Advice? Les Paul Special vs. '61 SG RI

[indianDYsummer]

Hey guys, I just bought a TV yellow Gibson Les Paul Special. It came in the mail, but with a gigbag instead of a hardshell case, so I'm probably going to have to return it to get another one WITH the case. It plays very well and is definitely very thick sounding. I already have some Lollar p90s to put in if I decide to keep it (gotta love a noiseless middle position).

Unfortunately (surprisingly?), the guitar basically sounds the same as my Jazzmaster (with Novak JM90 and JM-V pickups) into my Orange. The Jazzmaster is a little spankier/rounded, and the Les Paul special is a bit more aggressive. They're very close, but the Fender is slightly more like a tele, and LP special slightly more like an LP. I'm buying a Rickenbacker 620 soon and I have a feeling the differences between these 3 fat single coil sounds is going to be quite subtle.

So here's my dilemma, should I return the LP special and just get a classic white SG '61 reissue? I really dig the 60s neck on the LP (should be similar on the SG), p90s, and the guitar as a whole, but I think it might be better to make my "aggressive Gibson" style guitar more distinguished from my Jazzmaster/future Rickenbacker. I would probably sell/return the Lollar p90s to recoup some expenses. I'm going to go to guitar center tomorrow to try out some SGs, but I don't think they have any '61 RIs, and the rest probably have 50s or hybrid necks without classic 57s.

I know a lot of you guys play SGs into your Oranges, so it seems like a popular combo. I'm hoping you guys can point me in the right direction, and maybe describe some of the mojo that SGs bring to your Orange tables.

FYI, contrary to my sig pic, my only other guitar right now (other than the jazzie) is a '72 Tele RI.

[Wendigo]

I had a LP Classic (very expensive) and sold it and bought the '61 SG RI and never looked back. The SG with an Orange together is IMO an unbeatable combination. It has the neck and playability you want, and slices through a mix easily which separates it from the LP in that the LP is less agressive and also quite a bit less articulate. That could have to do with the fact that the SG has '57 classics in it which are the best humbucker PUs going if you ask me.

I can get a wide range of tones from very soft and soulful to "tear your face off" with the SG. I'm a happy man now.

[myboss57]

I have an SG Standard, but I removed the two pups and put in one Seymour Duncan p-rail, and converted the toggle switch to switch the pup from P-90 to humbucker mode.
But even stock, the SG is the way to go! And especially if you are planning on getting a Ric 620 (so jealous! ), you'll have a different sound with the Ric for sure, but as you said, it still may only appear to be a subtle difference when compared to other single coil axes.

As Wendingo said, the SG and an Orange are wonderful together!

[nguideau]

The '61 RI will definitely cover a different range of sounds than what you currently have. To be honest, I've grown apart from my '61 RI, so to speak, but that's more because my hands are more comfortable chording on the 9.5" and 7.25" radii of Fenders. The guitar is still a beautiful instrument with gobs of tone inside of it.

[Ohara]

I am personally not a fan of the 61 sg, not that I don't like them, just that they don't feel right in my hands, I chose a standard over one, only because I liked the fit better. I would definately jump at the 61 if you like the way it plays, my SG sounded great through my orange. Plus it seems as if you have the single coil market covered already.

[blackcloud45]

SG - hands down.

[baytamusic]

Keep the Special. Much cooler guitar IMO. Angus Young or Johnny Thunders? Come on now.

[fiveightandten]

I you just got the guitar and you're not bonding with it, I think you should dump it, regardless. You can always buy a case for it, but it sounds like you're not all that into the guitar.

I've owned my SG '61 RI for 10 years. I actually just did a video review of it to post up on youtube, but I haven't edited the video and posted it yet.

I'll run through my overall opinion of it.

High quality guitar that plays great and sounds great. The 57 classics and very balanced, warm, and have enough bite to be aggressive. It has a warmer richer clean tone than your typical SG. Although it's a little less aggressive and has less output than a standard, it does a nice overdriven bark. In typical SG fashion, it's got nice midrange bite. It's a little fuller and has a bit more sustain than a standard from my experiences, because of the larger headstock and the way the pickups are mounted to the body, as opposed to the pickguard. It's splitting hairs though.

The hardware is nickel. It hazes and gives the guitar an old, worn look. It will not keep a mirror finish like chrome hardware. The frets wear a little quicker than the frets on the standard. I believe they're a different alloy.

I'd expect upgraded tuners in a $2,000 SG. But the stock ones are decent and work fine.

It is top heavy. I know there are people around here that will provide band-aid solutions for this, such as leather straps. But the fact is, the balance of the guitar is such that the headstock drops to the floor like a lead weight when you let go of it. It takes a little getting used to, that's all. After a while, I stopped even thinking about it, and I don't even notice it anymore.

Hope that helps. I can spout off about the guitar all day long. It's a great instrument, and i've loved it to death the 10 years i've been playing it. I bought it brand new and I still remember the day I walked out of Sam Ash carrying it in the hardshell. I'll see if I can get that video put up if you think it might help out.

-Nick

[jojo68]

Love my 61 RI SG through my oranges.

[Gtr_Pkr]

Get the SG man! Better quality guitar than the Special, IMO.

[indianDYsummer]

Oh, you guys!! Making me spend more money than I had planned! I'll probably get the SG now, but I'm still thinking about it- gonna give the LP and Jazzmaster another go-around tonight to compare. I agree I'll probably have single coil land covered. I'll probably shoot to make my decision by the end of the week.

I you just got the guitar and you're not bonding with it, I think you should dump it, regardless. You can always buy a case for it, but it sounds like you're not all that into the guitar.

It was supposed to come with a case, but didn't. The place I got it from is contacting Gibson/trying to figure out why I didn't get one. I actually dig it a lot. The guitar is inspiring to play, and the tones are nice, it's just really close to what I already have so not 100% sure it's the best purchase for now. I'll probably buy another TV yellow LP special in the future.

Keep the Special. Much cooler guitar IMO. Angus Young or Johnny Thunders? Come on now.

Come on? At least make it Thunders vs. Townshend!

[Randy Bass]

Why not keep the Special and swap the bridge pickup for a P-90-sized DiMarzio Tone Zone or Super Distortion humbucker? The combination of a neck P-90 and a bridge humbucker is as good as it gets.

[jason41224]

or even better, switch it out for some mini humbuckers

[indianDYsummer]

So I think I'm gonna ship out the LP special for return tomorrow and order the '61 SG after I get my credit. In the meantime I'll throw some additional things on craigslist/ebay.

Well, this is pending my trying out a few SGs at a couple different stores today/tomorrow.

[indianDYsummer]

So I just got back from guitar center- they actually had a used '61 SG RI. I played it, and MAN SGs feel way longer than LPs. I can't believe theyre the same scale length. After I played it for about 20 minutes I started to get used it it, but I found myself shifting it around a little while playing to be most comfortable.

Anyways, the neck felt ok, but I also played a couple LP specials, and LP studio/standards and they felt just like my LP special- really nice. I didn't even notice the ones with rounded or 50s necks feeling that bulky, they just fit in my hand pretty nicely. I think I preferred the 60s necks though. I guess I might be an LP guy at heart.

I'm thoroughly confused with what to get now. Arg.