For Sale: reverb.com/item/23163366-video-2019-gibson-original-collection-61-reissue-sg-with-maestro-vibrola-cherry?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly It might be important to note these are not called "Reissues" anymore, but rather the '61 SG Standard. Episode Guide: 0:00 - Intro 0:48 - The Original Collection 1:18 - SG History + Trems 3:18 - Why These Are Special 3:52 - First Impressions 6:26 - Inside Look / Specs 12:57 - Clean Tones 14:33 - Crunch Tones 15:55 - Tone Talk 16:24 - Tuning + Trem Test 18:50 - Final Thoughts 21:48 - Case + Candy
I like getting stoned and drinking beer when watching his videos. He provides the most in depth videos of Gibson products on TH-cam. I always want to practice after watching them too.
In my humble opinion, this version of SG Standard (small pick guard, cherry red and Lyre tremolo) is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL of all SGs. I wanted this when I first laid eyes on it in 1974 and missed three opportunities to get it over the past years.
I prefer the stopbar version , it’s cleaner looking and exposes more of the beautiful wood grain . I hope to catch one on sale around the holidays but , the seldom go on sale !
I bought the stopbar version of this a few months ago. They're wonderful guitars. The '61 pickups are definitely voiced correctly for classic and hard rock. They have less top end and are warmer compared to the normal pickups. Also plays beautifully, came factory with a nearly bottomed out bridge setup, low action and no buzz. Waited 7 years to upgrade from my G400, this guitar didn't disappoint.
Nice! I always enjoyed my G400 worn but last year I upgraded as well and my 2017 SG Standard is nothing short of perfection for me on a guitar. Even my 2018 SG Faded runs laps around the G400, and I reiterate my love for the Epiphone!
I wanted to buy one of these Gibson SG Standard '61 Maestro Vibrola in Vintage Cherry for a while. After watching your video on this guitar i was totally discouraged from making my purchase due to you not being able to keep it in tune. But I went down to my local Guitar center here in Las Vegas and they had one in stock. I held it, the neck is outstanding the fret work is wonderful, the wood grain and color were so beautiful. I tuned it up and played a few cords and check the tuning, for sure it was out of tune. I fooled around trying to keep it in tune for three hours and became totally discouraged because this guitar was beautiful. So I did the only reasonable thing, I said to the salesman I am going to flip this Guitar Center pick, "blank side it stays here written side I buy it". It landed on written side so home with me it went, and boy am I glad it did. The next day I set out to find out why it wouldn't stay in tune and I discovered why, (fixed it) and now it's hard to knock it out of tune. First the tuning keys were lose and the screws holding the tuners on were striped from the factory, so i fixed that. Second the angle on the Vibrola is wrong from the factory, you need to tweak the angle and shim the Vibrola slightly, the E-string should not be touching the trem bar while in the resting position. Now polish the frets and do a complete set up. This guitar now when using the Vibrola as intended will stay in tune wonderfully. This guitar is a great guitar and if you take the time and put in the work to set it up properly, YOU WILL LOVE THIS GUITAR! I think that from the factory they just assemble the parts and are done, not realizing or having the time that it needs to make this fine guitar function together as a whole instrument. Glad I took the time and made the purchase. Please let your viewers know this is an amazing Gibson Guitar after the corrections are made. I Have no connection with Gibson and I am not a professional Luthier, so if i can fix it this guitar is fixable. Thank you
I just bought one of these guitars brand new. I’ve had it about a month , and I have to say , I haven’t had a problem with it staying in tune or with any noise from the vibrola. I really love it.
Hi Austin. Just thanking you for putting this video up a year ago. All this info you put into this video enabled me to confidently buy one here in Australia, without flying blind on what I was getting.
I just picked up one of these, blown away! NO NECK DIVE! The tailpiece adds just enough weight to prevent this, super well balanced and plays more like a LP.
Same here. Got one yesterday. Tried this one plus a sideways plus a regular stoptail and this one sounded the best by far. Plus the first SG I've ever owned that doesn't neck dive! I'm in heaven!!! I don't have any tuning issues. Guessing I got a well cut nut and no noise at all from the bridge when moving the whammy
Owned a few SGs with a stopbar and went down this rabbit hole to find out if the maestro vibrola even things out. I love SGs but they’re suicidal with their damn neck dive lol
@@carminepettinicchio1713 Most decent guitars can always use some tweaking to make right. The more complicated, the more tweaking is needed, IMHO, and that's after 57+ years of all this ... And nowadays, $1999 is a darn good price for a set neck Gibson! The $1700 model (stop tailpiece) should be pretty simple to set up and run with. But a good guitar tech can always make almost any guitar act like a well-behaved first grader. Sorry. My wife is a teacher ...
@@carminepettinicchio1713 Yeah what Tonetwisters said. It's not the price tag that determines that it needs all those modifications, you can expect that with most tremolo/vibrato guitars if you want them to stay in tune. Consider when you see someone playing with trem guitar live, you don't know how much care went into setting that guitar up. I assure you Strat users who utilize a floating trem take great care adjusting the trem to exact pitch bends when fully dived or pulled up and so their claw is angled to pull less pressure against the high strings, on top of all the mods I listed. The vintage "safety post" tuners with the split post are just as good as lockers for Strats so a lot of people don't change them but other than that. Doesn't matter how much it costs, what matters is it has a trem, makes it way higher maintenance which is why many prefer hardtail. I say just have both.
I found out that the lyre vibrola functions PERFECTLY with a roller bridge, so if you wanna use it a lot i suggest you swap out that ABR-1... Also, i think i'm going against the tide by saying that i like better the ABR with the studs ;)
There are a LOT of comments here about tuning issues and I have not read them all, but I did not see any of them that addressed the nut slots. When the strings are hard to get out of the nut slots as shown in the video, it doesn't take a genius to know that it will have tuning issues simply from binding in the nut slots. With or without a vibrola, that guitar wont stay in tune until the nut slots are properly cut. Any competent guitar tech could tweak those slots in about 15 minutes (if that) and the 95% of the tuning problem would be solved. I had one of these - a 2003 historic - and once my tech did a bit of filing on the slots it was beautiful. That is the one guitar out of probably 150-200 I've owned I frequently wish I'd never let go. Id soooo love to see a redo of this review with properly cut nut slots. That being said, this is still an AAA+ review. VERY nice job Trog!
SGs in general aren't as stable because of the thin neck. Just pulling it gently across the body by fretting too hard will take it slightly out of tune.
It’s about time Gibson started offering this “Original Series” product line. Customers have been asking for it for a long time. Thank God Henry J. is history.
Before you give up on the tuning instability, try opening up the grooves in the nut-you mentioned they seemed to be tight-and the bridge. Those are really the only places the strings can hang up. A little pencil lead in the grooves will help too, or something like Big Bends Nut Sauce. Locking tuners can help too-Kluson and TonePros both offer locking tuners that are direct replacements for the stock tuners. Some guitars just won’t stay in tune no matter what you do, but usually it’s the strings hanging up somewhere. Gibson used to ship their guitars with loosened truss rods-make sure the neck isn’t flexing too much. My first SG was one I bought new in 1967, and I could get better vibrato by shaking the neck than I could with the Vibrola! I didn’t know about lubricating the saddles and the nut then either.
I bought my 61 Standard in March. I absolutely love it, but yeah, I bought the stop bar tail piece version, because yeah…I caught onto the vibrola issue right away. $200 extra to be out of tune?!
It`s got the ferrules under the bridge and the small headstock because its not a 61 reissue , it`s a "Standard 61" , the proper 61Ri was available as well that year if I remember rightly for a higher premium and has the direct to wood ABR, 1 piece body (though that looked 1 piece too) , nickel hardware, large headstock etc..
Looks cool as f... I'm really liking this Original range. I think I'll have a P90 Gold Top, a Junior , an SG Special (got to be white !) ...I'm Jonesing for an SG Junior too .. Does anyone want to buy my blood ? , hair? , a flipping kidney? 😂
Beautiful Guitar . I own an original 1965 SG with the same maestro tremolo unit and Surprisingly I have no tuning issues when used for shimmers. Maybe it takes time for all the metal parts to break in and to find their "equilibrium" . Just a theory. Would be a shame not to use such a beautiful accessory that adds so much mojo to the tone..... Once again a very informative video
A lot of folks forget that when reviewing brand new guitars . If a 55 year old guitar has been played & well looked after , odds on it will feel nicer "at home" in the hand , and all the components would have worn in smoothly.
Really want one of these. Personally, I don't think you can comment on tuning stability without having it professionally setup - it's like buying a car and complaining the seat is too far from the wheel; you need to dial it in.
FWIW I own this exact guitar @20 digits next to troglys.Same year,same batch etc. You just cant expect tuning stability after disassembly of a guitar with new strings and a vibbrola. Lube the nut, stretch and break the strings in for @ 1 hour. and it will be rock solid tuning stability.. Mine is as solid as any guitar I have owned. Any guitar with a trem requires a bit of extra work and break in for optimum tuning stability. Once that vibrola is removed it takes a bit of time to move back to its stable position until removed again. Like I said, FWIW from 50 years of working on trem fitted examples.Your mileage may vary..And Trogly you are getting better on the guitar every month, you must be practicing a lot, you are making great gains, keep it up and dont forget to work on your RIGHT hand also.....as important if not more than your left hand! I am not even an SG kind of player but this model was a keeper the first time I played it, I REALLY enjoy mine.
Yes its the same. But that sharp angel is made to create tension on the neck against the tross rod. So u have a more stable neck i think. Try to adjust the action hight and the tail piece to get a good tension for better stability
Vibrolas have a rather bad reputation, but i really love them. Just make sure your saddles and nut slots are smooth and help with some nut sauce (ho ho ho) if necessary and those will work perfectly fine. I have an SG Cpt. Kirk Signature and a Firebird, both with factory Vibrolas and while the SG needed some love, the Firebird came with a perfectly fine and stable set up (which probably has to do with the strings running straight past the nut, like on Fenders, opposed to the open book 3 and 3 pegs per side design of the SG and other Gibsons) Of course it`s not a Floyd Rose, but as good as any other old school tremolo system. Also i think that a wiggling bridge is more of a good thing because it moves back to position whereas wounded strings tend to get "stuck" on a groove the more they move across the bridge. Hence the Jazzmaster bridge, where the movement is an integral part of the trem unit. Cheers
For a $2000 dollar guitar I’m going to assume the Vibrola is not garbage. It’s not ment for what you’re mentioning here. It’s just to give the notes and cords an extra vibration sound when used
This is the SG Standard 61 variant I've been eyeing down, primarily because I find the Maestro aesthetically gorgeous, and it eliminates (or discourages) neck dive. I'm used to Les Pauls, so I don't mind if an SG is up to 8 and a half pounds. I'd take the arm off immediately, I wouldn't use it - I just want the other benefits. :) Edit: I noticed the Delrin DAVA Jazz Grip pick... a man of culture!
AC / DC Bro Angus W... WOW What more could people won't out of Gibson 🎸s . Lol TroyFrost / Troyster 😎 CoolRiffs 😎 Cool 🎸🤘🤘🤘
5 ปีที่แล้ว +4
You forgot to mention Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath. He uses SGs exclusively for that classic Black Sabbath sound (and surprisingly, he uses Laney amps (I also own a Laney, and they're fantastic amps)).
Check out the guy named Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush who uses a 61 Lespaul sg with this same tremolo and the guy is a beast shredder that plays hard Rock blues jazz blues jazz fusion and phycodelic rock ! Listen to his rendition of Johnny be good and Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze and Electric reflections of war on the live 1978 LP called Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush live and you will see what i mean about being a bad ass on a SG lol !
Ways to improve tuning stability, especially on these vibrato units: 1) Replace the bridge with roller saddles. (This can easily be reversed: Just put the old bridge back on there! No further modifications are involved.) 2) Widen the slots at the nut. You had mentioned that those were too narrow.
Thank you for such an in-depth review. The guitar looks great and was thoroughly dissected and shown off for the most discerning consumers. However, I'd like to contest what you said about how you'd recommend the stop-bar version as the serious gigging guitar. I find that if you cut the nut and clean the bridge saddles well, add a bit of lube such as Big Bends or something similar, the vibrola holds well in tuning. I wouldn't say that my SG Original makes me more nervous than my stop-bar Les Paul in regards to overall tuning and reliability. I'd liken it to the stability of a Bigsby. Most usage on the bar normally doesn't bring the guitar out of tune enough to notice. If you dive-bomb or do something more dramatic, then perhaps certain strings may noticeably be a little sharper, but not to the point where I had a glaringly out of tune guitar for the rest of the song. Most people, I would assume, would use it as you suggested, as a more of a shimmer vibrato, like a Bigsby, rather than a Strat or Floyd Rose. In those cases, mine stays in tune without any trouble. I find that it's best when the strings are not brand spanking new, nor are they old. I just wanted to put in my experience with the vibrola so viewers who are more partial to the trem systems aren't scared to rely on this as a serious gigging or main guitar. As long as the user sets it up well and realizes the limitations of this particular trem unit, I don't think they'll have to worry much.
Trogly, few things: the nut is probably the issue with tuning. The strings are getting caught in the slot thus it won't stay in tune. Second: don't leave a 'snark' or other tuner on the headstock. It WILL affect the finish of the guitar. It also just looks stupid playing with it on. Also get a better tuner to tune a high price instrument. I use a Korg clip-on Pitchhawk-G and after tuning it I remove the tuner.
i have a 2013 sg original tune down it down by 1/4-1/2 step it stays in tune forever. i like the look of the vibriola but never used it. the darker cherry is a lot nicer. great review did u like the pickups vs 57 classics?
For crying out loud, could you get any closer to that fretboard? I know some have left the factory and have been sold by dealers, with rough edges (near the middle, on the treble side). But you don't have to show a microscopic view. I'm happy if everything looks good from a foot away.
Yea, that bridge probably shouldn't be moving *with* the Vibrola... however I don't think the vintage-correct ABR-1 would fare any better in this case. If anything, I think the Vibrola would actually work best with a metric-style bridge with the massive posts, since the smaller posts on Gibson bridges don't seem to be strong enough to withstand the Vibrola tailpiece when in use.
ABR-1s were designed for a different purpose than withstanding the varying tension which a vibrato tailpiece produces. Wiggling those wee posts back and forth constantly in one plane under the considerable downward pressure produced by string tension weakens the wood around the mounting post. The smaller the post, the sooner the failure occurs as the stress is concentrated over a smaller more focused area. Larger posts would help delay that failure but we must ask where the varying tension goes if not into the back and forth motion of the bridge. The length of the string from bridge to tailpiece is too short to depend on the string stretch of that portion of the string alone to change pitch, (also considering six different string tensions to begin with and six different coefficients of friction at the bridge point), therefore the strings try to slide over the individual bridge inserts and seldom if ever return to their original position. Tuning nightmare. "Ain't nobody got time f'dat." (Thank you Ms Brown) A roller bridge provides some necessary friction relief but we can see those posts are still rocking back and forth and will eventually wear the mounting positions, and how many Gibson fans and owners do we know who are willing to change out their beloved ABR-1s for ANYthing else? Good ol' Pete Townsend had the right idea, he used the whole length of his SG to impart pitch variation and when done in moderation I think did less damage to the guitar than either the Maestro or Lyre vibratos. Moderation not a word often associated with electric guitars of course 😄.
@@Riverdeepnwide I do agree with you. I imagine the vibrola was only designed back-in-the-day for only moderate tremolo, certainly not the extremes a modern locking tremolo provides. Still though, it was disconcerting to see the bridge/post assembly rocking back and forth so much in the video.
HK Guitar yes! For those of us who were living in the '50's and at least the early '60's, it was really quite rare to see a fine instrument compared to the numbers available today. Guitar players could get quite protective over their gear because for one reason, a nice guitar might not be just around the corner for weeks months or longer if at all. Lovely thing these guitars, just wonderful to see and listen to.
Instead of buying the vibrato SG, purchase the SG Standard and add a Derek Trucks Vibrato Cover. I bought two from Philadelphia Luthier (Faux Lyre Vibrato Cover). It doesn't have the Gibson logo on the cover, but it's made of heavy brass with a chrome finish. It solved the "neck dive" problem of my two SGs. However, it does add a lot of weight to the body so don't be surprised.
Funny, my bridge doesn't rock, it's solid and unmovable, and the vibrola doesn't cause tuning issues. Must be some QC problems with yours Mr. Trogly. Mine is also a very, very dark burgundy colored cherry.
Trogly: What about tuning stability with the trem bar removed? Many guitarists like Mike Campbell play a '64 with the vibrola as a "stop tail" of sorts with the trem arm removed. Any thoughts on that?
Frank Marino from Montreal use to play that type of SG with the Vibrola and there is few tricks to keep the guitar in almost perfect "in tune conditions ". String(very light) gage is one of these tricks. The nut grooves is an other trick. I really dig this model❤. Thanks for the video
There's now a Junior with this trem unit being produced, but it's a custom shop signature guitar (Brain Ray) so you'll have to spend big bucks to get it.
Looks decent and 1 piece body correct ? The beveling doesnt look bad, but still not as deep as it should be.. headstock shape is diffrent from previous sg 61 reissues. The sideways trem I feel works fine , it just works differently. Sg are prone to go out of tune, just make sure your saddles and nut are lubed up . If you fix that then it shouldn't be to bad.
One can always go for the Derek Trucks style mod...remove the arm and "spring" (bent metal) and replace with a stop bar tail. Then you can keep the remaining metal plate screwed into the top for looks.
In case you haven't figured it out, yet, your bridge is moving because your strings are sticking in the slots. File your nut and bridge slots a size over your string gauge and lubricate both, and enjoy!
Just watched Gibson's demo with Mr Agnesi. He played this model and showed us two other models a side bar vibrola and a model with the standard stop bar. Is it a compound radius?I'm not buying this one too. Can't afford to but another guitar right now since I bought the epiphone of this model from you I also bought a Spark amp an epi trade III metallic gold and a Squire FSR comp orange Mustang. Need to settle down and enjoy what I've got. If I remember right you played some of what you played on the demo of my epi Maestro plus a little AC~DC. I always roll past the tuning point at least a couple of times to stretch my strings. Usually don't have problems defining unless the guitar needs to be set up. Looking at the Epi copy and comparing to the one you have I'm not seeing the bridge move and it looks a bit chunkier than the one on the SG your demoing here.
Gibson has had issues tooling the Vibrola with the right break over in recent years compared to the early units. In the late 50's Gibson made tuneomatics with rounded bottoms at either end, subsequently they utilized domed thumbwheels so the bridge would rock like on an old Gretsch. As noted, much of the binding is at the nut and tough to get around. Nice review as always!
This guitar is for sale? I wouldn't buy it just for the wobbly bridge issue alone. Besides I already own a '69 special with the chunkier studs for the fixed intonation bridge which I replaced with an adjustable saddle bridge that fits on the thicker stop bar type studs. No wobble there. Stays in tune beautifully although played seldomly as it was a wedding gift and I want to preserve it in as original a state as I can.
Superb guitar review and the spec’d our portion was really cool to see. I bought a 61 standard recently right before they announced their big comeback and it’s absolutely incredible. It has stop bar tailpiece which I like a lot better than the tremolo unit. It sounds almost too good to be true through an orange amp and some really good pedals especially an Bogner overdrive or a tube screamer or a Ratt or the best I’ve heard so far, a germanium fuzz face with a sub octave or octave up pedal. It’s also super easy to play. The neck is super comfortable. I was always a Strat guy but now I only want to play my SG.
I think they got a bit more true to 61' specs with the neck. You often hear "60's" neck, but when speaking of SG's, their neck profile changed through the 60's. That flat feeling neck you're thinking of didn't come along until the mid-60's, generally after it lost the "Les Paul" label.
As you have played both this and the les paul classic, what would be your preference for playing in a blues /rock band ? I would really appreciate your thoughts ,thanks
I really like the look of the tailpiece, but can’t tolerate another guitar that doesn’t have reliable tuning for live gigging. If I take the Trem bar off, but KEEP the tailpiece, will it still be pretty much as finicky on tuning?
Nice Review, but I thought I might add the ABR1 is non-wired just in case you want to add period correct nylon saddles to the bridge like the 1964's (George Harrison). Also there are some places that make a nice wide bevel 6-hole pick guard, and of course changing the truss rod cover the CreamTone 50's style TRC. You can do all three mods for about $80. As for the ABR1 adjustment post ,I opted for the Faber ABR1 post conversion that screws directly into the wood. This eliminates the movement caused by the stock bridge anchors and the instrument stays in tune much better.
The maestro's need setup. There's info online about how to do that. The playing at the beginning was superb. The best playing I've heard you do. That guitar sounds fantastic. Maybe a roller bridge is a good option for some people. That eliminates the binding
Quote from an old forum post I made on the subject: "The Vibrola is a sturdy design with good return tension properties. Some debate lingers over older spring steel being stiffer / harder temper than newer ones but, real life players like Biddlin will tell you 'it matters not'! What is unarguably important is a properly lubed nut that doesn't grab or bind strings, a bridge that doesn't grab, bind or prohibit string movement, a solid Vibrola & properly crimped wound string ends that self lock & don't slip. That's it. Make sure a four points of string contact are correctly functioning & tuning will cease to be an issue."
Not bad. Pickups sound horrible and not loving that grounding hole. Why didn't they just use a stud insert on the mounting screws? I'll wait to pick on up used.
I just got a Gibson SG 61 last week. Like with all 3x3 headstocks, the first thing you gotta do is take string files to the nut and lightly file in the direction the string goes from the nut to the tuning machine post. Once I did that it is staying in tune like a champ :) Enjoy and have fun
Good to know that the hole is there and that you can not remove and change the bridge to a hard tail later, unlike the vintage models. In case you ended up not enjoying the trem and buying it used in the future.
Best review I've seen on this hands down. Thank you. I'm so sick of looking up guitar reviews only to get bombarded with a million fucking sales pitches from Gibson and their dealers.
I have one as well and the neck is taking me time to adjust to.... it does not feel like a 61 profile at all but it is very pretty to look at and the construction is FLAWLESS... I wanted one since the 2013 original II where I missed out. Incredible review. Very well done
my sg has the same vibrola and it has no tuning issues. With all the trems ive owned the tuning issues have been in the nut or corrected by replacing with locking tuners
The nut is causing the tuning problems. File those widths to the correct width and give it some graphite.b I have a N225 with a Gibson Vobrola. I repl;aced the bridge with a Stewmac roller bridge because these bridges do move under load with the trem. The roller bridge does help but its still not perfect if you use the trem hard.
Try some nut sauce on the slots of the nut. Also , you can lightly swipe a file over the bridge slot. Sometimes when they make those bridge slots if it’s not smooth. A slight use of a file to smooth it may also help. I’ve seen that work before for a Gibson g string that won’t stay in tune.
Hi Austin, I know this is an older video you did but I liked it nonetheless and I enjoy watching them. I’ve been an SG fan since my first one I purchased back around 1982’ish. I’m interested in buying another one and the neck I like are on these 61’s ( slim taper ) which is basically a D neck kinda? Someone told me these necks are very prone to warping because they are so thin. Is there any truth to this? If you have any input I’d love to hear it before I take a dive on a purchase lol! Thanks in advance 🤙
The side bar is notorious for not working properly on the original SG les pauls. Most people block them off. Idk if thats the case with these modern ones but they have a stigma
From what I've heard, those sideways ones are notorious for not working properly. Someone had an in-depth look at one in a TH-cam vid (sorry, I forgot the name of it). On a side note, why does everyone say that you can't do dive bombs on a Bigsby? I've got one and you can go nuts on it. It's much different than a Lyre.
The flexing bridge posts are normal as it is all fixed metal parts leveraging the strings. The CS 61 Vibrola reissues with LP truss rod cover (of which I have tried a few & owned a couple different ones) are screwed directly into the body and yes it does seem scary that the bridge flexes. It is a VERY cool vibe guitar, especially the CS VOS faded cherry finish that has been running for years around $4000, but objectively/technically not a good guitar with the Vibrola. Aside from tuning, the Vibrola system can also seriously reduce sustain. Using the infamous 12th fret pluck G string sustain test, it can be no better than dropping a metal bolt onto a wooden desk. You can hear that the sound in the demo, while cool, it is pretty compressed/muted. Even with tone controls wide open. Great if you want that and the AC/DC sound but very restrictive. If you want the look, feel, shimmering (but also tuning instability :-) you go for this model. Maybe more of a collectors guitar. Otherwise go with a fixed bridge version. For what it’s worth this model does appear great value given how similar it is to the CS version twice it’s price!
I have a '69 and owned a few with Lyre's (Leer is always how I pronounced it and my Gibson buddy who worked there, so who knows). They never stay in tune. It's why most people take the arm off or the whole unit. If you find one with nylon saddles, they seem to stay in tune better as well.
I like the way Derek Trucks opted for a non functioning trem on his SG just because they look so cool. They do look the part. ;) Have a sound weekend Austin lad.
For Sale: reverb.com/item/23163366-video-2019-gibson-original-collection-61-reissue-sg-with-maestro-vibrola-cherry?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly
It might be important to note these are not called "Reissues" anymore, but rather the '61 SG Standard.
Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:48 - The Original Collection
1:18 - SG History + Trems
3:18 - Why These Are Special
3:52 - First Impressions
6:26 - Inside Look / Specs
12:57 - Clean Tones
14:33 - Crunch Tones
15:55 - Tone Talk
16:24 - Tuning + Trem Test
18:50 - Final Thoughts
21:48 - Case + Candy
The Trogly's Guitar Show
21:04
Master! MASTER!!!
Hey Trogly, is the abr studs moving inside the body aswell or is there just play in those fake abr 1 screws?
The Trogly's Guitar Show I have one but without the trem unit. No need for that lol
How about using a roller bridge?
@Kenneth Liburd I'm thinking of getting one. Do you know if they stay in tune if you don't use the tremolo?
This reorganized Gibson line is looking good. If only they'd gone bankrupt sooner!
But gibson makes a lot of good money
@@wolfgangwolfdogplaysguitar701 they went bankrupt in 2018 and decided to focus on only musical instruments after that
@@juliancarreon5569 And it worked, apparently. My 2020 Explorer is one bit of evidence.
@@Synathidy yea honestly wish I had the money for one, they're still expensive but good guitars nonetheless
I like drinking beer and watching this guy's videos, it's therapeutic.
White Russians for me, but right with ya.....cheers!
Great minds !
Doing that as we ..ah.. respond on the interwebz many months later.
I drink sprite when I watch him
I like getting stoned and drinking beer when watching his videos. He provides the most in depth videos of Gibson products on TH-cam. I always want to practice after watching them too.
I smoke weed while watching
In my humble opinion, this version of SG Standard (small pick guard, cherry red and Lyre tremolo) is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL of all SGs. I wanted this when I first laid eyes on it in 1974 and missed three opportunities to get it over the past years.
I agree
Yup 😮💨
100% agreed
Sadly it’s the most problematic as well
I prefer the stopbar version , it’s cleaner looking and exposes more of the beautiful wood grain . I hope to catch one on sale around the holidays but , the seldom go on sale !
I bought the stopbar version of this a few months ago. They're wonderful guitars. The '61 pickups are definitely voiced correctly for classic and hard rock. They have less top end and are warmer compared to the normal pickups. Also plays beautifully, came factory with a nearly bottomed out bridge setup, low action and no buzz. Waited 7 years to upgrade from my G400, this guitar didn't disappoint.
Going to get that one as well🙌
Nice! I always enjoyed my G400 worn but last year I upgraded as well and my 2017 SG Standard is nothing short of perfection for me on a guitar. Even my 2018 SG Faded runs laps around the G400, and I reiterate my love for the Epiphone!
I’ve wanted a reissue since they came out but I’m still a little bit leery of pulling the trigger , 2K is nothing to sneeze at !
I wanted to buy one of these Gibson SG Standard '61 Maestro Vibrola in Vintage Cherry for a while. After watching your video on this guitar i was totally discouraged from making my purchase due to you not being able to keep it in tune. But I went down to my local Guitar center here in Las Vegas and they had one in stock. I held it, the neck is outstanding the fret work is wonderful, the wood grain and color were so beautiful. I tuned it up and played a few cords and check the tuning, for sure it was out of tune. I fooled around trying to keep it in tune for three hours and became totally discouraged because this guitar was beautiful. So I did the only reasonable thing, I said to the salesman I am going to flip this Guitar Center pick, "blank side it stays here written side I buy it". It landed on written side so home with me it went, and boy am I glad it did. The next day I set out to find out why it wouldn't stay in tune and I discovered why, (fixed it) and now it's hard to knock it out of tune. First the tuning keys were lose and the screws holding the tuners on were striped from the factory, so i fixed that. Second the angle on the Vibrola is wrong from the factory, you need to tweak the angle and shim the Vibrola slightly, the E-string should not be touching the trem bar while in the resting position. Now polish the frets and do a complete set up. This guitar now when using the Vibrola as intended will stay in tune wonderfully. This guitar is a great guitar and if you take the time and put in the work to set it up properly, YOU WILL LOVE THIS GUITAR! I think that from the factory they just assemble the parts and are done, not realizing or having the time that it needs to make this fine guitar function together as a whole instrument. Glad I took the time and made the purchase. Please let your viewers know this is an amazing Gibson Guitar after the corrections are made. I Have no connection with Gibson and I am not a professional Luthier, so if i can fix it this guitar is fixable.
Thank you
Thank you @MPNNag - your comment should be highlighted!
Thank you
I just bought one of these guitars brand new. I’ve had it about a month , and I have to say , I haven’t had a problem with it staying in tune or with any noise from the vibrola. I really love it.
Dude, there are no reviews as in-depth as yours. Outstanding job
Hi Austin. Just thanking you for putting this video up a year ago. All this info you put into this video enabled me to confidently buy one here in Australia, without flying blind on what I was getting.
I just picked up one of these, blown away! NO NECK DIVE! The tailpiece adds just enough weight to prevent this, super well balanced and plays more like a LP.
Same here. Got one yesterday. Tried this one plus a sideways plus a regular stoptail and this one sounded the best by far. Plus the first SG I've ever owned that doesn't neck dive! I'm in heaven!!! I don't have any tuning issues. Guessing I got a well cut nut and no noise at all from the bridge when moving the whammy
Owned a few SGs with a stopbar and went down this rabbit hole to find out if the maestro vibrola even things out. I love SGs but they’re suicidal with their damn neck dive lol
Fix the nut, get a roller bridge or low friction bridge of some kind, locking tuners, 3 in 1 oil. That vibrola can be made to work better for sure.
Should not have to do that with a 1.700.00 dollar guitar bro unacceptable!!!! I own two pauls one from the 70s one from 2012 with no tuning issues!!!!
@@carminepettinicchio1713 Most decent guitars can always use some tweaking to make right. The more complicated, the more tweaking is needed, IMHO, and that's after 57+ years of all this ... And nowadays, $1999 is a darn good price for a set neck Gibson! The $1700 model (stop tailpiece) should be pretty simple to set up and run with. But a good guitar tech can always make almost any guitar act like a well-behaved first grader. Sorry. My wife is a teacher ...
@@carminepettinicchio1713 Yeah what Tonetwisters said. It's not the price tag that determines that it needs all those modifications, you can expect that with most tremolo/vibrato guitars if you want them to stay in tune. Consider when you see someone playing with trem guitar live, you don't know how much care went into setting that guitar up. I assure you Strat users who utilize a floating trem take great care adjusting the trem to exact pitch bends when fully dived or pulled up and so their claw is angled to pull less pressure against the high strings, on top of all the mods I listed. The vintage "safety post" tuners with the split post are just as good as lockers for Strats so a lot of people don't change them but other than that. Doesn't matter how much it costs, what matters is it has a trem, makes it way higher maintenance which is why many prefer hardtail. I say just have both.
@@joelmiddaugh8229 No problems with trem on evh guitars or charvels
@@george25199 man don't play your g string goes a cent or two sharp when you dive bomb just like the rest of us. You ain't special cuz you Rob Zombie.
"Flippy Whippy" ?? This guy is an absolute madman, and I love it. Subscribed.
Im going to publicly say it: i love u man
Don't we all?
Who doesnt
Comming out.
Harrison/Ham used this tremolo unit on their SG. I’m pretty sure it works fine as a “serious gigging instrument”
And they were the same guitar!
@@Vincentlpp08 exactly
I found out that the lyre vibrola functions PERFECTLY with a roller bridge, so if you wanna use it a lot i suggest you swap out that ABR-1... Also, i think i'm going against the tide by saying that i like better the ABR with the studs ;)
EVERY behind-the-bridge trem should have a roller bridge.
There are a LOT of comments here about tuning issues and I have not read them all, but I did not see any of them that addressed the nut slots. When the strings are hard to get out of the nut slots as shown in the video, it doesn't take a genius to know that it will have tuning issues simply from binding in the nut slots. With or without a vibrola, that guitar wont stay in tune until the nut slots are properly cut. Any competent guitar tech could tweak those slots in about 15 minutes (if that) and the 95% of the tuning problem would be solved. I had one of these - a 2003 historic - and once my tech did a bit of filing on the slots it was beautiful. That is the one guitar out of probably 150-200 I've owned I frequently wish I'd never let go. Id soooo love to see a redo of this review with properly cut nut slots.
That being said, this is still an AAA+ review. VERY nice job Trog!
SGs in general aren't as stable because of the thin neck. Just pulling it gently across the body by fretting too hard will take it slightly out of tune.
It’s about time Gibson started offering this “Original Series” product line. Customers have been asking for it for a long time. Thank God Henry J. is history.
It looks exacly like the SG George Harrison used
It basically is, it’s the closest they’ve ever gotten to it
And Frank Zappa minus the extra switches
it's more akin to Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers IMO
@@KeeperOfPoops Didn't Tom also have one?
Big Bends Nut Sauce really helps with tuning....no matter what guitar you play (except double locking systems).
I don’t care much if it throws it out of tune. I really love the Lyre vibrola.
Yeah plus it’s not meant for dive bombs. Just to give the sound a vibrating sound
Before you give up on the tuning instability, try opening up the grooves in the nut-you mentioned they seemed to be tight-and the bridge. Those are really the only places the strings can hang up. A little pencil lead in the grooves will help too, or something like Big Bends Nut Sauce. Locking tuners can help too-Kluson and TonePros both offer locking tuners that are direct replacements for the stock tuners. Some guitars just won’t stay in tune no matter what you do, but usually it’s the strings hanging up somewhere. Gibson used to ship their guitars with loosened truss rods-make sure the neck isn’t flexing too much. My first SG was one I bought new in 1967, and I could get better vibrato by shaking the neck than I could with the Vibrola! I didn’t know about lubricating the saddles and the nut then either.
You can change the nut for a graphite one and also the tune-o-matic pieces for graphite ones to stay more in tune.
Simply re-cutting it may suffice.
TROGY does it again! Another SG has me drooling on my keyboard!🤤 😄
I bought my 61 Standard in March. I absolutely love it, but yeah, I bought the stop bar tail piece version, because yeah…I caught onto the vibrola issue right away. $200 extra to be out of tune?!
Trogly. I’m so happy you’re reviewing this. I’m so happy. Omg I love you you’re my hero
This model just screams for a roller bridge. Thanks for reviewing the guitar!
definitely
Try TonePros
It`s got the ferrules under the bridge and the small headstock because its not a 61 reissue , it`s a "Standard 61" , the proper 61Ri was available as well that year if I remember rightly for a higher premium and has the direct to wood ABR, 1 piece body (though that looked 1 piece too) , nickel hardware, large headstock etc..
Looks cool as f... I'm really liking this Original range. I think I'll have a P90 Gold Top, a Junior , an SG Special (got to be white !) ...I'm Jonesing for an SG Junior too .. Does anyone want to buy my blood ? , hair? , a flipping kidney? 😂
No, but your address plz after you get em LOL
Are you not selling fingernail clippings too? I don't need those other parts. Just fingernails for my collection...😁
Beautiful Guitar . I own an original 1965 SG with the same maestro tremolo unit and Surprisingly I have no tuning issues when used for shimmers. Maybe it takes time for all the metal parts to break in and to find their "equilibrium" . Just a theory. Would be a shame not to use such a beautiful accessory that adds so much mojo to the tone..... Once again a very informative video
A lot of folks forget that when reviewing brand new guitars . If a 55 year old guitar has been played & well looked after , odds on it will feel nicer "at home" in the hand , and all the components would have worn in smoothly.
Just got a Les Paul Goldtop Classic last week. The dream guitar acquired. Could not be happier.
Just bought one last week..tuning is fine, I use it as I would use a bigsby, the occasional warble..these are great guitars, for players.
Thank you for taking your time to put this review up. It definitely helped me a lot. I'll pass the vibrola and go for the one with the stopbar.
Really want one of these. Personally, I don't think you can comment on tuning stability without having it professionally setup - it's like buying a car and complaining the seat is too far from the wheel; you need to dial it in.
Yeah plus it probably needs broken in some
Gibson are doing the right thing and I couldn't be happier about it. The future looks good for these legendary guitars.
Hell yeah! Great sounding beautiful guitars
FWIW I own this exact guitar @20 digits next to troglys.Same year,same batch etc. You just cant expect tuning stability after disassembly of a guitar with new strings and a vibbrola. Lube the nut, stretch and break the strings in for @ 1 hour. and it will be rock solid tuning stability.. Mine is as solid as any guitar I have owned. Any guitar with a trem requires a bit of extra work and break in for optimum tuning stability. Once that vibrola is removed it takes a bit of time to move back to its stable position until removed again. Like I said, FWIW from 50 years of working on trem fitted examples.Your mileage may vary..And Trogly you are getting better on the guitar every month, you must be practicing a lot, you are making great gains, keep it up and dont forget to work on your RIGHT hand also.....as important if not more than your left hand! I am not even an SG kind of player but this model was a keeper the first time I played it, I REALLY enjoy mine.
The bridge is supossed to move, thats whats keeps it in tune when u have a tremolo. It's bad when its not moving. So don't worry about it.
Lol
6:18 When your crush brushes against you...
🤣
😂😂😂
🤣
My favorite SG model!
Yes its the same. But that sharp angel is made to create tension on the neck against the tross rod. So u have a more stable neck i think. Try to adjust the action hight and the tail piece to get a good tension for better stability
April 21,2024 I have a nice a 61 reissue SG,with no tailpiece,and replaced the nut with a compensated nut,that fixed the tuning issues wonderfully.
Vibrolas have a rather bad reputation, but i really love them. Just make sure your saddles and nut slots are smooth and help with some nut sauce (ho ho ho) if necessary and those will work perfectly fine. I have an SG Cpt. Kirk Signature and a Firebird, both with factory Vibrolas and while the SG needed some love, the Firebird came with a perfectly fine and stable set up (which probably has to do with the strings running straight past the nut, like on Fenders, opposed to the open book 3 and 3 pegs per side design of the SG and other Gibsons)
Of course it`s not a Floyd Rose, but as good as any other old school tremolo system.
Also i think that a wiggling bridge is more of a good thing because it moves back to position whereas wounded strings tend to get "stuck" on a groove the more they move across the bridge.
Hence the Jazzmaster bridge, where the movement is an integral part of the trem unit.
Cheers
For a $2000 dollar guitar I’m going to assume the Vibrola is not garbage. It’s not ment for what you’re mentioning here. It’s just to give the notes and cords an extra vibration sound when used
Love the finish of the guitar...
I actually like the color variety on the Epiphones much better. Neither Gibson nor Epiphone offers it, but a natural sanded finish would look awesome.
_NoYeezusPlease_ I like the smell of the Nitro finish too. Adds to the experience!
I’m guessing neck dive wasn’t a problem on this SG. Maybe because of the added weight and placement of the trem system.
This is the SG Standard 61 variant I've been eyeing down, primarily because I find the Maestro aesthetically gorgeous, and it eliminates (or discourages) neck dive. I'm used to Les Pauls, so I don't mind if an SG is up to 8 and a half pounds. I'd take the arm off immediately, I wouldn't use it - I just want the other benefits. :)
Edit: I noticed the Delrin DAVA Jazz Grip pick... a man of culture!
AC / DC Bro Angus W... WOW What more could people won't out of Gibson 🎸s . Lol TroyFrost / Troyster 😎 CoolRiffs 😎 Cool 🎸🤘🤘🤘
You forgot to mention Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath. He uses SGs exclusively for that classic Black Sabbath sound (and surprisingly, he uses Laney amps (I also own a Laney, and they're fantastic amps)).
Check out the guy named Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush who uses a 61 Lespaul sg with this same tremolo and the guy is a beast shredder that plays hard Rock blues jazz blues jazz fusion and phycodelic rock ! Listen to his rendition of Johnny be good and Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze and Electric reflections of war on the live 1978 LP called Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush live and you will see what i mean about being a bad ass on a SG lol !
Ways to improve tuning stability, especially on these vibrato units:
1) Replace the bridge with roller saddles. (This can easily be reversed: Just put the old bridge back on there! No further modifications are involved.)
2) Widen the slots at the nut. You had mentioned that those were too narrow.
You gotta lube the nut slots, too.
Just bought one of these!
This is the best review on TH-cam,glad I came across it
Thank you for such an in-depth review. The guitar looks great and was thoroughly dissected and shown off for the most discerning consumers. However, I'd like to contest what you said about how you'd recommend the stop-bar version as the serious gigging guitar.
I find that if you cut the nut and clean the bridge saddles well, add a bit of lube such as Big Bends or something similar, the vibrola holds well in tuning. I wouldn't say that my SG Original makes me more nervous than my stop-bar Les Paul in regards to overall tuning and reliability. I'd liken it to the stability of a Bigsby. Most usage on the bar normally doesn't bring the guitar out of tune enough to notice. If you dive-bomb or do something more dramatic, then perhaps certain strings may noticeably be a little sharper, but not to the point where I had a glaringly out of tune guitar for the rest of the song. Most people, I would assume, would use it as you suggested, as a more of a shimmer vibrato, like a Bigsby, rather than a Strat or Floyd Rose. In those cases, mine stays in tune without any trouble.
I find that it's best when the strings are not brand spanking new, nor are they old. I just wanted to put in my experience with the vibrola so viewers who are more partial to the trem systems aren't scared to rely on this as a serious gigging or main guitar. As long as the user sets it up well and realizes the limitations of this particular trem unit, I don't think they'll have to worry much.
Yeah I didn’t really like that comment. How could a $2000 guitar not be a serious gigging guitar? It’s top of the line
Trogly, few things: the nut is probably the issue with tuning. The strings are getting caught in the slot thus it won't stay in tune. Second: don't leave a 'snark' or other tuner on the headstock. It WILL affect the finish of the guitar. It also just looks stupid playing with it on. Also get a better tuner to tune a high price instrument. I use a Korg clip-on Pitchhawk-G and after tuning it I remove the tuner.
i have a 2013 sg original tune down it down by 1/4-1/2 step it stays in tune forever. i like the look of the vibriola but never used it. the darker cherry is a lot nicer. great review did u like the pickups vs 57 classics?
I got the version with no trem, it sounds great, plays great, and NO tuning stability issues.
But does it look as good?
@@edwardmaxam5415 It can't
For crying out loud, could you get any closer to that fretboard? I know some have left the factory and have been sold by dealers, with rough edges (near the middle, on the treble side). But you don't have to show a microscopic view. I'm happy if everything looks good from a foot away.
Yea, that bridge probably shouldn't be moving *with* the Vibrola... however I don't think the vintage-correct ABR-1 would fare any better in this case. If anything, I think the Vibrola would actually work best with a metric-style bridge with the massive posts, since the smaller posts on Gibson bridges don't seem to be strong enough to withstand the Vibrola tailpiece when in use.
Very true. I would bet money the notches in the saddle would benefit from being polished. Sometimes little things can make a difference.
ABR-1s were designed for a different purpose than withstanding the varying tension which a vibrato tailpiece produces.
Wiggling those wee posts back and forth constantly in one plane under the considerable downward pressure produced by string tension weakens the wood around the mounting post.
The smaller the post, the sooner the failure occurs as the stress is concentrated over a smaller more focused area. Larger posts would help delay that failure but we must ask where the varying tension goes if not into the back and forth motion of the bridge.
The length of the string from bridge to tailpiece is too short to depend on the string stretch of that portion of the string alone to change pitch, (also considering six different string tensions to begin with and six different coefficients of friction at the bridge point), therefore the strings try to slide over the individual bridge inserts and seldom if ever return to their original position. Tuning nightmare. "Ain't nobody got time f'dat."
(Thank you Ms Brown)
A roller bridge provides some necessary friction relief but we can see those posts are still rocking back and forth and will eventually wear the mounting positions, and how many Gibson fans and owners do we know who are willing to change out their beloved ABR-1s for ANYthing else?
Good ol' Pete Townsend had the right idea, he used the whole length of his SG to impart pitch variation and when done in moderation I think did less damage to the guitar than either the Maestro or Lyre vibratos.
Moderation not a word often associated with electric guitars of course 😄.
@@Riverdeepnwide I do agree with you. I imagine the vibrola was only designed back-in-the-day for only moderate tremolo, certainly not the extremes a modern locking tremolo provides. Still though, it was disconcerting to see the bridge/post assembly rocking back and forth so much in the video.
HK Guitar yes! For those of us who were living in the '50's and at least the early '60's, it was really quite rare to see a fine instrument compared to the numbers available today. Guitar players could get quite protective over their gear because for one reason, a nice guitar might not be just around the corner for weeks months or longer if at all.
Lovely thing these guitars, just wonderful to see and listen to.
Instead of buying the vibrato SG, purchase the SG Standard and add a Derek Trucks Vibrato Cover. I bought two from Philadelphia Luthier (Faux Lyre Vibrato Cover). It doesn't have the Gibson logo on the cover, but it's made of heavy brass with a chrome finish. It solved the "neck dive" problem of my two SGs. However, it does add a lot of weight to the body so don't be surprised.
Funny, my bridge doesn't rock, it's solid and unmovable, and the vibrola doesn't cause tuning issues. Must be some QC problems with yours Mr. Trogly. Mine is also a very, very dark burgundy colored cherry.
Trogly: What about tuning stability with the trem bar removed? Many guitarists like Mike Campbell play a '64 with the vibrola as a "stop tail" of sorts with the trem arm removed. Any thoughts on that?
Frank Marino from Montreal use to play that type of SG with the Vibrola and there is few tricks to keep the guitar in almost perfect "in tune conditions ". String(very light) gage is one of these tricks. The nut grooves is an other trick. I really dig this model❤. Thanks for the video
YES!!!! Bring back the ebony tailpiece!!!!!! I'm almost ready to have a luthier just make one for me.
Yep and I have a guy who will do one perfectly..
There's now a Junior with this trem unit being produced, but it's a custom shop signature guitar (Brain Ray) so you'll have to spend big bucks to get it.
Looks decent and 1 piece body correct ? The beveling doesnt look bad, but still not as deep as it should be.. headstock shape is diffrent from previous sg 61 reissues. The sideways trem I feel works fine , it just works differently. Sg are prone to go out of tune, just make sure your saddles and nut are lubed up . If you fix that then it shouldn't be to bad.
I just bought the stop bar version and it is incredible and it’s absolutely gorgeous!
One can always go for the Derek Trucks style mod...remove the arm and "spring" (bent metal) and replace with a stop bar tail. Then you can keep the remaining metal plate screwed into the top for looks.
In case you haven't figured it out, yet, your bridge is moving because your strings are sticking in the slots. File your nut and bridge slots a size over your string gauge and lubricate both, and enjoy!
Just watched Gibson's demo with Mr Agnesi. He played this model and showed us two other models a side bar vibrola and a model with the standard stop bar. Is it a compound radius?I'm not buying this one too. Can't afford to but another guitar right now since I bought the epiphone of this model from you I also bought a Spark amp an epi trade III metallic gold and a Squire FSR comp orange Mustang. Need to settle down and enjoy what I've got. If I remember right you played some of what you played on the demo of my epi Maestro plus a little AC~DC. I always roll past the tuning point at least a couple of times to stretch my strings. Usually don't have problems defining unless the guitar needs to be set up. Looking at the Epi copy and comparing to the one you have I'm not seeing the bridge move and it looks a bit chunkier than the one on the SG your demoing here.
I bought an SG. When wearing a strap the neck dive was so bad I had to send it back. It was beautiful, sounded great. Couldn't play it while standing.
Leaning towards one of these SGs (standard) as my next guitar.
Gibson has had issues tooling the Vibrola with the right break over in recent years compared to the early units. In the late 50's Gibson made tuneomatics with rounded bottoms at either end, subsequently they utilized domed thumbwheels so the bridge would rock like on an old Gretsch. As noted, much of the binding is at the nut and tough to get around. Nice review as always!
This guitar is for sale? I wouldn't buy it just for the wobbly bridge issue alone. Besides I already own a '69 special with the chunkier studs for the fixed intonation bridge which I replaced with an adjustable saddle bridge that fits on the thicker stop bar type studs. No wobble there. Stays in tune beautifully although played seldomly as it was a wedding gift and I want to preserve it in as original a state as I can.
Superb guitar review and the spec’d our portion was really cool to see. I bought a 61 standard recently right before they announced their big comeback and it’s absolutely incredible. It has stop bar tailpiece which I like a lot better than the tremolo unit. It sounds almost too good to be true through an orange amp and some really good pedals especially an Bogner overdrive or a tube screamer or a Ratt or the best I’ve heard so far, a germanium fuzz face with a sub octave or octave up pedal. It’s also super easy to play. The neck is super comfortable. I was always a Strat guy but now I only want to play my SG.
I think they got a bit more true to 61' specs with the neck. You often hear "60's" neck, but when speaking of SG's, their neck profile changed through the 60's. That flat feeling neck you're thinking of didn't come along until the mid-60's, generally after it lost the "Les Paul" label.
i don't really watch guitar reviews but this one is very good review. Thank you
As you have played both this and the les paul classic, what would be your preference for playing in a blues /rock band ? I would really appreciate your thoughts ,thanks
I really like the look of the tailpiece, but can’t tolerate another guitar that doesn’t have reliable tuning for live gigging. If I take the Trem bar off, but KEEP the tailpiece, will it still be pretty much as finicky on tuning?
Nice review. I love my my 61 SG with a hard stop. Had it for one a year now, and it's my favorite.
Trogly is the man !!! If you have any concerns on a guitar just watch his show . At the end you will know if you want it or not!
Nice Review, but I thought I might add the ABR1 is non-wired just in case you want to add period correct nylon saddles to the bridge like the 1964's (George Harrison). Also there are some places that make a nice wide bevel 6-hole pick guard, and of course changing the truss rod cover the CreamTone 50's style TRC. You can do all three mods for about $80. As for the ABR1 adjustment post ,I opted for the Faber ABR1 post conversion that screws directly into the wood. This eliminates the movement caused by the stock bridge anchors and the instrument stays in tune much better.
A roller bridge would help a lot. Yes your bridge is rocking back and forth. I think it's mostly the wound strings that cause the problem.
Never liked the SG's horns but damn that thing's beautiful
The maestro's need setup. There's info online about how to do that. The playing at the beginning was superb. The best playing I've heard you do. That guitar sounds fantastic. Maybe a roller bridge is a good option for some people. That eliminates the binding
Quote from an old forum post I made on the subject:
"The Vibrola is a sturdy design with good return tension properties. Some debate lingers over older spring steel being stiffer / harder temper than newer ones but, real life players like Biddlin will tell you 'it matters not'!
What is unarguably important is a properly lubed nut that doesn't grab or bind strings, a bridge that doesn't grab, bind or prohibit string movement, a solid Vibrola & properly crimped wound string ends that self lock & don't slip.
That's it. Make sure a four points of string contact are correctly functioning & tuning will cease to be an issue."
Not bad. Pickups sound horrible and not loving that grounding hole. Why didn't they just use a stud insert on the mounting screws? I'll wait to pick on up used.
I just got a Gibson SG 61 last week. Like with all 3x3 headstocks, the first thing you gotta do is take string files to the nut and lightly file in the direction the string goes from the nut to the tuning machine post. Once I did that it is staying in tune like a champ :) Enjoy and have fun
I’m now saving money for it do u recommend me to continue saving to buy it or not ?
hi probably the turning problem is how the guitar was set up... cos on mine is perfect... mine keep the tune all the time
Good to know that the hole is there and that you can not remove and change the bridge to a hard tail later, unlike the vintage models. In case you ended up not enjoying the trem and buying it used in the future.
Best review I've seen on this hands down. Thank you. I'm so sick of looking up guitar reviews only to get bombarded with a million fucking sales pitches from Gibson and their dealers.
I have one as well and the neck is taking me time to adjust to.... it does not feel like a 61 profile at all but it is very pretty to look at and the construction is FLAWLESS... I wanted one since the 2013 original II where I missed out. Incredible review. Very well done
my sg has the same vibrola and it has no tuning issues. With all the trems ive owned the tuning issues have been in the nut or corrected by replacing with locking tuners
I have a SG with a Vibrola and with a roller bridge. It works great
awesome vid once again!
The nut is causing the tuning problems. File those widths to the correct width and give it some graphite.b I have a N225 with a Gibson Vobrola. I repl;aced the bridge with a Stewmac roller bridge because these bridges do move under load with the trem. The roller bridge does help but its still not perfect if you use the trem hard.
Try some nut sauce on the slots of the nut. Also , you can lightly swipe a file over the bridge slot. Sometimes when they make those bridge slots if it’s not smooth. A slight use of a file to smooth
it may also help. I’ve seen that work before for a Gibson g string that won’t stay in tune.
Hi Austin,
I know this is an older video you did but I liked it nonetheless and I enjoy watching them. I’ve been an SG fan since my first one I purchased back around 1982’ish.
I’m interested in buying another one and the neck I like are on these 61’s ( slim taper ) which is basically a D neck kinda? Someone told me these necks are very prone to warping because they are so thin. Is there any truth to this? If you have any input I’d love to hear it before I take a dive on a purchase lol!
Thanks in advance 🤙
Why is no one reviewing the sideways vibrola one? That’s the one I want to see and am thinking about getting.
Nathan Boone rightttttt
The side bar is notorious for not working properly on the original SG les pauls. Most people block them off. Idk if thats the case with these modern ones but they have a stigma
Drive-By Troll I know but maybe they fixed the issue I want the trem so I get the slow trem features of a jazzmaster but with an sg
From what I've heard, those sideways ones are notorious for not working properly. Someone had an in-depth look at one in a TH-cam vid (sorry, I forgot the name of it).
On a side note, why does everyone say that you can't do dive bombs on a Bigsby? I've got one and you can go nuts on it. It's much different than a Lyre.
@Drive-By Troll Guitarist from Greta van Fleet uses SG with that Tremolo but I have never seen him use it.
The flexing bridge posts are normal as it is all fixed metal parts leveraging the strings. The CS 61 Vibrola reissues with LP truss rod cover (of which I have tried a few & owned a couple different ones) are screwed directly into the body and yes it does seem scary that the bridge flexes. It is a VERY cool vibe guitar, especially the CS VOS faded cherry finish that has been running for years around $4000, but objectively/technically not a good guitar with the Vibrola. Aside from tuning, the Vibrola system can also seriously reduce sustain. Using the infamous 12th fret pluck G string sustain test, it can be no better than dropping a metal bolt onto a wooden desk. You can hear that the sound in the demo, while cool, it is pretty compressed/muted. Even with tone controls wide open. Great if you want that and the AC/DC sound but very restrictive. If you want the look, feel, shimmering (but also tuning instability :-) you go for this model. Maybe more of a collectors guitar. Otherwise go with a fixed bridge version. For what it’s worth this model does appear great value given how similar it is to the CS version twice it’s price!
It's the tight nut slots that keep you from maintaining tune. Also, put some graphite in the nut slots after you get them to the proper dimension.
For some reason I never liked sgs, but if they have a maestro I love them
I have a '69 and owned a few with Lyre's (Leer is always how I pronounced it and my Gibson buddy who worked there, so who knows). They never stay in tune. It's why most people take the arm off or the whole unit. If you find one with nylon saddles, they seem to stay in tune better as well.
I like the way Derek Trucks opted for a non functioning trem on his SG just because they look so cool. They do look the part. ;) Have a sound weekend Austin lad.
That's how the bridge is supposed to work, just like on Fender offset models. It prevents friction and makes tuning incredibly stable.
I have an original 1970 SG standard with the original Vibrola and the Thin neck which I prefer. .
Try a roller bridge, might help with the tuning
They help but are tone and sustain killers in my experience with them
I loved the intro, it sounded great !