The Gibson SG doesn't have the identical iconic history as the Les Paul or the Stratocaster, but it's still a knockout rock and roll image. Angus Young of AC/DC can show to that.
Everyone from Eric Clapton to Tony Iommi has adopted the Gibson SG for its piercing sound. Since not everyone can afford the $1,200 street price for a Gibson, however, their sister company Epiphone makes an affordable SG model, the G-400.
The question then becomes, how well does the Epiphone SG stack up to the Gibson SG?
The cherry finish is extremely well done and snazzy looking. It spotlights the mahogany finish very well. Similarly, the SG body shape of the G-400 is indistinguishable from a "real" SG.
Overall, the construction of the guitar is very well done. The mother-of-pearl inlays are appealing, but we did discover some little traces of glue residue by the edges. Similarly, we found some more residue near the neck joint, but these are very minor complaints, given the value of the instrument.
The tuners held the guitar's tune well, though some perfectionists might hope for the locking variety. We were able to set the action nice and low, and the guitar intonated well, though the bridge saddle corners were a bit too sharp for our taste.
The G-400 passed the playability test with flying colors. We set the action extremely low, and scarcely noticed any buzzing at all.
Even unplugged, the G-400 has a solid, vibrant sound. It's a very alive instrument, which is welcome seeing how light the guitar is.
When we plugged the G-400 into our test amplifier (a MAZ-18 NR made by Dr. Z), we were very entertained with the sounds we heard. The pickups provided balanced tones that could be useful for everything from blues to country.
We tried the pickups in all three toggle settings and found the tones useful in all settings using both clean and distorted amp/pedal sounds. When we really went for a metal sound (using a Visual Sound Jekyll and Hyde pedal), we thought the guitar was a bit muddy sounding, but's not really a criticism, seeing how wonderfully warm this guitar is overall.
So, if you wish to play this instrument in a Metallica tribute band, you'll probably want to put in some hotter pickups with a bit more treble bite.
So, the bottom line is that the Epiphone G-400 is simply a wonderful guitar suitable for a mixture of styles of music from rock to blues to jazz. If you're searching for a substantial instrument at an inexpensive cost, you can't beat the G-400.
Everyone from Eric Clapton to Tony Iommi has adopted the Gibson SG for its piercing sound. Since not everyone can afford the $1,200 street price for a Gibson, however, their sister company Epiphone makes an affordable SG model, the G-400.
The question then becomes, how well does the Epiphone SG stack up to the Gibson SG?
The cherry finish is extremely well done and snazzy looking. It spotlights the mahogany finish very well. Similarly, the SG body shape of the G-400 is indistinguishable from a "real" SG.
Overall, the construction of the guitar is very well done. The mother-of-pearl inlays are appealing, but we did discover some little traces of glue residue by the edges. Similarly, we found some more residue near the neck joint, but these are very minor complaints, given the value of the instrument.
The tuners held the guitar's tune well, though some perfectionists might hope for the locking variety. We were able to set the action nice and low, and the guitar intonated well, though the bridge saddle corners were a bit too sharp for our taste.
The G-400 passed the playability test with flying colors. We set the action extremely low, and scarcely noticed any buzzing at all.
Even unplugged, the G-400 has a solid, vibrant sound. It's a very alive instrument, which is welcome seeing how light the guitar is.
When we plugged the G-400 into our test amplifier (a MAZ-18 NR made by Dr. Z), we were very entertained with the sounds we heard. The pickups provided balanced tones that could be useful for everything from blues to country.
We tried the pickups in all three toggle settings and found the tones useful in all settings using both clean and distorted amp/pedal sounds. When we really went for a metal sound (using a Visual Sound Jekyll and Hyde pedal), we thought the guitar was a bit muddy sounding, but's not really a criticism, seeing how wonderfully warm this guitar is overall.
So, if you wish to play this instrument in a Metallica tribute band, you'll probably want to put in some hotter pickups with a bit more treble bite.
So, the bottom line is that the Epiphone G-400 is simply a wonderful guitar suitable for a mixture of styles of music from rock to blues to jazz. If you're searching for a substantial instrument at an inexpensive cost, you can't beat the G-400.
About the Author:
If you are searching for the best available price on a used or new Epiphone G-400, then you need to search no further! Ray's Guitar Shop offers the best prices on all new and used guitars (electric and acoustic) available anywhere on the Internet. Go visit Ray's Guitar Shop today!
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