Gibson SG Standard Electric Guitar - Ebony Reviews

I love my new SG Standard. Has a smooth neck and. the action lets you play as fast as you want. What can I say, the humbuckers rock! This guitar is nicely balanced and very easy to play. Also, it arrived perfectly setup and ready to play.

I've rarely written reviews for Sweetwater, but this is a great guitar.
The neck on this is so great! Probably my favorite of several electric guitars I have. The specs call this a "Rounded" profile. Compared to a Slim Taper, the Rounded neck is fuller, and feels wider to me, even though the nut width is the same.
I really like the feel, and it helps when playing barre chords, or difficult jazz chords. Guitar necks are a matter of personal preference, but this one really works for me!
I also love the pickups in all three positions. Even turned down a bit they still have that vocal quality I prefer with Alnico II pickups.
Even though the Standard is pretty affordable, it's a guitar you'll love to play all the time.

I am a Fender strat and tele guy but I've always liked the SG and figured it was time to add a humbucker guitar to my collection. I'm very happy with this guitar and I'm glad I went with the plek pro since it arrived perfectly with no fret buzz anywhere. It was so good I ordered another. I was worried it may have been a fluke but the second one arrived just as good as the first.

Perfect set up and plays smooth and fast. Flawless finish. I've always played a strat but wanted the sound of humbuckers. I have a les paul standard which is a great guitar also but I've never been able to feel comfortable playing it....enter the s.g. and problem solved. I don't know how or why exactly but everything about this guitar feels right.

I have been playing guitar for over 20 years now, and I make a living as a music producer. I have also played guitar on some top 40 records over the years when I was engineering them. This guitar is, by far, the nicest and most useful one I have ever owned. I'll confess that the one I currently own was sitting in the 'expensive room' at that well-known guitar store. Just for fun, I picked it up. I was so blown away by it that I thought about it all night and bought it the next day. It has been my number one ever since, and I currently own 14 guitars. I use it every day for recordings, and it is honestly magical.

I started off playing strats and single coils as a kid and in college. As many people before me have figured out, the SG is an excellent choice for those coming from that world. I have played shows across the country with it, and it has never let me down or made me feel like I was struggling. The neck is big but absolutely perfect. The fretwork is spot on. It is as light as a feather (with a little neck dive, but oh well). The pickups are extremely versatile and work well in a variety of settings and with different amp types. When I go to sessions all over LA, I bring this guitar and my Fractal FM3, and I can confidently cover all styles.

I've had the good fortune to play some historic guitars like 50's Les Pauls, '63 Strats, '54 Teles, and even a '60s SG with that weird Bigsby thing, among many others. However, this guitar remains my favorite and the most versatile. It's honestly worth every penny. My only suggestion would be to get the nut changed and maybe add locking tuners if your guitar is having trouble staying in tune. I did that, and it's rock solid now.

not only is guitar beautiful to look at, it play like a dream and sounds awesome!!!!!! i'm not letting this one go!!!!

I really like this sg only con was the talked about neck dive . With a cheap strap yes it would but with a good leather strap it will not dive. I bought a good Gibson leather strap that holds to my shoulder. I watch videos on how to correct it they all said to relocate strap button witch requires drilling a hole in a Gibson changing from original. Um no thanks, glad I bought the stap no videos on strap solution maybe I'll make one. But love sg Gibson and glad Sweetwater had it because I like the black better than the red one that most of the other stores had. Did not mean to make review so long. Sorry!!!

Wonderful guitar! Light and comfortable to play. And the tone. The TONE. It's a rock machine.

I expected that it would arrive needing a setup, but the action and intonation are perfect. Stays in tune without issue. Still smells like fresh paint, too!

OK so I looked at this guitar at a big guitar store near me. I liked the black more than the red but the neck was such a light brown on both that it looked way better on the red. then i started looking at sweetwater like once a week. then one day i saw my guitar. a black one with the darkest brown neck i had seen to date. hmmm 7 lbs 1 oz. ...you know what? I'll take it. it is the only seller you can buy a guitar this way. just a fact.

great guitar right out of the box. bryant wilson and the staff were very helpful,bought a fender hellcat right after my s g. can't go wrong with sweetwater.

It's enjoyable to work with a company that provides the level of customer service I experienced with Sweetwater…outstanding! Excellent communication throughout the process. AJ and staff were fantastic. Thank you!

Not sure if I just got lucky, or people are just too picky, but my SG Standard could not be more perfect. It has become my fav guitar over my Les Paul and PRS. Very comfortable to play, nut is cut just right, no neck dive, no QC issues, neck frets binding etc., perfect [no tool marks]. Sweetwater did a great job shipping this out as usual.

I have always wanted an SG to compliment my Les Paul. My Sales Engineer Parker, helped make my dream a reality. The tonal difference to my 50's Les Paul (P90's) is a great addition to my arsenal. The SG is a little brighter, lots hotter and I love it's light weight. The neck is a tiny bit slimmer but still chunky enough for me. It sounds great through my Marshall Origin 50 watt Tube Head and Origin 240 watt 4x12 Cabinet! I tickle it with a little juice from my Fulltone OCD Drive Pedal and it paint peeling time! Top it all with some love from the Hall of Fame Reverb and let the Rock and Roll begin! Thanks again Parker and Sweetwater for helping me build my sound and annoy my neighbors!

I've always gone for LP's thinking the SG was a lesser guitar, how wrong I was. Very comfortable easy playing guitar, no neck dive. QC is excellent, could not find a single issue. I did change the pups to Thornbuckers and now it sound so good. Also added a pickup ring on the bridge pup to help level it out a bit more, worked pretty well [Angus trick lol].

If you are reading this, you are probably considering buying a Gibson SG Standard. I recently bought one, and I am kicking myself for waiting so long! I remember playing this at a music store in 80s and loved it. Then for some unknown reason, I went to the "hair metal" guitars based on the stratocaster---all good in their own right. But if you love the classic rock sound with loud, clear, open "acoustic" chords or power chords, soloing based in blues scales, dynamics soft to loud---this is a must have guitar in your arsenal.

I have owned 12 different guitars in my life. I love heavy metal like Metallica and this guitar has its limits for that sound. At maximum volume and gain you will probably find more accurate sounding heavy metal guitars. However, when rolling back the volume or gain even a little, or alot, this is the guitar for you. Have you been craving the classic ACDC, Zepplin, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, and Tesla guitar sounds? This is the guitar for you. How could Angus, Jimmy, and Tony all be wrong? Don't wait, buy it now. Do it! And you can trust Sweetwater as a business! I only buy through Sweetwater! Thanks Sales Engineer of the Century, Kenny!

I've had mine for about a week now. I really like it. Very growly sound, straight up raw rock and roll. Nice change from my Les Paul. Well made, and the all black look with the chrome is a stunner. Plays like a dream, sounds great. Sweetwater's customer is also a HUGE plus. End to end they're just a great place to do business with.

We took our 17 yr old to Sweetwater to experience the store we had heard so much about. We were at first not getting any help and were kinda underwhelmed. When we asked for help we never stopped receiving it! My son got to play guitars we clearly could not afford but not one employee made us feel like we weren't welcome to let him play. He tried pedals galore! Although they didn't have the guitar he initially went to look at he ended up getting what he considered a dream guitar. We were treated very well and the experience although not cheap was a good one. My son has asked several times when are we going back. Everyone we spoke to knew exactly what we were asking and what they were talking about. I highly recommend if you can to go to the store it's a great place to shop. So now about the guitar! It is amazing it has great sound and my son loves the sound. We need a better amp to give this guitar the sound it deserves.

The Gibson SG standard is an amazing yet simple guitar which explains why it is such a go to guitar for so many. I purchases a used one from Sweetwater and it is in fantastic shape. Just a few small marks which you might see on new guitars displayed in a music store. Tyler Moore was exceptional as always. Check out the Demo and Used gear at Sweetwater. Their inspection and attention to detail has super high standards. Thanks to Tyler and Sweetwater!

I Purchased A Gibson sg standard From Sweetwater a month ago and waited until I had time to give this guitar a fair full assessment, as I have many times before with other Gibson guitars. and I must admit They got it right with this one!
From the outstanding service provided by sweetwater to the day I am writing this review, its been an amazing purchasing experience! The guitar came very quickly , and came perfectly intonated packed, and shipped without a hitch! and the instrument is an absolute dream to play, sound amazing, assuring many years of classic Gibson tone and musical bliss! I highly recommend sweetwater for all of your gear needs! Thank you to the folks at Gibson and Sweetwater !!!

I Just Got MY Gibson Sg Standard In The Mail The Other Day From Fed Ex Had To Wait 24 Hours To Acclimate The Guitar To Our Northwest FLorida Climate The Longest 24 Ours In My Life The Guitar Was A Demo Model Which Still Looked Brand New To Me Except For Some Tiny Little Scratche's On The Back I Plugged It In And It Sounds Great Thru My Marshall 100 Watt Halfstack Rocked Out To Some Classic Black Sabbath And I Tell You This Guitar Rocks Thank You Again For This Sg Standard If You Want A Guitar That Rocks You Socks off Apply For A Credit Card And Get One Now Thank You Max Rice

Thank You Sweetwater For The Chance To Get The Guitar Of My Dreams A Gibson Sg Standard In Ebony With My Sweetwater Credit Card From Synchrony Bank My Payments Are Under $ A Month For 36 Months I Can't Wait For It To Arrive From Fed Ex Thank You Again Sweetwater

It was around this time last year that I was casually looking through the "demo" guitars on Sweetwater. I saw this sg there. It had some chipped paint and a maybe a scratch? I'm not sure if it came from the factory this way and that's why it was a demo or some one tried it and returned it this way. I didn't really care. It was only 6 lbs., it needed a friend, and I was kind of wanting to try an sg.

Upon checkout Sweetwater suggested letting their guitar shop install a new nut as well as a plek job. It was a little pricey but hey, I was getting this the guitar cheaper than normal anyway because it was a demo so why not? I gladly accepted the offer.

Now, I hear a lot of debate, if not simply skeptisim, about Gibson's current production and quality control in the guitar community at large lately. I must admit that I allowed this to make me nervous and skeptical myself about my purchase. I have however developed a very trusting relationship over the years with the team at Sweetwater to not sacrifice quality and to always be willing to do their best to make things right.

I'm glad that I made this purchase. Maybe mine is special? I'm not sure, but I am sure of one thing: It's special to me. After arriving, I spent some time fine tuning the setup to match my uniqueness as a player. Since then it has more and more become my favorite instrument. I don't mean just the favorite instrument that I own, but my favorite instrument that I have ever played.

It is truly wonderful every time that I pick it up, and when I'm not playing it, I find myself just counting down until I get the chance to play it again. There is nothing that I want to change about it. I think that it is perfect for me. My strat, tele, and les paul are all very jealous, but they'll live. This is the one that I want to play daily and get to know the most, and just think...a year ago it was classified by some as not up to snuff. It just needed some care and a friend. It is my privelege and honor to be that person. It's a life changer.

Thanks to whomever or whatever that caused the damage to this sg. Without you, I may have never noticed/found it. Thank you Sweetwater for allowing it to be sold at a lower price, suggesting the nut replacement and plek, performing the nut replacement and plek with care, offering financing options, and being trustworthy. Cheers!

Gibson's taken a lotta flak lately, so was unsure about getting the SG, but I've always wanted one. Don't regret it one bit. Have had it for a month, and it's great. Neck is thin, action is super sweet (low), looks badass, and sounds like AC/DC. If you want one don't be afraid, this is a quality guitar. It's my guitar that's the most fun to play, and that's over a USA Jackson Soloist, Les Paul Custom, and others. Seriously, if you've wanted an SG, get it. It rocks.

This guitar plays, looks, feels, and smells amazing. I've wanted a Gibson for about 15 years but never wanted to settle for less than a standard so I put it off until it was the right time to buy. It is definitely worth the wait. Everything about this guitar makes playing effortless. The action is awesome, the neck is awesome, easy access to the higher frets and it just has so much natural volume & sustain that you barely have to touch to play. The pick-ups sound amazing, my Tele always pulled jazz styles out but this guitar makes you play rock. I have had no issues with this guitar falling out of tune, it seems to hold pretty well only needing slight adjustments here and there. All the hardware is very sturdy, nothing feels cheap on here. I dont know what the deal with the lacquer on this guitar is but it honestly smells incredible, never thought that would be such a high point for a guitar for me but touche Gibson.
The only thing I wish was different on this guitar is to have the classic Gibson tuning heads but the Grovers on this guitar are still very nice, just not as aesthetic. All in all this is a great guitar and buying it was a great experience, Connor took care of everything and made it all very easy.

This is a great guitar. The action is crazy smooth. I can't believe the strings are so low and not a buzz to be heard. The People at Sweetwater set it up perfectly. The sound is awesome, from crisp clean, to killer crunch, This guitar delivers.
I have two Gibson Les Paul's, and two Fender Strats. An American Standard. and an American Professional. String bends on this SG with 10s feel like My Strats with 9s. Very impressive. I have 41 years experience playing Banjo, and a bit less playing guitar so my opinion might not matter, but I do know quality when I play it. I am sure that you will love it too.

Fantastic guitar, I’ve had mine for a few months now and I’ve had nothing but high level performance and quality out of this guitar. One of the best feeling necks I have touched. Also thanks to the staff for making this experience and great as possible!

This is just a great instrument. I was concerned that the bridge pickup (490) would not be as powerful for gigging as the 498 in my 2016 standard. It isn’t, but the 490 still cuts through the mix quite nice, and the guitar really sounds great in the middle position as well. The guitar came delivered in flawless condition. Fit and finish very well done. Naturally, Gibson sets the action too high....so I did have to adjust it. Other than that, the guitar was gig ready out of the box. I hope this is further signs that Gibson has turned things around. I would buy again. Sweetwater service is awesome as well.

Pro noise maker here. I can't help but think that my review was lacking in info, so just want to say that the action is non existent the Ridgewood fretboard being brushed has the best feel I've ever had. While the frets are perfect it leads me to say the tones and intonation were good, the intonation I made better. The look the sound can not be beat. I've played some good and cheap guitars but even though the sg is over priced just like all other guitars when you play it Gibson sg just screams rock and roll to you, but at the same time your excited yet satisfied when it's in your hand. Wow! Gibson sg standard, there is no substatute. It is the vet definition of rock. It is also a beautiful lady.

So I'm a little late to the party with the 2018 SG Standard. I bought mine in August 2018.
I've seen some reviews complain about it going out of tune. With most brand new guitars, you have to play for hours everyday to break in the nut on the headstock. Eventually it'll stay in tune. Took me a good 4-5 days of playing it at home until I took it to a gig.
Neck is perfect, pickups have that thick tone that Gibson's are known for. And it's actually my most comfortable guitar to sit down with. And the weight of it is extremely helpful when you're a little guy, like me, playing music for a living.
If you decide on an SG, get it PLEK'd. It's definitely worth the extra $$$.
Thanks to Sweetwater AJ Becerra for making the sale process stress-free and taking care of me!

The best rock guitar made today in the world. Perfect!

So far, I really love the easy to dial in dirty, clean, sweet and sexy tone of this good-looking and easy to play guitar. The intonation is perfect, and the guitar stays in tune.

First of all, I'd like to give a huge shout out to Noah Berends!
He always help me with new purchases or whatever concern I have that needs attention. Then, whenever I get my new gear, he will follow up with me if I am satisfied with my purchase and if I am enjoying my new toy. I am very very picky when it comes to a particular guitar that I want to order, and Noah already know the things I look for. Best SW engineer ever!

Okay, let us now talk about this SG.

I've had SGs in the past but nothing like this one I recently got. First of all, whenever I order a guitar, I always, always ask for the heaviest one. The SG I got is 8lbs and 8oz. Yes!! That heavy! Heavier than my Les Paul, actually. I'm glad that I found one with this weight because it eliminated the neck dive. Then, the pickups are super great. It sounds huge on clean channel, but it could also get mean with gain, or even OD.

The only thing I am doing right now is enjoying the heck out of this guitar to get a natural aging look courtesy of the Nitro finish. It's also a plus that Gibson actually change their gig bag that comes with this model. From the leather brown color, it is now black. I'm very satisfies with this guitar, and you absolutely can't beat a classic model.

The only regret that I have is.. why did I NOT order this guitar a long time ago.

SG is addictive. I want to start collecting SGs now.

I own a 2010 ebony Gibson SG Standard. The original pickups were the 490r and 498T as it turns out. I was never happy with the tone of the 498T as it sounded too harsh to me and compressed on the SG. So i decided to try the 57 classic plus...this pickup sounded a bit too muddy and just not enough gain for the prog rock/metal and alternative guitar sounds I play. Next up i tried a Dimarzio Satchur8 bridge pickup...this pickup has great tone but was too hot like the 498T...caused microphonic feedback at high gain. So as i was about to surrender and except less than what i wanted from this guitar, i decided to try the old standard 490T in the bridge. WOW! I couldn't believe how good the tone was for clean, crunch, and high gain compared to the other pickups i tried. Smooth and articulate in all cases even at high gain...that came as a surprise to me with Alnico II magnets...not known for the best articulation. But the sweet tone is the biggest thing. So long story short...just spend the time to fine tune your EQ / drive pedals for the 490's and your rig...you will save yourself a lot of trouble. And the 490R is a great neck pickup our of the box...such sweet clean tone and really nice full body driven lead tone.

Everything you expect it to be. Very nice. Over priced but nice. A pure rock guitar.

I've heard several comments that Gibson guitars are overpriced. This is my second 2019/20 Gibson (LP 60's, SG standard) and I think I disagree. Sure, buying anything made in the USA carries a price premium (vice overseas) but I don't think it's excessive at all. Where else are you going to get an instrument that carries this (current level of attention to detail much cheaper? If you do, was it pleked?

Both my brand new Gibsons came in an amazing state of setup. Only thing that needed attention on both of them was first fret action and that is probably by design. I sold the Les Paul after a year because I found out I'm not a LP fan. But this SG - WOW. All the sound and playability of the LP without the horrible weight and egronomics. She's dead light and so comfortable to play. And to 490 pickup? I have never heard pickups that sound so good clean. I'm just over the moon with them.

Cons: I'm just amazed that on a guitar of this quality/price that Gibson ever designed an axe with this pickup mounting system. I mean, they go the extra distance with very nice quality touches then mount the pickups flat to the body which leaves them out of plane with the strings. Not a deal-breaker but disappointing. I immediately voided my warrantee by performing the "bend the pickup mounting tabs" trick and I'm happy I did. The pickups ride nice and flat to the strings now without awful out of plane-ness. Come on JC - this is worth fixing. Until then, deduct one star.

I'm a big fan of SG's. Really dig my 61RI. This guitar overall looks and plays great. My wife said I needed a black guitar for my "collection", and the minute I saw it, I had to have it. Looks stunning! The pickups to me just lack character, at least the way I typically play-clean to slight OD. They're punchy enough, but honestly kind of boring. From their description, figure they're designed more for higher gain style of play. Hoping to replace them with p90's soon.

Beautiful guitar, sounds great, feels solid... won't stay in tune for even a song. WTF Gibson? Bad nut, sloppy tuners, whatever, it is a shame to make something this nice and yet so useless.

This review is really about the level of Gibson's quality control right now. It is terrible in my opinion! This SG had a few minor scratches on the head-stock, which is not a big deal... but still. The main problem though is with the fret work, which is very shoddy and reflects a lack of pride and craftsmanship. There was a giant scratch along one of the fret wires, a small scratch in the rosewood fingerboard, and multiple frets with what looks to be like little shims underneath them to level them up (see photos). Now, to be fair, they may not be shims after all, but instead just ragged ends of wood from where the slots were cut into the rosewood to place the frets. Even so, if this was the case - those ragged ends should have been sanded away and made smooth before the fret wires were tapped into position, right? I had to return this guitar because I have NO CONFIDENCE in the stability of these frets going into the future. Unacceptable for a guitar in this price range and from a manufacturer with the reputation of Gibson. They need to get their act together! I have also ordered two Les Pauls this year, which both had the same problems with the fret work and also got returned. Of course, Sweetwater's customer service was awesome and allowed all three returns for a full refund. I am a Gibson fan in general and I am very sad to see the lack of attention to detail displayed in their 2020 production models! If I were you, I would go with Fender this year. Bought a 2020 P-Bass, a Strat and a Tele, all of which came without a scratch on them, with beautiful fret work, and played great right out of the box.