 Hondo II Les Paul copy that I've been tinkering with. They sound great!
I have a Korean manufactured SG G-400 Epi and yes for the $ you can't beat them if you want that Angus Young sound, for a pith of the price of a US Gibson SG.
I've got the 1966 re issue which I bought roughly 10 years ago. It sucks so bad. The neck is so fat. Ugly pick ups. The only nice about it is the grover tuners is decent
@@trevorsaunar3158 I've got a honey one of these with gold hardware. I must admit, it looks fantastic but I do prefer the slimmer necks and find myself grabbing any other SG but that one. But it's definitely the best looking SG I own.
@@peterschmidt9942 those looks great. Mine is too, even after a full set up mine still sucks. Too bad I live in a country where you cant find epiphones and Gibsons. We only have fenders here.
@@trevorsaunar3158 I did have plans on putting in some SD P rails in there, but never got around to it. I really do like the look of the gold hardware. The guitar itself really has a nice resonance, even unplugged. I'm just not a fan of chunky necks.
Don't forget your mom and pop stores too. They may not be able to support many videos like this but the opportunity for me to walk in any time they're open, pull a guitar off the wall and experience it for myself? Priceless. I did that with the very guitar you reviewed in this video and I found a gem. Fat and beefy tone. Crystalline cleans. Muscular distortion. I like it.
As fornhis last comment, i know a guy that plays jazz on an original 60s Gibson sg.... that said, i picked one of these up this week and i absolutely love it. Without a doubt the best guitar in my fleet....
Hey Shane, you'll probably find that the top and backs are veneered and they've used some concoction of mahogany for the body. I've got one of the older SG Pro's and I like how on the newer ones they've added binding to the neck. It definitely blurs the line between Epiphone and Gibson just that much more. The tuners should be Wilkinson as well, even though they're branded epiphone. As for the neck/tuning issues I think it's part of the fun with an SG! Although it's not as prominent on the thicker necked models, it happens on Les Pauls too, just not as noticeable. And if you like the pickups, I've seen new sets being sold on ebay for just under $100AU - great if you want to upgrade an older Epi for cheap.
SGs are my favorite and most played guitars, they're so comfortable to play, at least for me personally. They're just great rock machines and don't set you back as much as a Les Paul (which I still love btw). People complain about neck dive on SGs, and it's true to certain degree, but it's also partly user error in a lot of cases. For example, it's surprising how many people don't know how to wear the strap on an SG (yes, there is a way): try putting a half turn in the strap so it falls straight down the shoulder to the back pin... the strap will wear straight due to the pins, instead of twisted, if that makes sense. It actually helps stop the guitar from rolling down the shoulder a lot. People also tend to wear them around their knees which doesn't help, a short strap will almost completely eliminate neck dive in some cases. People also wrap up sinkers in the cavity as counter weights if your really struggling.
I have one of these with gold hardware and a Dimarzio Dimebag bucker in the bridge. Amazing guitar. Mine doesn't have the stripes like that which I prefer. No push pulls on my model and I love how light it is. Great review Shane, I sub'd 6 yrs ago and not sure how I missed this video until now. Great video!
The neck bent is kinda trademark for SG, you can do almost Bigsby still vibrato out of it. If you check Tony Iommi live, sometimes he use that for Iron man intro 😉.
Got and SG pro from Sweetwater in Alpine white. Had them plek'd the guitar and put a Tusq nut on it. Plays and sounds fantastic thru my Fender Blues Jr.
I bought this guitar for Christmas. Got the 1966 model. I can’t put it down. I have a LP, Strat, Tele, and this. My son had a black one. I sold it when he stopped playing. I regretted it immediately. For some reason the SG just feels and looks like the “baddest” of all guitars. Just my opinion.
I have this same guitar. I replaced the pickups with SD Hot Rodded set. No push pull anymore, but it’s one bluesy guitar now. Just need a set of locking tuners and it’s done. I love it!
I have this model, Classic Pro pups (Alnico 5) with coil split. Appears this model is now discontinued, the new SG Standard 61' has Probucker2 and Probucker3 pickups (Alnico 2) and Graphtec nut. I have those in an Epi LP ES, warmer sounding and very good. Think I'll stick with this G400 Pro, its rocks and was a bargain (£160 used).
I own a 2019 Epi Sg Pro. I don't know what Epiphone did when building these things but they have the best sound of any guitar I've ever heard and certainly the best I've ever owned. And by the way, I've owned a brand new Gibson SG in the past and was disappointed with it's sound and playability. My SG Pro will smoke any Gibson. Rest assured! However, I did drop a Duncan SH6 distortion in the bridge. It snarls, growls, screams, and howls. It is THE classic metal guitar.
I always wanted an SG but in reality I can't get on with them because of neck dive . Pete Townshend used SG Specials live from around '68 - '72 and used the bendy neck as a vibrato arm !
I've owned one for about five years..got it sometime around when this video was made....Still a great guitar. Also have a DSL like in the background...surprised it wasn't paired with it for this demo.
Nice Vid Shane! Love Good Epiphone Guitars (you can get a poor one every once in a while). Been playing Epi’s since the ‘60s and Love them! I’ve got a LP Standard from the mid ‘90s and it actually says Gibson on the Truss Rod Cover! Cool!! Please keep up the Good Work Mate! Cheers!!
Rick Hill I remember those Epiphones. They didn’t have the best tuners and pickups back then but were easily replaced. They were a great piece of wood and were good guitars that only needed a pickup and tuner change. Back then I put on some Grovers and a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge. It was my #1 axe for years.
Hi Shane, great review again, just a curiosity, do the plastics on the humbuckers effect the sound? I understand of course why you leave them on! Thanks again keep on the great work!
I have this guitar, put a bigsby on it but now considering taking it off for tuning stability…this will do it all, split coils are awesome, gets lots of quack…been shopping for a Swiss Army knife of a guitar for around 6 months and haven’t been able to justify getting rid of this…neck is super fast as well…4.5/5.
I picked up a left handed one of these made in 1996. It's similar but has no veneer on top of the body and is made in Korea. The pickups are not as good as the new ones so you need to replace those. I also tried a new one and was shocked how good it was for the price. The newer pickups are good. I would say this is the best value electric guitar you can buy.
When my bridge pickup is working, my g400 pro sounds solid! Its definitely a workhorse, even if the wiring can be a little dodgy(bridge sometimes doesnt switch to full volume, coil taps dont activate sometimes)
Hi Shane and all.I've had 2 Sg's,an original 70's with bigsby and an Epi 400 of maybe 8-9 years ago.Dumped the first cause notwithstanding the addition of the Bigsby she still had a dangling neck.Many years later bought the 400 cause the tone is so r&r.I swapped out the neck pu for a seydunc jnj with coil split and had a lot of fun cause I placed a pushpull for out of phase on the other tone control.A miriad of tones but...it didn't fix the dangling neck.I even placed another strap button on the outside of the upper horn which did help things a lot really.But I always play standing up and I can't be preoccupied about how the guitar is balanced;it's gotta be balanced full stop.The neck was also "chunky" 50's style but I could live with that.Traded it for a Swingster and I've beenhappily" rocking my billy" ever since.The only way to play standing with an sg is "Angus style" full stop.Cheers all!
Amigo podras ayudarme por favor, estoy buscando un sonido lo mas similar a la Gibson SG...nose si comprar la Epiphone SG 400 Pro o la Vintage SG V6. Gracias
SG’s can do jazz, SG’s have an uncanny ability to sound just as huge as any Gibson semilhollow or jazz box I am surprised, Shane, that you don’t have an SG in your arsenal considering how you play the blues
I like SGs, never owned one but have played a couple. Love the look and feel. Light body is great but the headstock dipping all the time is a real pain! I actually thought that I would be ok with that, I wasn´t! Played someones SG at a jam night when on holiday. Did a couple of songs and swapped it for a cheap Strat copy, no dipping!
These are great value on the used market too. Around 2015 is when they upgraded the pickups. I've owned many of them from the first MIKs to more recent ones. Any of these models can be improved a lot with swapping out the 0.047uF tone caps with 0.033uF -- gives more presence like adding a touch of reverb. The printed striped veneer is a bit cheesy -- just show the figure of the real wood even if it's a few pieces or has beauty marks -- such character gives them more mojo.
good stuff man had the same one left handed but i got rid of it in favor of another guitar i wanted kicked my self for parting with it was a hell of a great guitar for sure tho
Subbed :) Greetings from south oz. Love seeing when you get that grin on your face when something feels cool, and saying straight up when you don't like something, appreciated. Also, as far as the neck bend, i've seen people wail on those things like a whammy bar with the gain cranked! So there's always that hehe
Thanks for the review! That thing sounds great! I see these all the time with great prices, but always talk myself out of it, figuring it must be awful. After watching this, it’s back on the list!
Good review. Neck dive is an issue on the G400 defo. As you say standing less of an issue. Just bought a 2020 Epi 61 Standard and this is the most balanced SG I have played for a while... but still has a little bit of dive but much less pronounced than the G400.
I’m a lefty too and like playing Jazz the most. What appeals to me is the light body. The tones you got were superb - I like blues and classic rock too. Epi pick ups in the past are muddy, but these are bright and clear to my ears. I assume you did not need to boost the treble and miss?
I have that model. Plus a Gibson SG faded. I can tell you for sure the Epiphone is slightly thicker than the Gibson. I believe it's because of the longer pots that push pull on the epi.
I read recently that all Epiphone's would be changing their headstocks to the Older version without the little cutoffs. I cant wait to see that. I have the other version on a Dot Royale and I really prefer it to the stock version. I own several Epiphone's and Gibsons both are great. Epiphone make awesome guitars. you really cant go wrong with them. Unless you want a Gibson for name sake only. My Gibson's smell much nicer though :D
Hey, Shane, can I ask a question about amps? Here it goes: I'm not a beginner, but I just found myself in a state where I can spend some money on better gear and since I never had a tube amp I was wondering which one to pick. I have my eyes on the Marshall DSL20 you have showcased in your channel, but I play mostly in my bedroom in my parents' house. So the emulated out/headphone option is great for night usage, but is it too loud for bedroom use even in daytime? (Even in the 10w option?) Oh, I almost forgot, but I play with a Gibson SG Special through some pedals (vox wah, blues driver, delay) in a 20w cheap brazillian solid state amp. Just so you can get a picture of my currenct situation haha Cheers from Brazil.
I have a 3 watt modeling amp, it is still really loud, a amp is always loud. If you do not want to bother anyone, you'll need to use headphones all day long
There is one thing wrong with all standard SGs and thats the strap pin on the neck. Its in the way if you play upper frets. I moved mine to the upper horn so its out of the way but that increases the neck dive slightly. I can live with it but beginners might find that hard.
It'd be interesting to see your take on the Epiphone ES-335 Pro. I recently bought one and I really like it. Very nice finish and bound fingerboard/ coil tapping like the SG - same pickups too I think. I'm liking it as much as my Tele and I'll probably gig with it in preference to my fenders or Gibson Les Paul.
These are great guitars and even a greater choice for the Lefty's. As far as guitar for the money goes anyway. I honestly hate the headstock so much I cut it to just be straight across the top. Looks better I think. And its definitely a conversation starter
Great review, good bang for your buck, moved the strap button to the horn on mine so job done, funnily enough the only SG I have that doesn't have neck dive is my Gibson! Bloody thing still has tuning issues though!
I'm ordering one of these today. But, I'm replacing the pickups with the Seymour-Duncan 'Hot Rodded' pickup set (JB at bridge, Jazz at neck). I play a lot of Boston and need the extra clarity and push for the distortion.
I have two gibson sgs and they dont come out of tune like that by leaning on them. My necks dont bend that easy like that. By the way if you ever get a chance play the epiphone Tony Iommi model .it rivals any gibson sg . Fantastic guitar for the money
I picked up a mint Iommi Epi (2017) a few months back, still in the box. Awesome guitar, but I do notice the necks ever so slightly wider in the middle (compared to a normal SG). The pickups in the new ones I like better than the older model Epi (too dark for mine) and at least the crosses go all the way up the neck this now!
I like they finally add binding. Previous versions were unbound...
Right? Cream pickup rings or scratchplate would go a long way, too.
I have a 2013 G400 Pro that looks unbound, but there's a thin rosewoodish binding covering the fret ends. The cream binding looks 1000% better.
The unbound neck grew on, rose wood unbound gives me PRS vibes
It's a shame but at least we don't have pau ferro
From Leo: I bought one of those a couple years ago when Musicians friend put them on special discount. It has been excellent and I have really learned to enjoy the split switch on the humbuckers, I find the tones pretty useful. My old gibson SG does not have the split feature so I cannot compare. I think the Epiphone pickups are more articulate than the gibson for clean work. I put a plastic bag full of shotgun lead shot in the control cavity to help the neck balance.
I've heard of weights for balancing car tires on the body side can make the neck not dive as much.
Mine is one of the older ones with the maple neck, VERY neck heavy. I relocated the strap button to the upper horn like Iommi did, that took care of it on mine. Even better with a Bigsby 🤘😁
Love the SG, for me is an absolute 'must' in any collection. Badass sound and comfortable AF to play.
My collection needs an SG this might be a great option.
Guy, I bought one of these 2nd hand, spent 45minutes doing a really good setup on it, this guitar is AMAZING! you won't be disappointed. Clean, dirty, it does it all!
Guy Lacroix I have a collections, it contains 0 beautiful guitars :). I’m weird. Some day I’ll be able to buy this one :/
Just bought the Epiphone SG Pro in cherry yesterday. I've had the cherry and black versions of the standard G400 and they were great but the SG Pro sounds amazing and the neck binding really classes it up. Coil tapping is another big reason i bought this guitar since i also like that clean stratocaster sound which you can get on this. Playing it through my Boss Katana Artist MK2 is just pure awesomeness!!
This guitar with an artist mk2 would be amazing. I'm still rocking the original katana 50. Played a white G400 pro today and fell in love
Use to hate those Epi headstocks but started growing on me and now I own three an SG,ES339 AND A DC PRO. Shane you should try out the epiphone dc pro.
I hate to tell you this Shane but that might be the best tone I've heard on your channel. You might want to reconsider getting a BB 30R.
If i coffee hit the thumbs up button on this comment 10 times, i would
Oooops! ..if I Could......i HATE autocorrect!
@@caseylee12 Gotdamn coffee : P
I've got a 2018, same model, etc. It's a favorite for two reasons: I love the neck, it's as fast as I can be. That Alnico bridge pick up is by far the best I've heard- Gibson, Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio, you name it. However, there are a few downsides- the biggest being the wiring. I've already replaced the switch, and the Neck volume pot, and I'm thinking about just gutting the wiring and jack which comes loose about every third gig. Others are very minor- like I never liked red, and would love to repaint it in Pelham Blue, and I have to oil the neck pretty often- the Pau Ferro is very dry. But, overall- the SG is my favorite "type" of electric, and the newer G400 Epiphones are honestly the best sounding SGs I've ever played. Oh, and yes, I have played Jazz gigs with it!
I’ve always wanted to get this guitar!!! For the price it’s a great humbucker equipped guitar. For whatever reason, I never pulled the trigger on it. I’m sure if you had done this review four or five years ago, it would be in my collection!!!!! Cheers!!!!🎸🎸🎸🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
Jamal Kareem it’s almost Christmas, Jamal. I think it’s high time to get one 🤙🏽🎸😊
Love the fact your a lefty, it's so hard to find left-handed guitars in NZ
It amazes me that I haven't found this channel before. Myself being a hardcore left handed player who feels offended that guitar manufactures often put a price premium on their left handed models. Then when signature models, especially those known of left handed players such as Tony Iommi, get demonstrated on most channels on right handed models. Also this host (Shane?) is a blues man. Which is my choice genre of playing. I look forward to more.
I’m a lefty and really enjoy this channel.
I recently picked up a used 2008 Epiphone SG G400 in a worn cherry satin finish for $300 and it's rapidly becoming my favorite guitar. Now I wonder why I didn't try out an SG sooner, it sounds massive and super comfortable to play.
I got mine for $349
Had mine for a while now now and still can't stop playing it. I fitted some Irongear Tesla Sharks and moved the strap button to the top horn to help the balance with the strap. Massive value for money guitar.
I have the previous model without binding on the neck. Never really mattered to me but the binding does look nice. These SGs are really great sounding and feeling guitars.
Same, I absolutely love the Binding, wish mine had it.
YEA PEARL JAM!!
I have one of these,, and a Gibson 2017 SG Standard, which has been nothing other than a pain in the butt...loads of problems with the electrics to such an extent it was completely rewired......The Epiphone is so good it actually made me explore and buy a ES339..which is awesome.. Great Value Guitars...Great Video by the Way..
Epiphone’s really upped their game. I wasn’t paying too much attention and was gobsmacked when I saw it was Epiphone on the headstock.
Great video! I have a mint 2016 SG-400 (not the pro) in worn cherry that I picked up at pawn shop for $150 and it’s a very good instrument! Pick one up and play it unplugged an you can really hear and feel how good they resonate.Mine has Grover tuners, so neck dive is definitely there, which sucks, but you work around it. And I’m glad you pointed out the neck flex tuning issue. I noticed that early on with mine as well. One other thing that kinda throws me off is the scale length vs. overall length. The scale is shorter than my Stratocaster, but it has a longer overall length, so it takes some getting used to when switching between the two instruments as far as hand positioning. Cheers! 🤙🏻😎🎼🎸
Great vid Shane. I've never had the Pro version but every other high end Epi I have had was well worth the money. My 2005 Chinese build SG Custom is one of the best SG's I own and easily equal in playability and sound to a 2007 Gibson SG Special I have. A nice leather strap with a bit of texture on the back (underside) helps with the balance. The latest Epi Iommi SG is also cool - and available as a lefty.
Love the review. There are not many reviews of this particular model (left or right handed).
Wanted an SG worn brown, but due to unavailability decided to get the cherry version of the G400 in may 2020 and ended up with this beast of a guitar. Sales pictures of the G400 model never showed binding, but it came with it, just like all "inspired by Gibson" models now.
Feels great, sounds great and it is worth every cent spend... 10/10
Just got mine to day
What do you think of the 'Inspired by Gibson's line?
@@crypticreality8484 I have an inspired by Gibson Les Paul and it is awesome. I got my G400 pro brand new for $349 where as the inspired by Gibson is $150 more. I think the only difference is the headstock. Actually the inspired by Gibson don’t have split coil. I prefer to keep the money in my pocket. The older g400 pro didn’t have the neck binding like the more recent ones. Epiphone is really good.
@@ka4sxi Oh and the G400 has a Rosewood fretboard and the SG Standard has an Indian Laurel. I have a fretboard of each and.... they're virtually interchangeable. I can't pick a clear winner. The coil split is kinda cool. I wouldn't use it myself.... I play the bridge humbucker 99% of the time. Thx for the info. I can't compare got and finish though but, the new Standards have 4.8 ⭐ reviews and the G400 has 4.6 ⭐'s.
Been waiting for this Shane! Looking at possibly getting one for my 50th birthday in December.
Great demo - Accurate in terms of the pros and cons. I have one as well as an Epiphone ES 335 Pro - love them both! The humbuckers growl. Both great, budget-friendly options.
Probuckers are actually pretty decent pickups, and the late model Epiphones generally make decent modding platforms (in my experience, the Chinese factories from 2008 compared to 2019 are night and day different). You could simply upgrade the nut, and pots&caps and have a great guitar.
Yes, I have Probuckers (Alnico II) in an Epi Les Paul. This SG has Alnico Classic PRO pickups (Alnico V), just visible on the stickers at 2:10.
Looking at the current Epiphone line up, they put Alnico Classic PRO in the Standard, Muse and Custom, Probuckers in the 'Standard 60s' (61) and Modern, and Burstbuckers in the '1961 Les Paul SG Standard'.
Everyone remarks about the neck dive on SG guitars. I played a Gibson SG bass for years and it never bothered me, though the propensity to tip neckwards is even greater than on the six-string. I now have the SG 400 Pro, and I love it.
Watching for a while now. I love your reviews. Most talk or play. You play and make comments as you go. I like that. Please keep rollin.
In your hands, that thing rock\m/sounds awesome thanks, Shane.
Thanks for the awesome review! My 11 year old hard rock player of 7 months wants this Epiphone 1966 SG-400 for Christmas😁🎸 It sounds lovely the way you play it here💖 I'm sold
This is one excellent SG. I grabbed one for a friend of mine this last past Christmas for only $299 on sale from Musician's Friend. I got the 1966 model with the batwing pickguard with the Cherry Red finish. It too also had all cream binding along the fingerboard. I wished I had purchased one for myself too. The new 2020 models should be awesome as well as they are supposed to like many of the new 2020 Epiphone guitars should also have Gibson open book headstocks only with the Epiphone name on them all. This should make many people who say they don't like Epiphone guitars because of the headstocks finally happy.
TVLTNT Are they finally doing that? When I was stationed in Japan in the Air Force, the Epiphone Japan headstocks we’re already like that 20 plus years ago. I don’t think Gibson will hurt their high end market by switching the headstock. I don’t think it’s hurt Fender’s market share up at the expensive guitar level.
Yep, they're doing it. I recall seeing a beauty of a Les Paul Custom that had the Epiphone name on it from Japan. It was a exact copy of the USA made one. It even had the full size diamond inlay on the full size headstock as well. Epiphone is going to be HUGE come the 2020 models.
Cheese mate, been looking for a decent, no nonsense review of this guitar for ages, usually only find music stores doing their QVC bit. Much appreciated, keep up the good work Shane
Just noticed I said "cheese mate" 😂 thanks auto correct, you dick
I’ve been thinking the same thing. Been looking for an objective review and I’m glad Shane put one out.
@@Chris-gj4br lol, I was like huh? 😉🎸
Out of all the reviews on this guitar I’ve seen this has got to be the best one
Back in February I ordered a set of Alnico Classic Pro pickups and a wiring harness from eBay to put in a 1977 Hondo II Les Paul copy that I've been tinkering with. They sound great!
I had one and like a dummy I sold it. It actually played better than some of my higher end stuff. May pick another some day, but mostly a tele guy.
I have a Korean manufactured SG G-400 Epi and yes for the $ you can't beat them if you want that Angus Young sound, for a pith of the price of a US Gibson SG.
I've got the 1966 re issue which I bought roughly 10 years ago. It sucks so bad. The neck is so fat. Ugly pick ups. The only nice about it is the grover tuners is decent
@@trevorsaunar3158 I've got a honey one of these with gold hardware. I must admit, it looks fantastic but I do prefer the slimmer necks and find myself grabbing any other SG but that one. But it's definitely the best looking SG I own.
@@peterschmidt9942 those looks great. Mine is too, even after a full set up mine still sucks. Too bad I live in a country where you cant find epiphones and Gibsons. We only have fenders here.
@@trevorsaunar3158 I did have plans on putting in some SD P rails in there, but never got around to it. I really do like the look of the gold hardware. The guitar itself really has a nice resonance, even unplugged. I'm just not a fan of chunky necks.
@@peterschmidt9942 does the Gibson Sg have chunky necks also? It's sad cause I can't even try one since there's none here.
Don't forget your mom and pop stores too. They may not be able to support many videos like this but the opportunity for me to walk in any time they're open, pull a guitar off the wall and experience it for myself? Priceless. I did that with the very guitar you reviewed in this video and I found a gem. Fat and beefy tone. Crystalline cleans. Muscular distortion. I like it.
For some reason, the Epi headstock looks great on an SG, flows from the body and neck way better than other Gibson designs.
As fornhis last comment, i know a guy that plays jazz on an original 60s Gibson sg.... that said, i picked one of these up this week and i absolutely love it. Without a doubt the best guitar in my fleet....
Lots of jazz players use an SG. John Mcglaughlin has very famously used an SG doubleneck.
Hey Shane, you'll probably find that the top and backs are veneered and they've used some concoction of mahogany for the body. I've got one of the older SG Pro's and I like how on the newer ones they've added binding to the neck. It definitely blurs the line between Epiphone and Gibson just that much more. The tuners should be Wilkinson as well, even though they're branded epiphone.
As for the neck/tuning issues I think it's part of the fun with an SG! Although it's not as prominent on the thicker necked models, it happens on Les Pauls too, just not as noticeable.
And if you like the pickups, I've seen new sets being sold on ebay for just under $100AU - great if you want to upgrade an older Epi for cheap.
SGs are my favorite and most played guitars, they're so comfortable to play, at least for me personally. They're just great rock machines and don't set you back as much as a Les Paul (which I still love btw).
People complain about neck dive on SGs, and it's true to certain degree, but it's also partly user error in a lot of cases. For example, it's surprising how many people don't know how to wear the strap on an SG (yes, there is a way): try putting a half turn in the strap so it falls straight down the shoulder to the back pin... the strap will wear straight due to the pins, instead of twisted, if that makes sense. It actually helps stop the guitar from rolling down the shoulder a lot. People also tend to wear them around their knees which doesn't help, a short strap will almost completely eliminate neck dive in some cases. People also wrap up sinkers in the cavity as counter weights if your really struggling.
I have one of these with gold hardware and a Dimarzio Dimebag bucker in the bridge. Amazing guitar. Mine doesn't have the stripes like that which I prefer. No push pulls on my model and I love how light it is. Great review Shane, I sub'd 6 yrs ago and not sure how I missed this video until now. Great video!
The neck bent is kinda trademark for SG, you can do almost Bigsby still vibrato out of it. If you check Tony Iommi live, sometimes he use that for Iron man intro 😉.
Yep it's super flexy. If you press down too hard on chords it will pull sharp.
Those Alnico PRO PU's are killer ! Best split tone.
Got and SG pro from Sweetwater in Alpine white. Had them plek'd the guitar and put a Tusq nut on it. Plays and sounds fantastic thru my Fender Blues Jr.
I bought this guitar for Christmas. Got the 1966 model. I can’t put it down. I have a LP, Strat, Tele, and this. My son had a black one. I sold it when he stopped playing. I regretted it immediately. For some reason the SG just feels and looks like the “baddest” of all guitars. Just my opinion.
I have this same guitar. I replaced the pickups with SD Hot Rodded set. No push pull anymore, but it’s one bluesy guitar now. Just need a set of locking tuners and it’s done. I love it!
I just bought one of these, the rare gold version.
Yeah, those Classic Pro pickups are incredible.
I have this model, Classic Pro pups (Alnico 5) with coil split. Appears this model is now discontinued, the new SG Standard 61' has Probucker2 and Probucker3 pickups (Alnico 2) and Graphtec nut. I have those in an Epi LP ES, warmer sounding and very good. Think I'll stick with this G400 Pro, its rocks and was a bargain (£160 used).
I own a 2019 Epi Sg Pro. I don't know what Epiphone did when building these things but they have the best sound of any guitar I've ever heard and certainly the best I've ever owned. And by the way, I've owned a brand new Gibson SG in the past and was disappointed with it's sound and playability. My SG Pro will smoke any Gibson. Rest assured! However, I did drop a Duncan SH6 distortion in the bridge. It snarls, growls, screams, and howls. It is THE classic metal guitar.
I just started playing guitar and my uncle gave me one of those and it works good
One of those....lol cool
I always wanted an SG but in reality I can't get on with them because of neck dive . Pete Townshend used SG Specials live from around '68 - '72 and used the bendy neck as a vibrato arm !
I've owned one for about five years..got it sometime around when this video was made....Still a great guitar. Also have a DSL like in the background...surprised it wasn't paired with it for this demo.
Nice Vid Shane! Love Good Epiphone Guitars (you can get a poor one every once in a while). Been playing Epi’s since the ‘60s and Love them! I’ve got a LP Standard from the mid ‘90s and it actually says Gibson on the Truss Rod Cover! Cool!! Please keep up the Good Work Mate! Cheers!!
Rick Hill I remember those Epiphones. They didn’t have the best tuners and pickups back then but were easily replaced. They were a great piece of wood and were good guitars that only needed a pickup and tuner change. Back then I put on some Grovers and a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge. It was my #1 axe for years.
erictoniaschwab1009 Ya....I put SD Classic ‘57s in mine and Grover Tuners. It still sounds Good today, but weighs A TON! LOL!
Hi Shane, great review again, just a curiosity, do the plastics on the humbuckers effect the sound? I understand of course why you leave them on! Thanks again keep on the great work!
Maurizio Campese I would imagine they may affect the sound just a tiny bit since they are in between the magnets in the pickups and the strings.
I have the 1966 version in Ebony. Great guitar!! I just wished they still came with the Rosewood fretboards and not the Pau Ferro
me too! love the 66 pro 400
I have this guitar, put a bigsby on it but now considering taking it off for tuning stability…this will do it all, split coils are awesome, gets lots of quack…been shopping for a Swiss Army knife of a guitar for around 6 months and haven’t been able to justify getting rid of this…neck is super fast as well…4.5/5.
Mine arrives tomorrow. Really looking forward to it
This was an awesome video. I would definitely choose this particular Epiphone SG any day.
I picked up a left handed one of these made in 1996. It's similar but has no veneer on top of the body and is made in Korea. The pickups are not as good as the new ones so you need to replace those. I also tried a new one and was shocked how good it was for the price. The newer pickups are good. I would say this is the best value electric guitar you can buy.
When my bridge pickup is working, my g400 pro sounds solid! Its definitely a workhorse, even if the wiring can be a little dodgy(bridge sometimes doesnt switch to full volume, coil taps dont activate sometimes)
Hi Shane and all.I've had 2 Sg's,an original 70's with bigsby and an Epi 400 of maybe 8-9 years ago.Dumped the first cause notwithstanding the addition of the Bigsby she still had a dangling neck.Many years later bought the 400 cause the tone is so r&r.I swapped out the neck pu for a seydunc jnj with coil split and had a lot of fun cause I placed a pushpull for out of phase on the other tone control.A miriad of tones but...it didn't fix the dangling neck.I even placed another strap button on the outside of the upper horn which did help things a lot really.But I always play standing up and I can't be preoccupied about how the guitar is balanced;it's gotta be balanced full stop.The neck was also "chunky" 50's style but I could live with that.Traded it for a Swingster and I've beenhappily" rocking my billy" ever since.The only way to play standing with an sg is "Angus style" full stop.Cheers all!
Amigo podras ayudarme por favor, estoy buscando un sonido lo mas similar a la Gibson SG...nose si comprar la Epiphone SG 400 Pro o la Vintage SG V6. Gracias
SG’s can do jazz, SG’s have an uncanny ability to sound just as huge as any Gibson semilhollow or jazz box I am surprised, Shane, that you don’t have an SG in your arsenal considering how you play the blues
Sounds & looks great !! Really love what they have done with the model with showing more of the figuring n such through the guitar !!
They finally added binding after how long? It always bugged me that the standard Epiphone LPs had binding, while the SGs didn't.
Thanks for the video - I dig the binding on the neck
I own the G-400 Pro in ebony. 2017 made in Indonesia. Great guitar!
As a beginner, I think this will be a good upgrade from the Squier Strat I’ve used for the past few years. Might go buy one tomorrow.
I pulled the trigger and bought it.
I like SGs, never owned one but have played a couple. Love the look and feel. Light body is great but the headstock dipping all the time is a real pain! I actually thought that I would be ok with that, I wasn´t! Played someones SG at a jam night when on holiday. Did a couple of songs and swapped it for a cheap Strat copy, no dipping!
Grow a pair and deal with it
Grow a pair and hold it upright and dont complain
These are great value on the used market too. Around 2015 is when they upgraded the pickups. I've owned many of them from the first MIKs to more recent ones. Any of these models can be improved a lot with swapping out the 0.047uF tone caps with 0.033uF -- gives more presence like adding a touch of reverb. The printed striped veneer is a bit cheesy -- just show the figure of the real wood even if it's a few pieces or has beauty marks -- such character gives them more mojo.
Excellent guitar for the money.. picked up as a Demo , looks brand new.. plays great !
Great review, I can see playing this guitar made you smile - it rocks!
I really like the neck split on this one. Been messing around for a while on it
good stuff man had the same one left handed but i got rid of it in favor of another guitar i wanted kicked my self for parting with it was a hell of a great guitar for sure tho
Subbed :) Greetings from south oz. Love seeing when you get that grin on your face when something feels cool, and saying straight up when you don't like something, appreciated.
Also, as far as the neck bend, i've seen people wail on those things like a whammy bar with the gain cranked! So there's always that hehe
neck heavy never bothered Zappa Harison or Clapton
Thanks for the review! That thing sounds great! I see these all the time with great prices, but always talk myself out of it, figuring it must be awful. After watching this, it’s back on the list!
Good review. Neck dive is an issue on the G400 defo. As you say standing less of an issue. Just bought a 2020 Epi 61 Standard and this is the most balanced SG I have played for a while... but still has a little bit of dive but much less pronounced than the G400.
good vid was thinking of getting one of these for a while
amazing review! This video properly showcased the epiphone SG . Now I know which guitar I should buy
Does SG mean sounds good
Yes lol. Actually it stands for solid guitar
I liked those Bonamassa/Vai riffs! Enjoying your videos!
I have one and for the $ you can't beat them imho ! Nice demo as always mate !
Todd Flowers You are absolutely right!!!!😎
Got one as well - LOVE it!
I’m a lefty too and like playing Jazz the most. What appeals to me is the light body. The tones you got were superb - I like blues and classic rock too. Epi pick ups in the past are muddy, but these are bright and clear to my ears. I assume you did not need to boost the treble and miss?
I find myself checking these out every once in a while, and then convincing myself ...nah. Cool review.
I got one used for 150£. I not use it for C tuning. But I'm v happy as it screams.
Wow! Great guitar!
Got a used one at GC for $200 USD with a case! Love this guitar. With the split coil pots, it covers a ton of tones!
I have that model. Plus a Gibson SG faded. I can tell you for sure the Epiphone is slightly thicker than the Gibson. I believe it's because of the longer pots that push pull on the epi.
I like these comparisons videos. When you break it all down, all I really hear are my computer speakers.
I read recently that all Epiphone's would be changing their headstocks to the Older version without the little cutoffs. I cant wait to see that. I have the other version on a Dot Royale and I really prefer it to the stock version.
I own several Epiphone's and Gibsons both are great. Epiphone make awesome guitars. you really cant go wrong with them. Unless you want a Gibson for name sake only. My Gibson's smell much nicer though :D
Hey, Shane, can I ask a question about amps?
Here it goes:
I'm not a beginner, but I just found myself in a state where I can spend some money on better gear and since I never had a tube amp I was wondering which one to pick. I have my eyes on the Marshall DSL20 you have showcased in your channel, but I play mostly in my bedroom in my parents' house. So the emulated out/headphone option is great for night usage, but is it too loud for bedroom use even in daytime? (Even in the 10w option?)
Oh, I almost forgot, but I play with a Gibson SG Special through some pedals (vox wah, blues driver, delay) in a 20w cheap brazillian solid state amp. Just so you can get a picture of my currenct situation haha
Cheers from Brazil.
I have a 3 watt modeling amp, it is still really loud, a amp is always loud. If you do not want to bother anyone, you'll need to use headphones all day long
There is one thing wrong with all standard SGs and thats the strap pin on the neck. Its in the way if you play upper frets. I moved mine to the upper horn so its out of the way but that increases the neck dive slightly. I can live with it but beginners might find that hard.
I bought this same guitar 2 years ago,and i just found it it has a split coil pick up..geeez..nice sounding guitar tho
It'd be interesting to see your take on the Epiphone ES-335 Pro. I recently bought one and I really like it. Very nice finish and bound fingerboard/ coil tapping like the SG - same pickups too I think. I'm liking it as much as my Tele and I'll probably gig with it in preference to my fenders or Gibson Les Paul.
These are great guitars and even a greater choice for the Lefty's. As far as guitar for the money goes anyway. I honestly hate the headstock so much I cut it to just be straight across the top. Looks better I think. And its definitely a conversation starter
BTW Shane, you make it look so light when u pick up at start, however, at my age (82), its bl00dy heavy, Cobber,,,,,,,,cheers 4x H6UK
Put a wireless transmitter in a pouch on the body end of the strap helps the balance.
Sounds MORE Authentic than Authentic!
HOW does it compare as a player and soundwise to your old Tokai SG you had a few years back?
DMSProduktions I just finally watched that video for the first time this week. It was...interesting 😳
@@erictoniaschwab1009 LOL! WHAT rock have you been hiding under these past few months?
That vid was SO cringy!
Great review, good bang for your buck, moved the strap button to the horn on mine so job done, funnily enough the only SG I have that doesn't have neck dive is my Gibson! Bloody thing still has tuning issues though!
Thanks for the neck dive point out. I can't see myself getting one because of this. I wish they did something that solved this.
Put some counter weight in the tone chamber
This video makes me want to trade my CV Jazzmaster for an Epiphone SG!
You're a GREAT player, dude!
I'm ordering one of these today. But, I'm replacing the pickups with the Seymour-Duncan 'Hot Rodded' pickup set (JB at bridge, Jazz at neck). I play a lot of Boston and need the extra clarity and push for the distortion.
I have two gibson sgs and they dont come out of tune like that by leaning on them. My necks dont bend that easy like that. By the way if you ever get a chance play the epiphone Tony Iommi model .it rivals any gibson sg . Fantastic guitar for the money
I picked up a mint Iommi Epi (2017) a few months back, still in the box. Awesome guitar, but I do notice the necks ever so slightly wider in the middle (compared to a normal SG). The pickups in the new ones I like better than the older model Epi (too dark for mine) and at least the crosses go all the way up the neck this now!
I’ve played one once and wasn’t a fan of the shape of the neck. The pickups were great though.