The Gibson Angus SG is a classic example of an Artist Series from Gibson, whose value is subjective.
(prHWY.com) December 24, 2012 - Nevada, NV -- The Gibson Angus SG is a classic example of an Artist Series from Gibson, whose value is subjective.
Guitarists have been a lucky lot over the past few decades in that they have been able to pick from a rich heritage of instruments that have been inspired by the sweat and blood of professional musicians that have road tested the intricacies of electronics and specs that have filtered through to the more affordable models that grace the walls of music stores around the world. While; we all can have a piece of the pie, manufacturers like Gibson and Fender have reserved the real prototypes as Custom Shop and Artist models that garner top dollar for those who wish to venture into the more visceral performance experience.
Gibson SG's in their own right, herald a rich pedigree of sonic greatness and as such have captured the imaginations of amateur and stage heroes who have taken the art of this fine instrument to the next level personalizing it to meet their demanding specifications. The Gibson Angus Young SG is an example of a great guitar made larger than life as seen through the eyes of it's infamous namesake and leader of one of rocks great bands, AC/DC.
How Different is it?
At first glance both the SG Standard and Angus look alike with the classic mahogany double cutaway body and headstock with Flowerpot inlay, though the Angus adds an antique bell and Angus signature. Tuners are both nickel-plated pearloid buttons with 14:1 turning ratio. The neck on the Angus is .25º straighter than the standard, facilitating heavier string use, though Angus uses 10-46 gauge. Both mahogany necks are mortise and tenon joined though the Angus features an Ebony fretboard over the Standard's Rosewood. Ebony tends to be brighter sounding and slicker to play, which can produce slightly more articulate tones though that is a topic which is highly debatable on this instrument. The qulaiyty of Rosewood is generally very high resulting in real nice feel. Featuring 22 frets, each is highly playable well into the 22nd fret making it a real versatile guitar for the soloist. Both feature Corian nuts with the Angus a bit slighter at 1.550" vs. 1.695" on the Standard. The Angus fretboard inlay is unique in that instead of the Standards trapezoid inlay, Angus chose to have lightning bolt markers. Both feature a chrome stop tailpiece differing on bridge selection with the Nashville tune-o-matic designated to the Standard and the Pre notched Rune-o-matic to the Angus. Frankly, I prefer the Nashville which is easier to intonate and is wireless, but this is what the Artist models are all about, personalization and preference. Both are identical in terms of electronics with twin 330 k linear volume and 500k non-linear tone controls with a 3-way Switchcraft pickup selector. Color-wise the Standard offers a choice of both Heritage Cherry and Ebony with the Angus resplendent in only black, both clad in nitrocellulose finish.
Pickups are arguably where the real difference lie as the Standards come through with 490 R and 498T with the Angus featuring a 57 Classic at the neck position and the Angus Young pickup on the bridge. The Angus is supposed to be brighter and louder, and while that may be true the difference is slight and personally, somewhat off-putting.
Performance
Aside from the minor differences aesthetically the pickups may be the only real difference performance-wise. The necks are both soft C contoured and are extraordinary players, that most would find quite comfortable. This guitar is meant to be played with high gain amplification. The Angus pickup is a little hotter at the bridge position, but to my ear the difference is really negligible with a little tweaking.
Negotiating the fretboard is the real charm of either of these instruments as you can really dig in and get the most out of this instrument into the far reaches of the 22nd fret. The warm mahogany tones are very much more Les Paul like with sharper articulation and attack. To my ears, a vintage Marshall Plexi and Angus SG were made for each other and a hard combination to beat, though that characterization is more subjective. That Angus plays with a wall of Marshall's is no small detail that could mislead the prospective buyer that he or she could replicate that fat rich AC/DC tone and attack.
Conclusion:
While the Gibson Angus SG is a nice piece to have, its collectibility is yet to be determined. Like most instruments, nothing short of the untimely death of its namesake would drive the vintage value of the Gibson Angus SG from its street price of $2300.00 compared to the Standards $1100.00 tag and here is really where we arrive at the crossroads. You must ask yourself if the difference in pickups, and minor cosmetic details warrant you selling your soulkd for the extra $1200.00. If you are an AC/DC enthusiast or speculative collector, that answer would likely be yes, but if you are looking for an instrument that could replicate those heavy AC/DC tones, then I would have to say save the $1200.00 and put it towards a great amp.
Personally, I like the idea of a collectible guitar but I don't particularly like the Artists models as an investment as they really don' appeal to me. That's said, it is not an indictment of the Gibson Angus SG, it's a really nice guitar, but so is the SG Standard. Are they the same guitar, no, but they certainly aren't $1200.00 different aside from whatever the Angus moniker means to you. At the end of the day, I would recommend the Gibson Angus SG, because it is a great guitar but with the caveat that you are paying dearly for it's namesake and speculative future value.
More info about Guitar Gibson Angus SG, pls travel to:
http://www.gibsonsgangusyoung.com/gibson-sg-angus/
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