Gibson SG Bass worn finish review

godofthunder · December 30, 2012, 07:19:35 AM

I feel in love with this bass in the store. Light, resonant, easy to play. I ripped off tune after tune of my favorite EB artists and this bass really delivers. I really love the worn finish It feels great in your hands and I think the bass is a bit lighter and more resonant for it and as always this bass looks great in the classic Heritage Cherry. The three piece mahogany neck reminds me very much of a early pre '65 EB series bass. beefy and very comfortable though not as hefty. The MOP dot inlay looks so right with the rosewood fingerboard on this bass. I personally found the trapezoid inlays on the more upscale SG bass a little overboard though I do wish this bass had the inlay on the headstock. Fit and finish are very good on this bass I can't really find anything negative to comment on though I am sure the worn finishing process is less critical than a high gloss finish. The body is two piece Mahogany and though the two pieces are a bit mismatched, one being much more figured than the other it gives the bass personality and makes it mine, I'm cool with that. The bass is equipped with a Large humbucker at the neck and a mini humbucker at the bridge. The controls are streamlined v/v/t, I personally like the old layout of v/v/t/t, but I think most players will like the new layout just fine. I was pleasantly surprised by the pick ups. The neck pickup (or neutered mudbucker as I like to call it) Provides a convincing 60's experience with out being unwieldy. I have not put it on a meter but certainly half the output of it's much loved predecessor. With the neck pup on 10 and the bridge pickup dialed all the way down and the tone rolled off this bass can do a pretty good EBO without going through the driver on your practice amp. The pickup placement, short scale and construction of the bass I feel also account for it's vintage tone. My favorite combination of pickups is the neck on 10, bridge dialed back a bit and the tone all the way up. All in all this bass feel like a early 60's EB3 without the price tag and I had no problem of getting Dunnaway's eerie thump of Dead Babies to Frasier's clean burp on All Right Now to Jim Lea's snappy grind on Cum On Fell The Noize. The bass MAPS at 899.00 (it can be had for far less) comes with a beautiful form fitted hardshell case. For those who want a 60's EB3 and find them out of reach or those who want a contemporary take on a classic I can't recommended this bass highly enough. To complete the 60's experience for myself I am going to install a 60's Mudbucker, Not necessary but I do have one on hand.

uwe · December 30, 2012, 08:35:04 AM

Ah, a late convert!!! I've always said these were great, better in fact than their sixties and seventies ancestors. Had they been released in the sixties, then perhabs we wouldn't be living in such a Fender mono-culture today.

The SG RI/Standard is (and has since its release been) the best medium-priced short scale solid-body on the market, nuff said. The only "winner" other than the TBird Gibson have released since the eighties.

Don't badass it, pleeeeheeeeze Scott!

godofthunder · December 30, 2012, 08:43:09 AM

I have no intention of slapping a BA on it...........................believe it or not. Oh no! Whats happening to me?

I might not even put the 60's muddy in, it sounded great at rehearsal last night.

Dave W · December 30, 2012, 09:53:47 AM

Pretty grain pattern on that one too.

patman · December 30, 2012, 10:32:02 AM

I have wanted to play one of those ever since Uwe said the Mudbucker didn't really sound like a mudbucker.

Barklessdog · December 30, 2012, 10:32:58 AM

Nice bass and I love the faded finishes. It will mojo nicely, give you a fast relic job, which will look cool in my opinion.

Granny Gremlin · January 02, 2013, 05:29:19 PM

Is the body 2 piece edge joined? Kinda looks like it from those pics but I don't remember noticing that on the regular SG RI I played in the store.

dadagoboi · January 02, 2013, 05:51:10 PM

Quote from: Granny Gremlin on January 02, 2013, 05:29:19 PM
Is the body 2 piece edge joined? Kinda looks like it from those pics but I don't remember noticing that on the regular SG RI I played in the store.

Thunderbirds are the only production bass I know of that aren't edge joined.

Granny Gremlin · January 02, 2013, 06:10:57 PM

That snuck up on me when I was off the market then. Last I remember most name brand basses were 1 pc (budget/low end models excepted).

Dave W · January 02, 2013, 08:32:50 PM

Quote from: Granny Gremlin on January 02, 2013, 06:10:57 PM
That snuck up on me when I was off the market then. Last I remember most name brand basses were 1 pc (budget/low end models excepted).

You're remembering wrong. One piece bodies have always been the exception. You won't find many one-piece vintage Gibsons, and Fender never used one-piece bodies even in Leo's era.

leftybass · January 03, 2013, 02:45:21 PM

I have a left-handed "shiny" one on order.

godofthunder · January 03, 2013, 03:02:00 PM

Glad to hear that Ronn! Hope it arrives to soon. I found them beautiful but the worn finish SG really spoke to me not often a new bass does that, or any for that matter.

Granny Gremlin · January 03, 2013, 03:15:17 PM

Quote from: Dave W on January 02, 2013, 08:32:50 PM
You're remembering wrong. One piece bodies have always been the exception. You won't find many one-piece vintage Gibsons, and Fender never used one-piece bodies even in Leo's era.

Then the book matching standards have dropped significantly because I'd swear my EB3 is 1 solid slab (I received it sanded down to the bare wood and refinned it myself so you'd think I'd notice). The rest of my instruments are opaque finishes so I don't know for sure. Don't recall seeing too many trans Teles, Jags, Ps and Strats with an obvious join down the middle either (until recent Squier models, some of which are up to 5 or 7 edge joined peices; haven't seen many higher end Fenders up close lately because nobody I know has one and I don't care for them too much).

Pilgrim · January 03, 2013, 04:31:44 PM

It's pretty typical of Fender bodies to be more than one piece.

godofthunder · January 03, 2013, 04:38:06 PM

Gibson EB bodies 60's through 70's were all one piece to my knowledge. As for Fender I can't comment with expert knowledge on 50'-60's bodies but I think many were one or two piece. On the other hand 70's bodies could be 2- 5 pieces! My '75 walnut bodies P is three piece, two rather large pieces with about a half inch strip running between then, musta been some bean counter came up with that cause I can't see how that could lower the price of the bass, probably caused more problems than it was worth in the finishing department.