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I bought this in February of this year (2009).
Near the end of the previous year, for some reason, I
got a hankering for a new guitar. The white Les
Paul Studio I got the year before didn't really live up
to what I was hoping for. From there I decided
that no matter what my next guitar was, it would have to
be something with 3 pickups. I didn't even care if
it was going to be an Epiphone but I wouldn't get a
Fender. It got narrowed down to either an Epiphone
Les Paul Custom, an Epiphone SG Custom or an SG-3 that I
remember reading about.
After a bit of deciding, I went with the SG-3 for 2
reasons. One, being that it would make a great
backup guitar for playing out, and two, they're
discontinued. Once I found that out, I went to the
music store to get it because at the time, there was one
hanging on the wall. Of course when I went to get
it somebody just bought it. So I ordered one (red
or black didn't matter) and it would be coming from
another store.
Luckily, I ended up getting a red one.
People in Vancouver must be hard on stuff because a
few of the knobs and washers weren't tight. Good thing I
have a screwdriver set. Then again, an SG in
Vancouver probably doesn't make much sense.
It's a bright guitar, mainly from the lack of wood.
Also, it's super-light, which is why they made them in
the first place and the neck is pretty great. It's
somewhere in between the SG Standard and SG Classic that
I used to have.
Pickup-wise, it came with 2 57 Classics in the front
and middle, and a 57 Classic Plus in the back. That was
one of the clinchers for me getting it since I love the
57 Classics in my Studio, and to know I'd save over $400
by not having to replace something like Gibson's 490s
was nice. Of course, that didn't stop me from
switching out the 57 Classic Plus and replacing it with
one of the 57 Classics I had in my white Studio.
Actually, I had to. The 57 Classic Plus' are too
bright (I still can't understand why the brighter pickup
gets thrown in the back position). Now, having all
3 of the same pickup type is perfect and makes it that
much more practical. Also, it went through the
usual Tone/Volume pot swap.
The 6 way switch is actually pretty inventive.
I didn't know if I would like it but makes pretty good
sense and I'm used to it now. 1st position is the
front pickup; 2nd position is the front and middle
pickups together; 3rd position is the middle pickup on
its own; 4th position is the middle and back pickup
(just like the middle selection on an SG Custom); 5th
position is the back pickup, and; 6th position is the
front and back pickups together. So it's like a
Strat only with quality.
Playing a Les Paul is almost like a security-blanket
sort of thing for me, anything else is a little alien - but
this thing is a treat. I've really only used it
"out" one night since everything was fixed up on it and
I ended up playing it the whole night. It passed
the test. I think eventually it make more than
just a showing.
I don't view an SG as just a rock/metal guitar.
I used to actually, up until I bought my first one.
They are better than they get credit for and far from
being one-dimensional. Is it a Les Paul? Of
course not but not too many things are. But as its
own guitar, SGs are a fine instrument - especially this
one. This really is a luxury instrument.
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Year:
2007 (guessing)
