Gibson/Epiphone SG

im thinking of getting a new guitar, and i really like the look of gibson GS's in wine red finish, & by the reviews and stuff they sound like they have good spec's, but i dont know if one will suit the type of music i play & the music i hope to play in the future. i currently own a "fender" squire strat its ok for a learner

i play blues & classic rock at the moments & im starting to learn some techniques for shredding i hope to be able to play most styles, shred/neo-classical, rock (heavy and classic), heavy metal (allmost all types), blues etc

the problem is i cant shred or play most of those styles yet so i cant really try shredding on one in a shop to see what they are like plus the fact that they have no whammy bar puts me off slightly, i dont use the one on my strat much but if i learn to shred will a whammy be a definate must?.


do you recon an SG would be right for me?

obviously i know a lot depends on personal preference for the feel of an instrument but i need some opinions.

i was also looking at and Ibanez JS100 (black) or an Ibanez RG.... of some sort what do you think to either of these guitars?

im open for suggestions on other guitars too (under £500-600)

Well, the Gibsons WERE used by the early metal bands like ACDC. I dunno...if you want to play so many styles I would suggest the JS100 you were looking at. Those Satriani guitars are pretty versatile.

[font=trebuchet ms]Use the search icon at the top of the page, and type SG into the keyword box. There's a lot of stuff in here about them. They have a serious mechanical weakness in the area where the neck joins the body, but they are very versatile. Heck, the guy I bought mine from was playing Country & Western on it![/font]

SG's are great guitars, but they are not for shredding. The Ibanez would be more suited because they are a lot more versatile.

i have recently purchased an epi vintage G-400 SG and it's awesome! perfect for rock or blues or shreding... i can do so much with it. not to mention the quality. mine's a mahogany finish but epi offers it in wine red too !

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollyson..metal bands like ACDC..

Is that supposed to be a joke?

I have a Gibson SG Voodoo and I love it. I read somewhere, and I thought it was a pretty accurate description of the SG being a cross between a fender strat and a les paul. I really love mine, I use it more often then I do my les paul which seems strange doesnt it... I guess thats because the SG is just more comfortable to play and throw around and I probably wouldnt cry as much if I broke my 800 $ SG as opposed to my 1,850 $ LP.

Oh, and I play metal, blues and punk mainly. I think the SG sounds pretty kick ass for blues, and you can shred okay with it acutally, but I agree that the Satch guitar is better for shredding in my opinion.

is a whammy bar an absolute must for shredding?

would a gibson les paul studio or an epiphone les paul of some sort be much good to me?

i just want a load of suggestions so i can try them out and also try out similar guitars and guitars by the same manufacturers to decide which is best for me

Originally Posted by: HammurabiIs that supposed to be a joke?

Yeah, if you misquote me like that it is. I said "EARLY metal bands like AC/DC." They bridged the gap between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.

ROBH,
I hate to say it, but whammy bars are another very subjective matter. I guess it does seem like most pro shredders have one, but if your not going to use it they pretty much just get in the way. I always wanted one on when I was getting my 2nd guitar which had a floating trem system. It sounded kcik ass and was very fun to play, but was a pain in the ass to keep in tune. I dont really play that guitar any more, not worth the trouble for me.

Ive never played a lp studio actually, but looks wise they are very similar to a les paul standard which I own and would die burning for. But shred wise, Id probably still stick to Satch's Ibanez model $ wise and if you can ever just try it out, you'll see what weve been yappin about! Good luck!

another thing about whammy bars... yes, in most cases you can take them off very easily, but somthing that I use to do a lot (even when the floating whammy bar wasnt screwed in) would be to accidently press too hard (or accidently press my wrist against the actual floating device) causing it to briefly make the notes your playing all go sharp. This shouldnt discourage you from checking out guitars with whammy bars though, because after spending some time with your guitar, you probably wont ever run into this problem. It just takes a little time to get use to the feeling.
Theres also more then one kind of whammy bar, you probably already knew that though. :)

Yeah, playing a guitar with a floating trem takes a different technique and some time to get used to. Like Toxic Shock Trooper said, it's easy to push down when palm mutting a little too hard and make everything go sharp. I've been playing for about 15 years and just got my first guitar with a floating trem about 2 months ago. It's made me have to re-adjust when I play it. Takes a little more precision with your picking hand.

is the kind of trem on a fender strat a floating trem? i have a strat but im looking to buy a second guitar. ive noticed most pro shredders use the whammy a lot (i notice most use floyd rose/locking temelo's) and i intend learning to shred but i really like the look of the les paul studio (its just the same as a les paul standard without the binding and some of the other cosmetics) so i was wondering if i could get away with getting the les paul and shred to a fairly ample degree without the whammy. i intend trying out the suggested guitars to see which i like best just as i cant shred yet (i intend learning to, im on learning the techniques now) i cant really go into a shop & start shredding on these guitars can i, ill just have to go by peoples suggestions & the feel and tone of the guitar.

thanks for all the suggestions & help

Originally Posted by: Rob_His the kind of trem on a fender strat a floating trem? i have a strat but im looking to buy a second guitar. ive noticed most pro shredders use the whammy a lot (i notice most use floyd rose/locking temelo's) and i intend learning to shred but i really like the look of the les paul studio (its just the same as a les paul standard without the binding and some of the other cosmetics) so i was wondering if i could get away with getting the les paul and shred to a fairly ample degree without the whammy. i intend trying out the suggested guitars to see which i like best just as i cant shred yet (i intend learning to, im on learning the techniques now) i cant really go into a shop & start shredding on these guitars can i, ill just have to go by peoples suggestions & the feel and tone of the guitar.

thanks for all the suggestions & help

I don't know how you feel about kirk hammet, but of his signature ESP models is shaped as a Les Paul AND has an original Floyd Rose locking trem. Emg pickup set and some big ass frets. Only thing is, it only come in black and has some stupid looking spider inlays. http://espguitars.com/sig_kirk.htm Its the LTD-603 Gotta love the neck-thru construction!

You can get a Strat with a floating Trem, but most only allow you to lower the pitch. A floating trem is one you can push down and pull up on.....

As for the LP for shredding, take this into consideration. If your looking for a guitar to shred with, look for a guitar that's easy to reach the higher notes. Most shredders also prefer a 2 octave neck scale (24 frets). But, it still all depends on your personal preference, whether you like a fat or skinny neck (a skinny neck is also a preference of shredders, they feel "faster). I'd pick a LP over anything, but to me, a LP is not a shredders guitar.....

Im no expert on shredding, the best I can do is play chromatic scales up and down the neck really fast, which is fun and all, dont get me wrong. But one point here might be, if you can shred on one guitar, you should be albe to shred on most any guitar. Some guitars are certainly better made for shredding then others, but I mean, I have a LP Standard, a SG Voodoo and a "cheap" fender strat and as far as shredding goes, I can play about the same, from a technical standpoint, on all of these completely different models. Its not the guitar that makes you shred, its you who shreds the guitar!
As long as thats understood, which im sure it is since you said your learning to shred. Best of luck!
TST

Now although I have very little useful info on the topic of shredding and or whammy bars I would like to take this opportunity to remind you all of my near perverse love for my dear RG. You see kiddies I do not shred in the normal sense of the word for I cannot use a pick, thats right kiddies im a finger picker. Now although this slows my shredding down a little it does grant me the ability to shred on multiple strings. As for whammy bars they get in the way when you have no fingers free to grab them with but seings as I have a floating trem I find just grabbing the whole thing and yanking it or pushing with your palm is just as good and a lot more fun.