I just recently purchased a second hand Epiphone SG. The reason I went the SG route was due to reading through the pages of the modification community. Seems that the SG is one hell of a popular guitar to mod. So why is this?

First off... I got the Epiphone G-400 SG. Yes I know, not the greatest guitar on the planet. But really? Is it all that bad? First time I picked the thing up I was immediately impressed with its play-ability and unplugged tone. This thing really resonates! The one I bought is about 7 years old and has been kept in its case and according to the  guy I bought it from (A friend by the way) Its never really been used. I have no reason not to believe him. The guitar is in very good condition. It looks brand new! And plays beautifully. There is a little buzz around the 19th on the hi E. Apparently this is more common than expected and a new bridge/neck setup is going to be needed to get things where I want them.



Review wise. The Epiphone G-400 is a very nice guitar for the price. I've played many SG's and can confidently say that as far as feel is concerned, the Epiphone is very close to the Gibson special. In fact, I've played some Gibson SG's that are no where near as nice to play. Ok, so the wood is good! The hardware on the other hand sux! The grover tuners are cool, but the rest has to go. The pickups are terrible! Low output, funny sounding mid range and no real detail in the bridge at all. The electrics are what one would expect from a Chinese guitar and the bridge is certainly worth replacing.

So what did I order? Well... I was browsing around Stewart McDonalds website for some upgrades and came across some pretty good options. Remember! I am not trying to recreate a Gibson SG! The only way to do that is to buy one. But I am seeing what kind of tone upgrades I can do and at the end of the day, I want to see how much better I can make this guitar without taking out a second mortgage on my house. So here is what I have ordered.

1. 2 X Golden age Humbuckers 
2. New SG wiring kit 
3. New Gotoh tune-o-matic bridge
4. New knobs 
5. Vitamin Q (0,022mf ) Capacitors.