Trying the New $1500 Epiphone SG Custom

📚Description: Today we are Trying the New $1500 Epiphone SG Custom. This is based on a 1963 Gibson SG Custom with maestro vibrola, 3 humbuckers and white finish. Is it worth the price? Let's find out!

🐕 Episode Guide:
0:00 Intro - Check Links in the Description
0:07 About Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop
0:25 Latest Additions
1:20 Epiphone 1963 SG Custom
1:58 The Finish
2:58 Headstock & Quirk
3:39 Case / Case Candy
4:23 Inside Look / Specs
13:14 Clean Tones
15:11 Dirty Tones
16:48 Final Thoughts
18:04 What to Watch Next!

🎞️ Videos Mentioned:
0:17 Gibson Headstock Epiphone Adam Jones 1979 Non-Art Les Paul Custom

0:21 2024 Epiphone 1963 Firebird V Ember Red

0:56 Epiphone SG Custom Viper Blue Sweetwater Exclusive

1:08 2023 Epiphone Kirk Hammett "Greeny" 1959 Les Paul Standard

1:53 2021 Gibson 60th Anniversary 1961 Les Paul SG Custom

9:13 Trogly's 2024 Guitar Cleaning + Fret Polishing Guide

Affiliate Links are found in this description + comments section - clicking and purchasing items from partners will help financially support the show.

⚙️ Gear Used to Make the Show: (AFFILIATE LINKS)
Guitar + Recording:
Camera:

[sydguitar]

I dont understand the hate for the new guitars. It's made for players who want 95% of a custom shop guitar while paying like 10% of the price, they still have their basic 50s and 60s standards for 599

[MaxCohen-mxrf]

A brand new version of this from Gibson costs $6, 700 without tax. Meaning the Epiphone version at $1, 500 is roughly 23% the cost of the Gibson version. Considering you get the bonus of being without fret nibs, a two-way truss rod and a poly finish, seems like a fair deal. Some historic specifications just aren't worth keeping.

But seriously, there's $867 dollars worth of Gibson pickups in this thing, so you get the finished guitar husk, accessories, wiring, and case for roughly $633 . That's not bad deal in the long run.

[jefffixesit]

I've come to expect you to diss on any SG, but that's OK. A more useful evaluation for me is, 'how does it compare to a Custom shop Gibson with the same specs, and how much money do I save by buying this Epi instead?' 😁

[sandsthirtytwo]

In Canadian dollars, these are $2169.
If you price out three custombucker pickups, switchcraft toggle and input, grover 18:1 tuners, Mallory capacitors and an epiphone hardshell case, keeping all the hardware in gold finish, it all adds up to just over $1800 Canadian; since I'm the guy to buy the $800-$1000 epi SG custom and do all these mods myself, but getting the gibson headstock and mother of pearl inlays and having it all factory made, makes this actually not a bad deal for someone like me who cant afford the $6000-$10, 000 for the gibson equivalent.
Thanks for such an in-depth review of this guitar, Trogly!

[jackieohehir]

You should use a fret rocker...it would be interesting to see how they work out...

[WilliamHaisch]

3:00 If I remember correctly, the main reason the headstock binding goes under the nut on an Epiphone is because the headstock angle is not as drastic as the Gibson headstock angle. Epiphone uses a 14 degree headstock angle and Gibson uses a 17 degree headstock angle. I’ve read that Gibson changed the headstock angle to 14 degrees between 1966 and 1973 in order to strengthen the area behind the headstock. 😊

[hkguitar]

EDIT: 12:20 FYI, this guitar appears to be wired using the "Modern" Gibson style volume/tone controls, it doesn't appear to be the '50s Style control wiring.
You can tell because typically '50s style wiring bridges the tone capacitor between the volume and tone pots.
That said, Gibson triple pickup control wiring is non-typical and has changed during Gibson's time building guitars.
Still a really cool guitar, love the Fender-ish single-coil tone the bridge and middle pickups provide.

[ozpunk]

The ES 355 looks really cool, hope you get to demo that one too

[rascalious]

Thank you for listening. I wanted the inspired by Gibson review.

[diego_cl]

The chipping of the screw holes appears to occur when they are not countersunk, causing the screw threads to damage the finish when removed.

[unclefungus]

A little bit of play in the bridge is good with a maestro vibrola. It’s better for tuning stability if the strings are allowed to wiggle the bridge a bit rather than bind up on it if it were nice and snug.

[sgt.grinch]

That SG is fantastic. That may be on my radar for a purchase.

[rascalious]

We need the Epiphone Les Paul Custom review. The one released this week!!! The $1299 ones.

[Tcflohr]

I absolutely love how honest your reviews are. I was really on the fence about the new customs. I have a Gibson 68 RI LPC, a 72 LP dlx, and a few MIJ lp guitars. I was hesitant if the new epis would hold up, and for sure it going to wait to try them in person before dropping 1300 bucks.

[geargeeks]

I have done what you said..
I modified an epiphone had to drill out the holes in order to accommodate USA CTS pots

[jfinester]

Thanks for reviewing this one! I’ve wanted an SG Custom since I first saw one as a teenager in 1964, and I’ve had my eye on these since they were announced earlier this month. Now, why is this Epiphone better than a vintage Gibson one from the early ‘60s? (in my opinion anyway!) First, it’s got normal-sized frets instead of the tiny “fretless wonder” ones that came on Gibson Customs since the first Les Paul Customs in 1954. If you bend strings, and I do, a lot! those extra-low frets are tough to bend on. And, the middle pickup is in phase with the bridge, which it wasn’t on the old ones. The out-of-phase tone is interesting, and works if you’re playing skanky funk or you want to sound kind of like T-Bone Walker on his Gibson ES-5, but I find the in-phase tone to be generally more useful. If I get one of these, I might get a push/pull pot on one of the controls, to switch the phase on the middle pickup, so I could get both sounds. Yeah, it’s a bit pricey, but not when compared with a Gibson Custom Shop version. If I had that kind of money, I’d get the one with the ebony block Vibrola, at $8000. Yikes! That’s over twice the cost of my first car, and a little more that the price of my next one. I’ll take the Epiphone, thanks!

[frankwebster]

That middle position sounds killer with the clean tone. And the bridge with dirt as well. Smokin good imo

[HeisenbergXx]

Beautiful SG! I love the Epiphone reviews that you do!

[electricfox]

Glad to see you're reviewing this line of guitars from Epi and I hope you do the others as well. With these, the 355s, and the Dave Grohl signature it's hard to choose what I might want for a new guitar! And with all these great appointments I just hope Gibson bites the bullet and finally just labels any future Epiphones this nicely made as Gibson with a "Made in X" country stamp or emboss so we can all just have nice Gibsons that don't break the bank and let new players say they play Gibsons. Just like Fender has done with the Made In Mexico guitars!

[rocktorrocks]

These look cool & considering the upgraded specs i can understand the price. BUT I bought the $1300 Epi Bonamassa ES-335 just 2 years ago and many are still sitting unsold on shelves with second hand examples selling for $700-850 if not cheaper. My advice, wait and pick these new Epiphones up used because no matter how good the specs, they are still mass produced import guitars & will be worth no more than $850 on the resale market. Also without a nitro finish or fret nibs and the typical quality of fretwork we see on imports…many of these will likely feel and play like $500 Epiphones.