Garcia's SG

[Mr.Burns]

If you've been playing a while you know the difference... and with a lower end guitar (fender, gibson or anyone else) a trip to a local luthier and $100 later you in good shape. Plus, a pro that you can depend on gets the hundred bucks... not a major corporation that trickles $4 down to the factory worker.

I guess you're referring to a setup?, but $100? Why pay a luthier to do that, especially when you can easily do it yourself for free. After all, nobody knows your guitar like you do. If you're talking about any other kind of work on the neck/frets, then $100 seems a little low.

[Smolder]

If you've been playing a while you know the difference... and with a lower end guitar (fender, gibson or anyone else) a trip to a local luthier and $100 later you in good shape. Plus, a pro that you can depend on gets the hundred bucks... not a major corporation that trickles $4 down to the factory worker.

I guess you're referring to a setup?, but $100? Why pay a luthier to do that, especially when you can easily do it yourself for free. After all, nobody knows your guitar like you do. If you're talking about any other kind of work on the neck/frets, then $100 seems a little low.

n0, I was talking about fret work... that was the primary complaint regarding qna from low end manufactured guitars.

[claytushaywood]

I do full fret level and crowns to all my guitars. Its definitely a necessity for most all newproduction guitars. Even higher end gibsons. The problem with these lower priced gibsons lies more in the wood. The 61 reissues just have better cuts it seems. The quality of the cut of wood can make a huge difference in sustain and tone.

A fret level, crown and polish will definitely improve any gibson or fender that isn't plekk'd or a custom shop model. M favorite gibson style guitar was one of my first guitars. An epi les paul standard made in korea. I did a fret level and crown on it and it just kills any gibson under $2000 I've played in recent history.

If anyone is interested I can do fret level and crowns for much cheaper than ay luthier I've found. I also buff the frets using 9 grades of polishing papers and include small squares of these reusable polishing cloths so that you can maintain that glass like polish every couple weeks. Very nice to bend notes on super polished frets. Like taking a hot guitar string through butter

[Smolder]

I wish that I'd taken that class on fret leveling and advanced set ups when I lived in Chicago. I have a 2011 60's tribute LP that is really well set up. I think Gibson PLEK's almost everything coming out of the custom shops and even Memphis. I haven't personally seen any poor workmanship, but reading the Les Paul forum there are plenty of complaints. I've had a luthier in Virginia work on my 2002 SG and a 2008 MIM tele... it was well worth the money. Very cool that you have that skill.

[TI4-1009]

After getting my Tiger earlier last year and an SG later in the year- here's my theory. As Jerry proceeded along his tone path he evolved towards guitars that colored the sound less and less (just like his amps). From the Guild to the SG to the Fenders and finally the Beans, Irwins, and Cripes. I find the SG to be a real tone monster- very "alive", whereas the Tiger is more a "monolithic slab" (not that that's bad, mind you). The SG is loose and flexible, the Tiger is tight, solid. I just think Jerry wanted to add the tone himself, rather than have the consruction of the guitar do it for him. He wanted control over how the instrument sounded. With his later guitars he could do that in any number of ways, but it was always Jerry talking, and not as much the guitar.

[Tennessee Jedi]

Could be.
His rig is pretty specific.
Not matter what you may believe .... gear is a part of anyone's " sound "....

[Mr.Burns]

I thought Jerry said something about the importance of quality equipment so he wouldn't have to change his technique to adapt to the equipment's shortcomings. So he could just play. His entire rig was designed to be incredibly touch-responsive, so every tiny nuance of his hands came across.

While it's true that gear is a part of the sound, the more transparent the better, so your hands can be heard. I think that was what he was going for.