There have been so many incredible SG players over the years: Clapton, Iommi, Townshend, Trucks, Krieger, Zappa, Garcia and Harrison. However, there's only 1 player that immediately pops into my head when I think of that guitar: ANGUS YOUNG!!!!!!
Marcus Hogan no you're wrong I'm afraid Tony Iommi created an entire new genre with an SG Angus young played 3 chords Tony Iommi is the father of the SG
Guys I'm not saying who is best I'm simply stating which guitarist pops into my head when I think of the SG. My favourite of all of those names is actually Clapton. I'm just saying that I can't think of another guitar player that is so associated with one guitar model
Mini-Humbuckers have narrower magnetic field and as such pick up vibrations from a shorter section of the string. The way the string vibrates changes according to how close to the nodes and the fixed points you are measuring from (hence difference between neck and bridge pickups) so taking it from a narrower sections excludes some of those differences resulting in clearer sound with more clarity.
You are absolutely correct. I have a 'NIGHTHAWK' w/'FIREBIRD' Mini-Humbucker in the Neck position and that guitar has the clearest sound. ITS CLARITY is unmatched on any guitar I've ever plugged in.
But it seems these new mini-humbuckers sound quite the same as bigger ones, on the LP Deluxe the PUs were significantly less hot and you could tell the difference in sound.
Yeah, partly because the narrower field gives less low end compared with full size humbuckers. This also explains the need for different pot values for different pickup types.
Played that SG today in a shop... No intentions of buying... I now own an SG special haha. The clarity was out of this world. I had to buy it. Thanks for the explanation dude!
Most of the time it's hard to tell which ones among the two the guitar player is on. I'm thinking of the late Paul Fox right now (Ruts and Ruts D.C.), he had both a LP Standard (gold) and a SG Standard and I wouldn't venture on assuming which one he chose for this or that song.
SGs are weird for me. I can look at one and think it looks amazing. Look at another and think it looks like crap. I go through weird phases of liking and then disliking SGs
Harry Jenkins • I get what you’re saying. I appreciate the sound, and construction. The body style just isn’t for me. I’d prefer the same specs but with a LP Jr. single or double cut body.
I think I know what you mean, because I have that a bit, but a lot more so with Telecasters. I think the shape is rather ugly, but then if they used the right cosmetic it can look awesome. - I think the SG has a more appealing shape to begin with, so it doesn't put me off as easily as a Tele. But if an SG hasn't a good look it can look pretty mediocre as well. You'd be surprised what just a change of hardware or color can do for the visual appeal. Also, I actually have an SG and it's a Limited Edition Epiphone which they've "reliced" in the factory. Though not in the usual way with scuffs and scratches, but instead bashed dents into it and covered it with a charcoal black paint. It looks a bit cheesy but also kinda cool at the same time. - Besides, the reason that it stayed is because it plays and sounds awesome.
My first ever electric guitar was a cherry red SG faded. Basically loved and modified it to death over the years. Nowadays it resides in its case without strings or electronics and with the original finish almost completely stripped. I visit her from time to time and always whisper: "Some day my darling... Some day.."
I think the success of this channel is due to not only talent, but marketing genius, product knowledge, editing shenanigans and most of all....comedy. You guys literally f***ing rock. Cheers
There is more clarity in the mini humbucker because the spectrum of it's "hearing" of the string is narrower than a traditional humbucker and more similar to a single coil or p90. These simply results in different harmonics but because of the narrower space of where it "picks up" the string vibration, it results in more clarity and treble
Lee, here's the low-down on these mini-humbuckers. The mini-humbucker's magnetic field is narrower than that of a regular humbucker. This means that it senses the vibrations in a narrower section of the string. This makes them sound brighter and more treble-y. Additionally, old Firebird pickups and true old-fashioned mini-humbuckers are wound with fewer copper winds due to the narrower pickup size, leading them to sound softer and less "hot." The reason you don't hear as much of a difference with these SGs is that the 495R and 495T pickups (which is what these mini-humbuckers are) are basically Firebird pickups using massive bar magnets and an absurd number of winds of small-guage copper wire to make them darker and hotter, like a regular humbucker. I have the 2016 model of the Special with these pickups, and Gibson spec's them at an insane 17k dc resistance at the neck and 26k dc resistance at the bridge. By comparison, a typical "PAF" style humbucker is around 7-8k, and a real Firebird pickup is around 6-7k. The result is a pickup with massive output, but tons of compression. Gibson used to use ceramic magnets, but moved to Alnico 2 later to try to tone down the harshness of these "mini-humbuckers." They sound awesome with a lot of gain, but move down to cleans and almost-cleans, and these fall flat on their faces. I'm personally not a fan, and can't wait to put some real mini-humbuckers or P90s in mine. The guitar is a beautifully crafted and phenomenally playing instrument, and I got mine for peanuts, so I don't much consider the rather one-trick pickups much of an issue. I'd probably recommend the Faded or the Standard with the PAF-style humbuckers to players of low-to-medium-gain players, and the Special to people that really want to chug and wail on their guitars.
Damn Chappers. That little descending running you did at 12:15 was sick. I rarely ever hear you pull out your inner Jimi Hendrix. You should play like that more often. Your tone was also better than normal in this video.
A mini humbucker is not trying to replicate a humbucker in a smaller size. It's not like Apple making the iPhone smaller (or bigger) than last year's. It's a totally different piece all together with its own voice. I love mini humbuckers.
Seeing as its Gibsons best selling guitar you'd think they'd offer a range of other finishes. Everytime I see an SG it's in red or black unless it's an Epiphone. That mahogany looks great, sunburst doesn't look that great from here never seen one in person though. But it would be great to see more variety across the line.
Ik. It took me a long time to finally get an alpine white teardrop pickgaurd Gibson SG standard. 2013 and 2017 only recent years they were available unless you bought a 61 custom RI
I played a friend's SG in '68 and loved it. I finally bought a 60's tribute SG with P-90s in 2011 which played great after a good set-up (a few years later I sold it to buy a Ric 360/6). Got a 2012 '61 Reissue that played good out of the box but is now a total dream to play after a quality set-up. During the day at work I actually think about playing it when I get home. This SG is such a joy to play that I haven't touched my LP Custom or my Ric in over a year. I loved the P-90s on the Tribute SG and I'm thinking about swapping out the Humbuckers for aftermarket P-90s on the Reissue. When I think of SG guitarists it's John Cipolina of Quicksilver Messenger Service that comes to mind first. He had a unique and iconic style. Check out the custom bat wing pick guards on some of his SG's. Do an image search on John Cipolina SG to see them. No one guitar is perfect for every guitarist. I hope you find the guitars that work for you.
Matty Fewster - It's the colors, unfortunately... They should've made it less flashy, and also pull back on the chroming of the hardware. It's unfortunate, because I don't mind a modernized version of the SG, losing the pickup-rings and so on. They're just too racecar-looking...
Michael Angelo H. That's because they hired slash to design guitars and stuff. Notice how most of the les Paul's don't come with the pick guard? I love slash but keep your taste in guitars to your self bro.
Hello Lee & Chappers ! There are special important things you almost never mention about these "new SGs" year after year. 1st of all, these guitars have nearly always different specs from one year to another, and it is very important to point that out to guitarists who don't really know that line of products. There are really important things that also must be mentioned like the LENGTH OF THE TENON or neck joint if you prefer (mainly short, or long tenon) which dramatically changes the access to the last frets, and also WHERE THE STRAP BUTTON IS LOCATED 'cause I can truly say that with an SG that has a long tenon if the strap button is located at the end of the tenon and you use straplocks then accessing the last frets becomes a real painful experience when you're jumping to the last frets to shred. There are other little things that should also be mentioned like for instance the tuning posts of the G-Force, a couple of years ago they were LOCKING TUNING POSTS (which is excellent for the tuning stability) and these last years they were not. You could also mention the type of nut which is installed, 'cause there's a huge difference between a standard nut and the Zero Fret Adjustment Nut which is really a great device for guys who play slide specially together with the Locking G-Force tuners. Also, things like the width of the neck at the nut, which went from a MAGNIFICENT 46mm down to 44.3mm these last years. And all this things have only to do with the "play-ability" of these guitars, 'cause for the "cosmetic" aspects it's a bit more obvious with the recent high def videos on UA-cam. Apart from that, I really dig all your stuff, it's a whole lot of fun. Thanks for everything.
They are if you compare like for like construction (or as close as you can get between. The basic 2018 LP Studio is £100 more than the same price as the 2018 SG Standard. Both have a bound neck and gloss finish. The LP's extra cost is mainly down to the carved maple cap and chambered body. The maple adds a bit of cost to the materials, and it takes more time to chamber the mahogany and then glue it all together. You don't get that with the much thinner all mahogany SG with simple bevelled edges. Time is money and it doesn't take a lot of extra factory cost for all the various profit margins to make a big difference to the sales price. When you move up to the LP Standard, the flamed maple cap costs more and the bound body puts the price up considerably. It takes time to rout for the binding, add the binding and then scrape it clean after spraying. And spraying a burst takes more time too. I'm sure there is an element of marketing in the price difference as well, but you are paying for USA labour rates, so anything which takes more time makes a guitar a lot more expensive.
Mini hums definitely sound different. In the same way, a P90 seems to be a single coil pickup for the tone conscious, I'd say mini humbuckers are a way to get bigger, rounder sounds, but without the tone sucking qualities of a hiumbucker.
There are two types of mini humbucker that Gibson used. The Firebird pickup they designed in the early 60s, it's constructed differently from a standard humbucker, very trebley some say single coil-ish like a cross between a p90 and a strat. Then there was the NY mini, these were Epiphone pickups, and when Gibson bought Epiphone they also bought all of the company's inventory, so to get rid of the hundreds of mini humbucker they started putting them in Les Pauls and the L.P. Deluxe was born.
giulienk - I almost always find Boogies to sound so dark and thick. I mean, nothing wrong with good mid-range, but they seem to lack edge and grit somehow. MetallicA for example, while they somehow got away with it, kinda suffered from that too. And players like God... or "John Petrucci"... don't have the most interesting or exciting sound either. - It's just very polished and safe. Maybe not all Mesa/Boogies, but often they are. And Marshall obviously has that edgy and gritty Rock 'n' Roll sound, which sometimes is desired, sometimes it's just too harsh.
boogies have an almost opera singer quality, very full and balanced tonally. marshalls are more like Otis Redding or Brian Johnson screaming at the top of their lungs.
I own an SG faded and its a wonderful guitar.I actually prefer its non sticky feel over the standard. Only thing I wish it had was the diamond on the headstock, If it had that it would be perfect. Even a faded diamond would be really neat. I know its to save money, but I do wish Gibson would put the Diamond on the SG and Les paul Faded.
Normally (except on a Strat or Tele) I really dislike dot inlays, and I always thought Gibson guitars look kind of "unfinished" without binding, but somehow the SG Faded always looks fabulous to me!
Have had a few SGs over the years. Always seemed to be something missing. Then I got rid of the neck pickup , reduced the controls down to 50s wiring with a no load built into the top end of the tone pot, made sure I got one with a decent chunky neck, put a decent Gotoh adjustable wraparound bridge on it, and hey presto! Dynamics for days, and playability right up to the last fret.
I had a 75 les Paul deluxe with mini humbuckers. They are much more clear, but still provide a certain amount of smooth sustain. I prefer them to other humbuckers.
Matt Burke Exactly what I said. Firebird pickups are not mini humbuckers. They are built completely different. Firebird pickups don't sound like humbuckers.
Pierre Sauve I'm not saying that Sg has Firebird pickups in it. The captain mentioned firebirds in his rambling about mini humbuckers. I was just stating mini humbuckers and Firebird pickups are not the same. The construction is completely different as is the sound.
I always thought mini-humbuckers are the same size as P-90s, so you can change between them without having to destroy the guitar... I might be wrong...
Magnus Hedlund I know that's how they were in the 70s era. That's why mike Ness just gets 70s les Paul's rips out the mini hums and throws in a set of custom Duncan's. As for today I am not sure if that reigns true anymore. But I think it's the depth of the route in the guitar that is different between p90 and mini humbuckers.
They were Epiphone pickups originally. Gibson found they could fit them in a P90 slot (I think they even used P90 covers as the pickup rings) and started fitting them to Les Pauls in the '70s, creating the Les Paul Deluxe.
Especially noticeable during Lee's solos. I know Rob is more forward in his playing and Lee is a bit more held back, but it seems a bit rude to always overpower whoever is soloing.
I've always wondered if it was just my computer or tv. Thankfully someone finally said what I was thinking. It probably sounds fine to them as they're playing or they would have addressed it by now. So I'm wishing the editing or recording guy would try to do something to bring the soloist sound forward or push the rythym players sound down a bit.
Volume levels and audio are absolutely nothing to do with either myself or Lee, all of the audio is balanced and produced by Rabea, then edited into a video by Rory.
Hendrix owned and played a SG Custom also. A SG played through a Marshall is the sound of rock 'n roll, loud and proud. Stratocasters are OK, but just don't cut it. A SG through a high gain amp is nice, but a SG through a Marshall is what it is all about.
For anybody watching this years later & wondering: mini humbuckers exist because some people found the original PAF humbucker too dark-sounding, and Gibson tried to design a humbucker with the brightness of a single-coil pickup. The mini humbucker picks up a smaller section of the vibrating string than a full-sized HB, which means it tends to accentuate higher harmonic content (the shorter the string-length it "listens to," the narrower and therefore higher-pitched the vibrations it will "hear"). It also has a smaller iron magnet core than a full humbucker; the size of the core changes the pickup's inductance, which affects both overall output and low-end response, so smaller core = lower output, less bass. (The difference in output can be made up with other factors, to some degree, like the number of wire windings around the pickup.) There are further differences between the various types of mini-buckers, like Firebirds vs. Johnny Smiths, but in general, mini humbuckers will keep the noise-cancelling property of their full-size cousins but produce a brighter, less bassy tone, and some people think that the different frequency bandwidth in a mini-bucker gives you a smoother, less "chirpy" attack as well.
That mini humbucker SG looks exactly like a 74'. My SG has those block inlays, its a 70' w full size buckers, but someone added the "phase" switch. Im also not a fan of the inlays, but love the guitar. I'd love to see that HP review when you get em in!
+CaptAnderton Gibson developed minihumbuckers because they had lots of spare bodies which were routed for P90s. Minihumbuckers are different than traditional Firebird pickups, which are actually single-coil pickups.
I'm sad that Gibson never seems to bring out the SG with the Maestro trem. I would love the SG the Captain is playing at the beginning but I want a Maestro trem on there. I guess I can have it added later but still.
If mini-buckers sound exactly the same but take up less space (giving you more picking room), then the appropriate question might be, "Why do they make regular sized humbuckers?".
Yes Rob, I will buy your SG. Will even fly to England for it. I love britian as I lived and played bass there in the 90s. Strongbow, scrumpy Jack and dry blackthorn ciders the best ever! Can't wait!
Captain, you are right about SG's distinctive sound. I remember the blind test you guys did on Gibsons, and the SG was the one that stood out of the mix as "yep, that one is an SG." I never was a big fan of the mini humbuckers though. I always thought that the Firebird was their best looking, yet worst sounding guitar. These SGs sound great!!!
I think it depends on what sound you like. To me - in comparison to a Les Paul - the SG is a little more punchy. But that high end bite a Les Paul has, boy I love it so much. Maybe one should just own both... :D
An SG is the only thing that could make me give my money to gibson. Also, I prefer brighter guitars, their necks feel better and they are not priced ridiculously -- SG 3, Les Paul 0
+ Aman Vasandani Good point. But maybe I can go one better. It should always be emphasized that the SG is what Gibson designed when they decided that overpriced back breaker wasn't good enough. So whatever you call it, the SG is the improved version of the Les Paul.
The special don't seem to get much review other than Lee asking the question about the mini humbuckers. I like the simplicity of this guitar. A gig bag and a decent price. Would make a good gigging guitar. I would have liked to hear more from Chappers about this guitar. The German retailer Session do a good sounding vid on this - just ashame that I can't speak German! : )
My first electric was a cheap Maestro SG and I love that thing. Would love to own a Gibson SG! Just tried a 2017 Gibson SG Faded at guitar center. And it was pretty nice! Neck heavy but sounded pretty killer!
They sound great. I don't mind the square inlays either. When you think that Tony Iommi and Derek Trucks use these, you understand their versatility. You can go just about anywhere with one. I prefer Les Pauls, but did once own a Gibson doubleneck and it's hard to forget the feel of the neck and the tone of the guitar although the double neck had more wood and extra tone (and weight!) . I wish that they would modify the SG body shape a little and create something new and iconic again. When you think of what has come from Gibson so far ( Flying V, Explorer, Les Paul, Firebird, SG, Double-neck ... all of which are iconic), it would be really cool to see them do that again!
Those are like hot firebird pickups... Real mini humbuckers sound kind of like a hum free Tele pickup. And yes, I work for a company that makes pickups and guitar electronics.
The mini humbuckers were developed for jumbo guitars like the early 50’s Epiphone Emperor and offered a high quality sonic humbucker alternative for the D’Armond monkey on a stick pickups and as they were initially mounted on the floating pick guard the mini sizing was key. I got them on my 73 Deluxe Les Paul they are exceptional versatile used on the deluxe because they had been routed for P90’s and only the mini’s would fit the route hence the two different pickup surrounds...
The original mini hums in LP deluxes etc were left over Epiphone stock from when Gibson bought them out - definitely different to the modern Gibson mini hums. Really nice pickups they were too!
If I'm remembering correctly due to the size of the mini humbucker the electromagnetic field takes less of the the strings surface area as a signal which tonally gives a tighter, brighter tone than standard humbuckers. Sort of like the opposite effect of a P90 when compared to a standard single coil.
The Standard and the Special sounds great. For as far as I can hear the standard sounds not much different from my 50 years old one and that is a good thing. All time great rocking guitar.
Favorite SG player gotta be Tony Iommi. He was probably the main reason that my "second guitar" (the first decent one) i had, was a SG faded/special (don't remember what they called them back then), some 8 years ago.
Except on the 2015 Les Paul Deluxe which was fitted with the Skunk Baxter designed mini humbucker which was originally in the 2014 Firebird, I know because I own the LPD and found the pickups heavy and dark so I replaced them with Custom made SD's, 59 custom hybrid in the bridge and pearly gates in the neck but now it has swung the other way with the 59CH sounding brighter probably due to its mini humbucker size.
What is the neck shape and fingerboard radius? Dot is preffered with mini B/W/B pickguard & neck binding with a slim neck 12 - 15 degree compound radius & JUMBO frets.
Rob and/or Lee.....Question regarding the "woods don't make a difference" comment....I just got a Gibson LP Custom Mahogany(all mahogany) and the bridge pup had terrible feedback on all my amps with high gain settings. Same pickups as my other lp custom(498T?) I changed them over to PRS 57/08n and 59/09b and it helped some, but still has the tendency to feedback in the bridge position. Could it just be the resonance of the all mahogany vs having a more dense maple cap??? Cheers from North Carolina!!
According to t'internet, (so it must be FACT), a mini humbucker produces clearer brighter tones than a normal humbucker. It occupies a purgatory between single coil jangly ness and full fat humbucker boom and rumble. Apparently ideal for jazz. So shooby doo wop that fact lovers.
Why didn't you guys do the 2018 junior??? I am still waiting on mine and there are not a whole lot of videos so I thought for sure I could count on the captain to show me the goods but to my dismay you guys did every other Gibson guitar and left the junior out. Please do one in the future if possible. Love the channel!
So essentially almost exactly the same as the 2017 SG's but £150-£200 more in price which you are paying for a case that probably costs £20 to manufacture. Clever marketing Gibson! Grab a 2017 while you can!
I deffinatly think that the sg has a different kind of bark to a lea Paul. I love my 2010 sg standard really comfy to play. And I do like that special. The blocks and mini humbuckers are a different but in a good way.
There have been so many incredible SG players over the years: Clapton, Iommi, Townshend, Trucks, Krieger, Zappa, Garcia and Harrison. However, there's only 1 player that immediately pops into my head when I think of that guitar: ANGUS YOUNG!!!!!!
Marcus Hogan no you're wrong I'm afraid
Tony Iommi created an entire new genre with an SG
Angus young played 3 chords
Tony Iommi is the father of the SG
Sister Rosetta Tharpe rocked an SG long before Angus and Iommi. They're all fantastic, though, in their own different ways.
Guys I'm not saying who is best I'm simply stating which guitarist pops into my head when I think of the SG. My favourite of all of those names is actually Clapton. I'm just saying that I can't think of another guitar player that is so associated with one guitar model
Can someone find footage that Tony or Angus played on stage something different than SG?
BobsterUK She played a Les Paul Custom 😉
Mini-Humbuckers have narrower magnetic field and as such pick up vibrations from a shorter section of the string. The way the string vibrates changes according to how close to the nodes and the fixed points you are measuring from (hence difference between neck and bridge pickups) so taking it from a narrower sections excludes some of those differences resulting in clearer sound with more clarity.
You are absolutely correct. I have a 'NIGHTHAWK' w/'FIREBIRD' Mini-Humbucker in the Neck position and that guitar has the clearest sound. ITS CLARITY is unmatched on any guitar I've ever plugged in.
But it seems these new mini-humbuckers sound quite the same as bigger ones, on the LP Deluxe the PUs were significantly less hot and you could tell the difference in sound.
Yeah, partly because the narrower field gives less low end compared with full size humbuckers. This also explains the need for different pot values for different pickup types.
Played that SG today in a shop... No intentions of buying... I now own an SG special haha. The clarity was out of this world. I had to buy it. Thanks for the explanation dude!
Did not like the mini humbuckers on the LP though.,. Very dull and lifeless. But geez they had some sizzle on the SG
Dunno what it is but I've always loved the SG sound. More bite to it than a LP and they always make me smile!
SG sounds for me def better when heavy drums and thick bass hits the stage. On it's own, LP have better tones for me.
Most of the time it's hard to tell which ones among the two the guitar player is on. I'm thinking of the late Paul Fox right now (Ruts and Ruts D.C.), he had both a LP Standard (gold) and a SG Standard and I wouldn't venture on assuming which one he chose for this or that song.
Really enjoying heating Captain playing more leads in these 2018 Gibson videos
SGs are weird for me. I can look at one and think it looks amazing. Look at another and
think it looks like crap. I go through weird phases of liking and then disliking SGs
I do have to agree with you there.
I came to this video because I was super pumped to look at some new SGs... and just went “meh” and headed down to the comments
Not much of an SG guy either, but the 1969 model for example. The one with the cool tailpiece and vibrola, and the full guard always does it for me.
Harry Jenkins • I get what you’re saying. I appreciate the sound, and construction. The body style just isn’t for me. I’d prefer the same specs but with a LP Jr. single or double cut body.
I think I know what you mean, because I have that a bit, but a lot more so with Telecasters. I think the shape is rather ugly, but then if they used the right cosmetic it can look awesome. - I think the SG has a more appealing shape to begin with, so it doesn't put me off as easily as a Tele. But if an SG hasn't a good look it can look pretty mediocre as well. You'd be surprised what just a change of hardware or color can do for the visual appeal.
Also, I actually have an SG and it's a Limited Edition Epiphone which they've "reliced" in the factory. Though not in the usual way with scuffs and scratches, but instead bashed dents into it and covered it with a charcoal black paint. It looks a bit cheesy but also kinda cool at the same time. - Besides, the reason that it stayed is because it plays and sounds awesome.
My first ever electric guitar was a cherry red SG faded. Basically loved and modified it to death over the years. Nowadays it resides in its case without strings or electronics and with the original finish almost completely stripped. I visit her from time to time and always whisper: "Some day my darling... Some day.."
I think the success of this channel is due to not only talent, but marketing genius, product knowledge, editing shenanigans and most of all....comedy. You guys literally f***ing rock. Cheers
There is more clarity in the mini humbucker because the spectrum of it's "hearing" of the string is narrower than a traditional humbucker and more similar to a single coil or p90. These simply results in different harmonics but because of the narrower space of where it "picks up" the string vibration, it results in more clarity and treble
Lee, here's the low-down on these mini-humbuckers.
The mini-humbucker's magnetic field is narrower than that of a regular humbucker. This means that it senses the vibrations in a narrower section of the string. This makes them sound brighter and more treble-y. Additionally, old Firebird pickups and true old-fashioned mini-humbuckers are wound with fewer copper winds due to the narrower pickup size, leading them to sound softer and less "hot."
The reason you don't hear as much of a difference with these SGs is that the 495R and 495T pickups (which is what these mini-humbuckers are) are basically Firebird pickups using massive bar magnets and an absurd number of winds of small-guage copper wire to make them darker and hotter, like a regular humbucker. I have the 2016 model of the Special with these pickups, and Gibson spec's them at an insane 17k dc resistance at the neck and 26k dc resistance at the bridge. By comparison, a typical "PAF" style humbucker is around 7-8k, and a real Firebird pickup is around 6-7k. The result is a pickup with massive output, but tons of compression. Gibson used to use ceramic magnets, but moved to Alnico 2 later to try to tone down the harshness of these "mini-humbuckers." They sound awesome with a lot of gain, but move down to cleans and almost-cleans, and these fall flat on their faces.
I'm personally not a fan, and can't wait to put some real mini-humbuckers or P90s in mine. The guitar is a beautifully crafted and phenomenally playing instrument, and I got mine for peanuts, so I don't much consider the rather one-trick pickups much of an issue.
I'd probably recommend the Faded or the Standard with the PAF-style humbuckers to players of low-to-medium-gain players, and the Special to people that really want to chug and wail on their guitars.
Damn Chappers. That little descending running you did at 12:15 was sick. I rarely ever hear you pull out your inner Jimi Hendrix. You should play like that more often. Your tone was also better than normal in this video.
His tone was better than normal in this video probably because of that big Mesa.
Tom Henks His tone was better because he's playing an SG
You should make a blindfolded mini humbucker versus standard humbucker video. It would be interesting to see if you can tell the dfference or not.
A mini humbucker is not trying to replicate a humbucker in a smaller size. It's not like Apple making the iPhone smaller (or bigger) than last year's. It's a totally different piece all together with its own voice. I love mini humbuckers.
I could tell you straight away yhe difference. Minihum are brighter and more warm.. Hums are deep and dark.. Cant go wrong once u have played both
Seeing as its Gibsons best selling guitar you'd think they'd offer a range of other finishes. Everytime I see an SG it's in red or black unless it's an Epiphone. That mahogany looks great, sunburst doesn't look that great from here never seen one in person though. But it would be great to see more variety across the line.
I like the color Pearl White on and SG.Just Beautiful.
Ik. It took me a long time to finally get an alpine white teardrop pickgaurd Gibson SG standard. 2013 and 2017 only recent years they were available unless you bought a 61 custom RI
I've only ever liked the wood look. Black and cherry always turned me off
These SG Specials have been calling my name for a few years now in their various guises. I really like the inlays too and the natural finish.
I played a friend's SG in '68 and loved it.
I finally bought a 60's tribute SG with P-90s in 2011 which played great after a good set-up (a few years later I sold it to buy a Ric 360/6).
Got a 2012 '61 Reissue that played good out of the box but is now a total dream to play after a quality set-up. During the day at work I actually think about playing it when I get home. This SG is such a joy to play that I haven't touched my LP Custom or my Ric in over a year.
I loved the P-90s on the Tribute SG and I'm thinking about swapping out the Humbuckers for aftermarket P-90s on the Reissue.
When I think of SG guitarists it's John Cipolina of Quicksilver Messenger Service that comes to mind first. He had a unique and iconic style. Check out the custom bat wing pick guards on some of his SG's. Do an image search on John Cipolina SG to see them.
No one guitar is perfect for every guitarist.
I hope you find the guitars that work for you.
Love SGs but the HP ones are hideous......
Matty Fewster - It's the colors, unfortunately... They should've made it less flashy, and also pull back on the chroming of the hardware. It's unfortunate, because I don't mind a modernized version of the SG, losing the pickup-rings and so on. They're just too racecar-looking...
I like the blue one
Michael Angelo H. That's because they hired slash to design guitars and stuff. Notice how most of the les Paul's don't come with the pick guard? I love slash but keep your taste in guitars to your self bro.
Hello Lee & Chappers !
There are special important things you almost never mention about these "new SGs" year after year.
1st of all, these guitars have nearly always different specs from one year to another, and it is very important to point that out to guitarists who don't really know that line of products.
There are really important things that also must be mentioned like the LENGTH OF THE TENON or neck joint if you prefer (mainly short, or long tenon) which dramatically changes the access to the last frets, and also WHERE THE STRAP BUTTON IS LOCATED 'cause I can truly say that with an SG that has a long tenon if the strap button is located at the end of the tenon and you use straplocks then accessing the last frets becomes a real painful experience when you're jumping to the last frets to shred.
There are other little things that should also be mentioned like for instance the tuning posts of the G-Force, a couple of years ago they were LOCKING TUNING POSTS (which is excellent for the tuning stability) and these last years they were not.
You could also mention the type of nut which is installed, 'cause there's a huge difference between a standard nut and the Zero Fret Adjustment Nut which is really a great device for guys who play slide specially together with the Locking G-Force tuners.
Also, things like the width of the neck at the nut, which went from a MAGNIFICENT 46mm down to 44.3mm these last years.
And all this things have only to do with the "play-ability" of these guitars, 'cause for the "cosmetic" aspects it's a bit more obvious with the recent high def videos on UA-cam.
Apart from that, I really dig all your stuff, it's a whole lot of fun.
Thanks for everything.
It sucks that the LP's are not in the same price range as the SG's
Potato, Potato SGs are better.
They are if you compare like for like construction (or as close as you can get between. The basic 2018 LP Studio is £100 more than the same price as the 2018 SG Standard. Both have a bound neck and gloss finish. The LP's extra cost is mainly down to the carved maple cap and chambered body. The maple adds a bit of cost to the materials, and it takes more time to chamber the mahogany and then glue it all together. You don't get that with the much thinner all mahogany SG with simple bevelled edges. Time is money and it doesn't take a lot of extra factory cost for all the various profit margins to make a big difference to the sales price.
When you move up to the LP Standard, the flamed maple cap costs more and the bound body puts the price up considerably. It takes time to rout for the binding, add the binding and then scrape it clean after spraying. And spraying a burst takes more time too. I'm sure there is an element of marketing in the price difference as well, but you are paying for USA labour rates, so anything which takes more time makes a guitar a lot more expensive.
Mini hums definitely sound different. In the same way, a P90 seems to be a single coil pickup for the tone conscious, I'd say mini humbuckers are a way to get bigger, rounder sounds, but without the tone sucking qualities of a hiumbucker.
There are two types of mini humbucker that Gibson used. The Firebird pickup they designed in the early 60s, it's constructed differently from a standard humbucker, very trebley some say single coil-ish like a cross between a p90 and a strat.
Then there was the NY mini, these were Epiphone pickups, and when Gibson bought Epiphone they also bought all of the company's inventory, so to get rid of the hundreds of mini humbucker they started putting them in Les Pauls and the L.P. Deluxe was born.
£1199 for the sg standard is not a bad price! Compared to the LP studio I know what I would buy
Lee is so right: Boogie and SG sounds nothing like AC/DC.
Pedro Ignacio Bravo Collado sorry, what’s your point? Maybe you didn’t want to answer me or somebody else?
giulienk - I almost always find Boogies to sound so dark and thick. I mean, nothing wrong with good mid-range, but they seem to lack edge and grit somehow. MetallicA for example, while they somehow got away with it, kinda suffered from that too. And players like God... or "John Petrucci"... don't have the most interesting or exciting sound either. - It's just very polished and safe. Maybe not all Mesa/Boogies, but often they are. And Marshall obviously has that edgy and gritty Rock 'n' Roll sound, which sometimes is desired, sometimes it's just too harsh.
boogies have an almost opera singer quality, very full and balanced tonally. marshalls are more like Otis Redding or Brian Johnson screaming at the top of their lungs.
Would get you a pretty usable base tone for Soundgarden though
I like how Lee says "Boogie" though.
Just 2 more months until I own that sweet SG Special .... Been playing a low end Jackson Dinky for 7 years and I can’t wait for this upgrade
I own an SG faded and its a wonderful guitar.I actually prefer its non sticky feel over the standard. Only thing I wish it had was the diamond on the headstock, If it had that it would be perfect. Even a faded diamond would be really neat. I know its to save money, but I do wish Gibson would put the Diamond on the SG and Les paul Faded.
The special sounds clearer in the midrange than the standard to me - less cloudy!
Normally (except on a Strat or Tele) I really dislike dot inlays, and I always thought Gibson guitars look kind of "unfinished" without binding, but somehow the SG Faded always looks fabulous to me!
Have had a few SGs over the years. Always seemed to be something missing. Then I got rid of the neck pickup , reduced the controls down to 50s wiring with a no load built into the top end of the tone pot, made sure I got one with a decent chunky neck, put a decent Gotoh adjustable wraparound bridge on it, and hey presto! Dynamics for days, and playability right up to the last fret.
Cryogenically treated frets?! I'm no scientist, but that sounds like fairy dust to me.
I had a 75 les Paul deluxe with mini humbuckers. They are much more clear, but still provide a certain amount of smooth sustain. I prefer them to other humbuckers.
Some great playing from around 12 minutes in, the SG special sounds awesome. Loving Rob's chord choices and his playing recently...good stuff
Firebird pickups and mini humbuckers are different! Look it up!
Matt Burke Exactly what I said. Firebird pickups are not mini humbuckers. They are built completely different. Firebird pickups don't sound like humbuckers.
They're mini buckers dude... Whoever told you differently lied to you
Pierre Sauve I'm not saying that Sg has Firebird pickups in it. The captain mentioned firebirds in his rambling about mini humbuckers. I was just stating mini humbuckers and Firebird pickups are not the same. The construction is completely different as is the sound.
I always thought mini-humbuckers are the same size as P-90s, so you can change between them without having to destroy the guitar... I might be wrong...
Magnus Hedlund I know that's how they were in the 70s era. That's why mike Ness just gets 70s les Paul's rips out the mini hums and throws in a set of custom Duncan's. As for today I am not sure if that reigns true anymore. But I think it's the depth of the route in the guitar that is different between p90 and mini humbuckers.
Magnus Hedlund Right you can change them to p-90
I believe that's why they were invented, so Gibson could save money by putting either P90 or Mini Humbucker in the same body route :)
It's 100% true
They were Epiphone pickups originally. Gibson found they could fit them in a P90 slot (I think they even used P90 covers as the pickup rings) and started fitting them to Les Pauls in the '70s, creating the Les Paul Deluxe.
I swear Rob's guitar is always significantly louder that Lee's...
You're so right. Every single video.
Especially noticeable during Lee's solos. I know Rob is more forward in his playing and Lee is a bit more held back, but it seems a bit rude to always overpower whoever is soloing.
Chappers loves the gain, man. Don't blame him either
I've always wondered if it was just my computer or tv. Thankfully someone finally said what I was thinking.
It probably sounds fine to them as they're playing or they would have addressed it by now. So I'm wishing the editing or recording guy would try to do something to bring the soloist sound forward or push the rythym players sound down a bit.
Volume levels and audio are absolutely nothing to do with either myself or Lee, all of the audio is balanced and produced by Rabea, then edited into a video by Rory.
Hendrix owned and played a SG Custom also. A SG played through a Marshall is the sound of rock 'n roll, loud and proud. Stratocasters are OK, but just don't cut it. A SG through a high gain amp is nice, but a SG through a Marshall is what it is all about.
For anybody watching this years later & wondering: mini humbuckers exist because some people found the original PAF humbucker too dark-sounding, and Gibson tried to design a humbucker with the brightness of a single-coil pickup. The mini humbucker picks up a smaller section of the vibrating string than a full-sized HB, which means it tends to accentuate higher harmonic content (the shorter the string-length it "listens to," the narrower and therefore higher-pitched the vibrations it will "hear"). It also has a smaller iron magnet core than a full humbucker; the size of the core changes the pickup's inductance, which affects both overall output and low-end response, so smaller core = lower output, less bass. (The difference in output can be made up with other factors, to some degree, like the number of wire windings around the pickup.) There are further differences between the various types of mini-buckers, like Firebirds vs. Johnny Smiths, but in general, mini humbuckers will keep the noise-cancelling property of their full-size cousins but produce a brighter, less bassy tone, and some people think that the different frequency bandwidth in a mini-bucker gives you a smoother, less "chirpy" attack as well.
That mini humbucker SG looks exactly like a 74'. My SG has those block inlays, its a 70' w full size buckers, but someone added the "phase" switch. Im also not a fan of the inlays, but love the guitar. I'd love to see that HP review when you get em in!
First & Last Do the smaller inlays have any effect on tone?
David S ha, Im sure to some one, it does!
+CaptAnderton Gibson developed minihumbuckers because they had lots of spare bodies which were routed for P90s. Minihumbuckers are different than traditional Firebird pickups, which are actually single-coil pickups.
10:10 is it just me or do i see Lee play that two chord lick on every single video?
you're right, its every video.
I think it serves as a good baseline for comparison, given these are reviews.
a review/ comparison between SG Standards with Classic '57 pickups and 61R/ 61 T's please?
To me 57's sound better, 61's have to much wide range.
I actually kinda like the square inlays.
But they would look better with a binding though.
Yeah, they're fine, but I prefer the old, bigger block inlays on Les Paul and SG Custom models
I'm sad that Gibson never seems to bring out the SG with the Maestro trem. I would love the SG the Captain is playing at the beginning but I want a Maestro trem on there. I guess I can have it added later but still.
The SG Faded model is pretty nice this year. I like just the Gibson logo on the headstock with no crown.
Last videos of the day are always the best!
If mini-buckers sound exactly the same but take up less space (giving you more picking room), then the appropriate question might be, "Why do they make regular sized humbuckers?".
I have a 1970s SG Special and it has the same block inlays. No crown on the headstock, though.
LOVING THE LOOK OF THE SG SPECIAL IN THAT COLOR WITH THE MINI HUMBUCKERS!
Lee and Rob can you please do a video where you have to choose one electric guitar that could be your only electric guitar for doing everything with.
Yes Rob, I will buy your SG. Will even fly to England for it. I love britian as I lived and played bass there in the 90s. Strongbow, scrumpy Jack and dry blackthorn ciders the best ever! Can't wait!
I usually don't like SG's, but this Special is... 🤗 And these inlays look gorgeous in my opinion)
I bought me that one, I think it looks gorgeous too, I was gonna get the standard but something about the tone of those minis did it for me
i had a 2003 special faded with a cracked neck repaired with glue. sold it for $475. still played great.
Captain, you are right about SG's distinctive sound. I remember the blind test you guys did on Gibsons, and the SG was the one that stood out of the mix as "yep, that one is an SG." I never was a big fan of the mini humbuckers though. I always thought that the Firebird was their best looking, yet worst sounding guitar. These SGs sound great!!!
I love mini-humbuckers. They sound quite nice by themselves without the toys added. Jolly good show.
'Solid Guitar'? Nah. To me it will always be: Seriously Great!
As a completely neutral observer, with no prejudices whatsoever, I can tell you the SG can kick any Les Paul's ass.
That was a good one, Mike 😄
I think SGs should still be called Les Pauls because that's what they were originally named... *grabs popcorn*
I think it depends on what sound you like. To me - in comparison to a Les Paul - the SG is a little more punchy. But that high end bite a Les Paul has, boy I love it so much. Maybe one should just own both... :D
An SG is the only thing that could make me give my money to gibson. Also, I prefer brighter guitars, their necks feel better and they are not priced ridiculously -- SG 3, Les Paul 0
+ Aman Vasandani Good point. But maybe I can go one better. It should always be emphasized that the SG is what Gibson designed when they decided that overpriced back breaker wasn't good enough. So whatever you call it, the SG is the improved version of the Les Paul.
the editing man! its getting better and better
The special don't seem to get much review other than Lee asking the question about the mini humbuckers. I like the simplicity of this guitar. A gig bag and a decent price. Would make a good gigging guitar. I would have liked to hear more from Chappers about this guitar. The German retailer Session do a good sounding vid on this - just ashame that I can't speak German! : )
I really dug how you added the specs of the guitars in the intro. I'm a fan!
My first electric was a cheap Maestro SG and I love that thing. Would love to own a Gibson SG! Just tried a 2017 Gibson SG Faded at guitar center. And it was pretty nice! Neck heavy but sounded pretty killer!
I hate how the Special looks but I think it sounds the best
The OCD in me just wants to let you guys know there's not meant to be an apostrophe, it's "SGs"
Lachy Toy - People keep doing that everywhere...
Man, the Special with this years Mini's and the Standard sound fantastic together
Omg Rob played clean for a few moments. Thank you!
They sound great. I don't mind the square inlays either. When you think that Tony Iommi and Derek Trucks use these, you understand their versatility. You can go just about anywhere with one. I prefer Les Pauls, but did once own a Gibson doubleneck and it's hard to forget the feel of the neck and the tone of the guitar although the double neck had more wood and extra tone (and weight!) . I wish that they would modify the SG body shape a little and create something new and iconic again. When you think of what has come from Gibson so far ( Flying V, Explorer, Les Paul, Firebird, SG, Double-neck ... all of which are iconic), it would be really cool to see them do that again!
Those are like hot firebird pickups... Real mini humbuckers sound kind of like a hum free Tele pickup. And yes, I work for a company that makes pickups and guitar electronics.
The special is where it’s at 2018! Love mine ❤❤
The faded has always been one of my favorites. I just love the Worn Cherry. I recently bought the 2019 Gibson SG Standard Tribute and I love it!
asymmetry of horns is hypnotizing... :-)
Viking Guitarist I always thought they were symmetrical
The mini humbuckers were developed for jumbo guitars like the early 50’s Epiphone Emperor and offered a high quality sonic humbucker alternative for the D’Armond monkey on a stick pickups and as they were initially mounted on the floating pick guard the mini sizing was key. I got them on my 73 Deluxe Les Paul they are exceptional versatile used on the deluxe because they had been routed for P90’s and only the mini’s would fit the route hence the two different pickup surrounds...
Not overly keen on SG's till i brought one on a whim(2017 special for £700)and i love it.
I really love that specific sound an sg has. Probably attributed to the thinner body, and double cut away.
The color on that standard is gorgeous!
I really like the tone of the mini humbuckers. Which surprises me. Very nice cleans but seems to dirty up nicely.
Such a versatile guitar...loved when chappers was playing jazzy on the special model, sounded great when he kicked on the distortion also!
Best video thumbnail ever! That is magic!
I've waited for this video on SG 2018 from you guys to see and hear the HP model...but......
New Standard SG 2017 comes with some standard feature :) already out there!
The original mini hums in LP deluxes etc were left over Epiphone stock from when Gibson bought them out - definitely different to the modern Gibson mini hums. Really nice pickups they were too!
If I'm remembering correctly due to the size of the mini humbucker the electromagnetic field takes less of the the strings surface area as a signal which tonally gives a tighter, brighter tone than standard humbuckers. Sort of like the opposite effect of a P90 when compared to a standard single coil.
I've just bought 2016 Special T with minis, good to see something similar ♡
Wait what? Are you tellin me there is another way of pronouncing Hotones?! Never thought of "Hot ones". Dayum, you crushed my world.
Nothing like playing AC/DC on an SG guitar... 👍:-P🎸🎸
Just received my 2018 SG Standard... Amazing.
Was hoping that Rabea would jump in and play some sweet Thunderstruck xD
The Standard and the Special sounds great. For as far as I can hear the standard sounds not much different from my 50 years old one and that is a good thing. All time great rocking guitar.
The SG with minihumbuckers have more "cut thru the mix" type of sounds, than the classic humbuckers SGs.
I keep pushing for you guys to be on Hot Ones! That would be epic!!!!!!
I wish Gibson would make some SG Customs again. Maybe some with just two humbuckers and all the Custom goodies.
Favorite SG player gotta be Tony Iommi. He was probably the main reason that my "second guitar" (the first decent one) i had, was a SG faded/special (don't remember what they called them back then), some 8 years ago.
the minihumbuckers on firebirds are not the same as the ones on that SG, theyre built completely differently
redielg still minibuckers though... Just because its not the same set doesnt mean the firebird doesnt have minibuckers lol
Except on the 2015 Les Paul Deluxe which was fitted with the Skunk Baxter designed mini humbucker which was originally in the 2014 Firebird, I know because I own the LPD and found the pickups heavy and dark so I replaced them with Custom made SD's, 59 custom hybrid in the bridge and pearly gates in the neck but now it has swung the other way with the 59CH sounding brighter probably due to its mini humbucker size.
firebird has the magnet in the coil where the screws and slugs are on what gibson calls a minihumbucker.
What is the neck shape and fingerboard radius? Dot is preffered with mini B/W/B pickguard & neck binding with a slim neck 12 - 15 degree compound radius & JUMBO frets.
Rob and/or Lee.....Question regarding the "woods don't make a difference" comment....I just got a Gibson LP Custom Mahogany(all mahogany) and the bridge pup had terrible feedback on all my amps with high gain settings. Same pickups as my other lp custom(498T?) I changed them over to PRS 57/08n and 59/09b and it helped some, but still has the tendency to feedback in the bridge position. Could it just be the resonance of the all mahogany vs having a more dense maple cap??? Cheers from North Carolina!!
According to t'internet, (so it must be FACT), a mini humbucker produces clearer brighter tones than a normal humbucker. It occupies a purgatory between single coil jangly ness and full fat humbucker boom and rumble. Apparently ideal for jazz. So shooby doo wop that fact lovers.
Mini humbuckers were originally made to fit in a p90 route
mini hum buckers sound much more overdriven under the same settings, it gets a nice crunch
Why didn't you guys do the 2018 junior??? I am still waiting on mine and there are not a whole lot of videos so I thought for sure I could count on the captain to show me the goods but to my dismay you guys did every other Gibson guitar and left the junior out. Please do one in the future if possible. Love the channel!
So essentially almost exactly the same as the 2017 SG's but £150-£200 more in price which you are paying for a case that probably costs £20 to manufacture. Clever marketing Gibson! Grab a 2017 while you can!
According to Gibson the faded has 490 pick ups not the 61's.??????
I have 2013 SG Std, same colour as the Captain's And it came with a case, black.
Mesa fan and player here...fully agree with the Captain.
Hey guys, how about comparing the fender '64 custom hand-wired with the 60th Ann. Vox, against the Hand-wired Marshall Bluesbreaker?
I deffinatly think that the sg has a different kind of bark to a lea Paul. I love my 2010 sg standard really comfy to play. And I do like that special. The blocks and mini humbuckers are a different but in a good way.