Possibly the best Epiphone SG ever
I've had an SG on my radar for a while now, and this one, the 1961 Epiphone Les Paul SG Standard, is actually amazing.
But wow, Epiphone has a fairly big ask concerning the price. It's not cheap for an Epiphone. Not expensive either, but still, a big ask.
You do get one seriously good SG with this Epiphone...
...but for just a few hundred more you could get a new Gibson SG Standard.
Honestly, it's a really tough call whether to go Epiphone or Gibson here, due to the fact the Epiphone is such a nice offering.
Not an SG?
This guitar is an SG yet it isn't because it's a special model.
Technically, this guitar is a "Les Paul SG", as there is a "Les Paul" embossed on the truss rod cover. So if you want to get really nitpicky, you can use Epiphone's naming convention in that this is a "Les Paul SG Standard" and not just "SG Standard".
My opinion: It's an SG. Looks like one, feels like one, plays like one.
What makes this Epiphone so great?
Incredible build quality and seriously good parts.
If you happen to try one of these out, you'll be amazed at how good the tuners are, which is usually something not that great on an SG. They are buttery smooth and feel very solid.
The pickups are voiced exactly correct.
It is "aged" but not distressed, thankfully. This basically means it's not shiny-shiny as a new SG typically looks, but rather slightly dulled (in a good way) throughout. I qualify it as looking "new vintage". Very tastefully done.
I'll put it another way. A new shiny SG tends to look slightly toy-like, but this Epiphone escapes that. And it's not just because of the body finish. The plastics have an aged look, and the fingerboard inlays are purposely not super-shiny either. You'll see these aged touches throughout the guitar.
I do like seeing the "pineapple" on the headstock, which is a very SG thing. My preference is actually the "split diamond" headstock treatment on the SG Custom, but this is a Standard so it just gets the pineapple - and I'm totally okay with that.
Even though one of my favorite Epiphone SG's is the G-400 Les Paul SG Custom with the triple pickups, the split diamond on the headstock and all that good stuff, I like the '61 Les Paul SG Standard better.
Why do I like it better? To me, it's a better player's guitar...
...and that is its best selling point.
Great gigging guitar? Yes.
Great for the guy who owns a nice Gibson Les Paul and wants a really nice SG without committing to another Gibson? Yes.
Great for a first guitar? No. Too expensive for that. Epiphone makes the regular SG Standard to fill that duty at a much nicer price.
Great for the guy who has never owned an SG before and wants the best there is for the lowest price? Yes. And yeah, that's true even though the '61 Epi SG has a big-for-Epiphone asking price.
I did seriously like Epi's '61 SG. Very solid build, sounds great. The only true competition it has is the Gibson SG Standard.
That Pontiac in The French Connection
I finally got around to watching The French Connection; this is my take on it.
First I'll say this is not a car guy's movie, even though I watched it mainly to see the car chase. This flick is a thriller cop drama. But before getting into that, let's talk about that Pontiac.
In the movie is a 1971 Pontiac LeMans sedan of the four-door and rather pedestrian variety. The chase with this car appears about 3/4 of the way through the movie, and yes it's true that city permits were not acquired to film it. They were able to get away with this because actual cops served as advisors for the film, and, well, they knew how to get around those pesky permits. It's also supposedly true that in certain parts of the chase (particularly the end of it), the bystanders you see aren't extras but regular New Yorkers just wondering what the hell was going on.
I'm going to go against the grain here. The chase scene isn't as good as others say it is. Yes, it is cool to see that Pontiac being thrashed around in New York. It's also cool to see all the other large coupes and sedans in the movie, because after all, it's 1971, two years before the oil crisis of '73. You see a lot of giant barge cars of the era smogging it up all over the place.
What I liked about the movie more than anything else was seeing 1971 New York. There's a lot of city shown, both walking and driving. You see everything all as it was back then. While true this was before the financial crisis of '75 and before the July 13 1977 blackout that made New York go dark for 25 hours straight, you can see the grit and grime that made NY an awful place to be back then. Whoever said "things were better the way they used to be" definitely wasn't talking about New York in the '70s.
Even though this film won a bunch of awards - including Best Picture - it's a slow burn and there's a noticeable amount of filler just to pad out the length of 104 minutes. Is the story any good? I rate it as so-so. You've got hardheaded obstinate NY cops that really want to make a big bust, who then argue with the commander to go for that bust when he wants to shut the case down. The commander capitulates, and the rest of the story is the cops going after the bad guys. It's no story you haven't seen before - except for the ending. I like the ending of this movie because that's where things get different and it ends totally different than I thought it would.
So-so story, good ending, but what makes the movie work is 1971 New York itself. Lots of good eye candy, at least for me.
And one final note about the cars. It is funny in an interesting way to see people totally used to driving barge-sized cars since that's what was normal at the time, riding on bias-ply tires. Radial tires weren't completely standardized until 1976. In the movie you can hear tire screeching even with moderate turns around corners at lower speeds. That's not an add-in sound by the sound editor. Bias-ply just does that because they are so inferior compared to radials.
The big, bold 12-string acoustic you can afford
There are acoustic guitars, then there are acoustic 12-string guitars, and then there are jumbo acoustic 12-string guitars.
At some point in every guitar player's life, a 12-string acoustic must be acquired because there's just nothing else that sounds quite like it. It's a big sound with natural chorus that's not only pleasant to listen to, but also makes you want to chord more - and that's a good thing.
The problem with most 12-string acoustics is finding one that can actually project without breaking the bank, and that's where the Guild F-2512E comes in.
Guild does the jumbo acoustic thing very, very well and has since 1954, so they know what they're doing when they put together these things. What you get with the F-2512E is more than just a pretty headstock (which I admit does look cool and distinctive).
Yes, there is an E in the model name. Does that mean this 12 is electrified? Indeed it is. There are Fishman-designed AP-1 electronics on board. But even so, you'll have more fun playing this just unplugged. And for home recording, this acoustic can be picked up easily by a microphone since it projects so well...
...but it also must be said that if you intend on playing live through a PA system, oh yes, this Guild will work very nicely there too.
The best part about this Guild is that you can afford it. It looks a lot more expensive than it actually is.
Is the big body too big?
No, not too big. You can handle it.
Playing one of these is not all that much different from a standard size dreadnought acoustic. The size increase is noticeable, but it's not some giant thing that will dwarf you.
It's actually the headstock that makes the guitar look bigger than it is, and that can be said for almost any 12-string acoustic. When you see that long headstock with all those tuners, it can look intimidating. Trust me, it's not.
The best string choice to use?
The same rules used for a 6-string apply to the 12-string when choosing what kind is best to use.
Here's a quick right-now answer: If you want an easier time with your 12-string, go for a light silk and steel set. They're generally available, so you won't have to order a custom set or anything like that, and they feel great.
If you're ready to go for a 12-string, this is a good one.
The guitar PRS wants you to forget, the SE EG
This is what PRS was making in the early 2000s.
The answer to the question "What would happen if PRS made a Strat?" is, of course, the Silver Sky model. But PRS made another Strat type guitar back in the day, and it was the SE EG model.
So what is it? It's South Korean build, 25.0" scale, 22 fret, glued in mahogany neck (no bolt plate on the rear), mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard.
Amazingly, no bird inlays on the fingerboard. I'm not a fan of bird inlays, so I like this. It also appears the inlays are abalone dots, which is a nice touch.
Also, this is a top loader, which I also like a lot as it makes for easier string bends. Yes, this does mean the guitar is a hardtail as there is no vibrato system present.
Something I both like and not like is the bridge. It appears to be one of those wraparound things. I don't have a problem with that part. But where intonation is concerned, that could be an issue because I assume it's a bridge type where only the sides can be moved since the saddles can't be moved. However, given how PRS designs guitars, intonation is probably just fine.
On the lower horn, yes, the deep cutaway (cut-in?) does exist for easier access to the higher frets.
From what I can gather, this guitar existed for just 3 model years in this particular SSS flavor, that being 2003, 2004 and 2005. There were other flavors (like the HSS from 2005-2007), but I prefer the SSS.
Although the guitar totally sounds like a Strat, the body shape is like a cross between a Strat, Les Paul and SG. In other words, those who know PRS guitars should find this familiar.
If you ever wanted PRS's take on a Strat style guitar but didn't want a Silver Sky, seek out the SE EG. It had a short run but looks decent.
Don't want to deal with an old guitar? See the Silver Sky instead.
3 solid reasons to use digital delay instead of analog
Switch to digital and you'll enjoy using the delay effect for guitar a whole lot more.
Delay is one of this electric guitar effects that I consider must-have for any player regardless of skill level. Whether you've been playing 3 months or 30+ years, you need it. Yes, I said need. In fact, if I were forced to use just two effects and nothing else, it would be compression and delay, in that order.
Regular analog delay is cheap unless you go for something like the BOSS DM-2w Waza Craft, considered by some to be the "ultimate" analog delay pedal...
...but I don't bother with those because there are 3 things about upper tier digital delay pedals that really make them worth owning.
These are the 3 upper-end digital delays worth checking out, and then I'll tell you 3 good reasons to own one no matter which you get: NUX Duotime (good), BOSS DD-200 (better), BOSS DD-500 (best). Most would get along with Duotime or DD-200 best. The DD-500 is absolutely nuts in what it can do, but is also complex; the two others are easier to get along with.
Reason #1: Works better with more live rigs and home recording
Digital delay does not make noise and is whisper quiet when on. Analog delay, regardless of how much you spend on one, will have noise you can hear, and that's just the nature of how analog works.
Reason #2: The emulation of the old analog delays is far better than you realize
The upper-end delay effects mentioned a moment ago all have the ability to emulate old analog sounds very, very well. The tape-style echo is there that a lot of players want, but that only scratches the surface of what you can get.
Reason #3: You can set a precise repeat rate
This doesn't sound like a very fancy feature, and it's not, but once you have it, you'll never want to go without it again.
Setting the repeat rate on an analog delay pedal either ends up in being too fast or too slow. Or, if you somehow magically get it just right, don't you dare turn that knob or you'll never get it again (this is especially true with the DM-2w, which has really sensitive controls).
On the digital, you have not one but two ways to set a repeat rate. Manually, by entering in the millisecond rate, or by tapping the tempo. You will notice that each of the 3 pedals I mentioned have TAP as the right side footswitch.
In a live band situation, you can tap the repeat rate for whatever your drummer is playing. Very convenient.
With home recording, you can match the delay repeat to your recording software metronome by millisecond or by tapping the tempo out. Easy.
It costs more but it's worth it
The upper tier delay effects are not cheap, but at the same time not terribly expensive. The only one where you feel the sting of the price is with the DD-500, but you do get what you pay for as it is a seriously advanced delay effect. Again, the NUX or the DD-200 would suit most players.
It's the 3 reasons above that justify the cost. The better digital models do work with more amps and home recording environments, all the old-school emulation is there (and works well), and most importantly you can set a precise repeat rate.
Again, that precise repeat rate setting doesn't seem like much, but believe me, it matters; that's the reason you get the upper tier delay effect to begin with.