I love SG's but Gibsons are SO inconsistent -

Funny, I just acquired a 1974 SG Special, from when they were doing the plastic-cover mini humbuckers. Everything about it screams "Norlin era cost cutting!!!" Whereas my Mira is, despite its low-budget-by-PRS-USA standards origin, is a no-question professional-quality guitar.

Regardless, the SG totally goes toe-to-toe with the Mira, sound-wise (what it gives up in dynamic range it makes back in clarity and a high-end that is sweet and not a touch harsh as the Mira can be) and when I picked up my slide, damn it sounded sweet. As in killer slide tone that would cut it on any gig.

The first real USA-made guitar I owned was a 1972 SG Standard, by most measures a nicer guitar than this '74. The whole time I owned it I hated it for not being what I really wanted, which was an ES-175D. (Or even a good Les Paul!) I've carried that prejudice around ever since, going on 40 years now. This new-to-me SG is a great lesson in humility. Maybe it wasn't the SG back then, it was the player. (Some friends tried to tell me that at the time and I wasn't listening)

OK, it might have been the amplifier, too. ;)


I know what you mean about this type of thing, where your mind distorts things. I got rid of a great American strat once, blonde one, because I didn't like the big '70s head stock. Now I miss that guitar. But I have a USA SG Standard and it is not going anywhere. 490/498 pickup set. Not bad at all. I could really dig getting a Mira.
 
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My S2 22 Satin standard feels very SGish. In fact, I like to think of it as an SG faded with better design and ...... well, just better.
 
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