Question about Epiphone SGs

plaidbeer · Post by **plaidbeer** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 5:51 pm

I was in a GC today trying out the Epiphone "50th Anniversary" SG (the one in TV yellow with the P90s) and it never stayed in tune the entire time. I was using the tuner off a Mustang II amp and it would indicate that the tuning was correct (I've use it to tune other guitars in the past), but it never sounded in tune. Are Epiphone SGs notorious for really crappy tuners or tuning stability?

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 5:52 pm

do these have gotoh's?

plaidbeer · Post by **plaidbeer** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 5:55 pm

Per Sweetwater's site, they're Wilkinson Vintage 14:1:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EG61TVNH/

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 6:56 pm

I believe some individual guitars just wont tune and/or intonate right. Once tried a Chapman guitar that was the same but i think it would be unfair to assume they were all the same.

damienblair17 · Post by **damienblair17** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:52 pm

It's the amber switch tip. Has to be.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:05 pm

new strings?

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:44 pm

Sloan wrote:new strings?

My epi sg holds a tune forever. I'm guessing Sloan's right.

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:47 pm

Fran wrote:I believe some individual guitars just wont tune and/or intonate right. Once tried a Chapman guitar that was the same but i think it would be unfair to assume they were all the same.

I've had a couple of guitars like this. according to the tuner, they intonate but when you play open chords it just sounds a bit off. it can be a very frustrating quality to a guitar.

crumpler · Post by **crumpler** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:08 pm

Could also be the difference in fret size, if you really squeeze down on the strings and are used to vintage frets.
The Epi has pretty good sized frets, and if you're used to playing only vintage Fender styles, it could be the difference...

mickie08 · Post by **mickie08** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:45 pm

With a guitar at GC you never know. Could be bad strings, poor setup, the guitar could have been beat around, who knows.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:00 pm

Once strings are stretched out, i have never had a tuning problem with any guitar. Install strings, then stretch them, tune it up, do again until you can pull on them and they don't go flat. play the fuck out of it.

SPEAKING OF SG'S:
http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44648

plaidbeer · Post by **plaidbeer** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:31 pm

That might have been what it was (new strings). But no other guitar I've ever played at GC had that much trouble staying in tune. It's a shame because when I used open D tuning and did the one-finger barre chords, it sounded good. I complained about the Casino's neck, but this actually felt pretty comfortable to the point of me thinking about getting one down the road.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:50 pm

Sloan wrote:Once strings are stretched out, i have never had a tuning problem with any guitar. Install strings, then stretch them, tune it up, do again until you can pull on them and they don't go flat. play the fuck out of it.

SPEAKING OF SG'S:
http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44648

I always do all that, in my experience its usually been shite machine heads or a badly cut nut. Intonation issue's are more worrying.

Rox · Post by **Rox** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:26 am

Epi SGs I think are more or less hit or miss... I've played some Epi SGs that played better than their Gibson counterpart and some that were just plain shit . IMO the higher end Epis are about as good as a Gibson Standard .. But they hold their value like any over produced Chinese guitar . Like shit . It is what it is . If you wanna impress your pals ? Get a Gibson . If you wanna jam or you're just fucking clumsy with expensive guitars like I am ? Get an Epi..

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:59 pm

both of my wilshires never went out of tune. (.13's)

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 2:25 pm

Rox wrote:Epi SGs I think are more or less hit or miss... I've played some Epi SGs that played as good as a Gibson and some that were just plain shit

this...and Epi's are usually more neck heavy than a good Gibson