The long-awaited Brian Ray SG is finally here! I love all the hidden features this guitar has - it was fun to take apart 🔴Reverb: reverb.com/item/35753361?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly 🍭Shop Sweetwater + Support the Show ➡️ imp.i114863.net/trogly 💰New to Reverb? Get $10 on Me ➡️ reverb.grsm.io/earn10 ❓Private Help Sessions: troglysguitarshow.com/help-appraisals/ 🎸New Guitar Day Program: troglysguitarshow.com/ngd/ 👕 Merch: teespring.com/basic-logo-4245?pid=211
That’s a pretty nice one. I’m not a big fan I f the Vibrola so that would come off. And you’re totally right about the direction of the push button. Why on earth is up for the P-90?
For that price tag, the quality seems kinda...questionable. Not impressed. I've bought Squiers with cleaner routing. The back of that ebony block is downright embarrassing.
@@robotsongs well when you pay over $4000 for a guitar ......you wanna see an attention to detail that is commensurate that type of money .....do you wanna pay $250,000 for a Ferrari. ...but when you lift the hood ..it's a 2 cylinder with crappy undercoating ???
@@sarge7string232 not convinced. That pocket will be seen twice, maybe four times in the life of the instrument. There is absolutely NO functional value to having glass-smooth routes in a hidden cavity, and that's the point-- it's hidden. There's no real reason to bitch about this, outside of you thinking this isn't worth your money. I can 99% guarantee that if *YOU* had a spare $4000 to throw around, you wouldn't be looking at this guitar, and you sure as shit wouldn't turn it down if given to you because of those routs. This guitar isn't for you. But just because it's not flawless in every way doesn't validate Keyboard Warrior hating on something.
@@robotsongs it's not about function. ...if their sloppy there ...what else are they cutting corners on .....remember Gibson cavitys use to be clean .....now there Not ....what change ? Cuz it Sure ain't the price .......I agree ...technically in the end it don't really matter .......but anything worth that $ should be done right ALL THE WAY THROUGH. .....
I’m sorry, but you can have a guitar made custom from a luthier for that price. Any good Luthier would never let “tooling marks” slide. Call me me crazy, but at 4K$ every aspect of that guitar should be pristine.
You can get a Collins for close to that price. I’ve played a few Collins electrics and they’re absolutely amazing instruments and there’s definitely not a tooling mark or any other flaw that I could find on any of them. They’re just truly amazing guitars and about as close to perfection as you can get.
I have a twin P90 LP shaped guitar made by a boutique manufacturer (Crimson guitars) beautiful finish, great neck with perfectly finished frets. It’s an ash body with Miranthi (philippine mahogany) neck, the electronics are covered with carved wood covers, no plastic, in contrast stain. Hard ware is a British company, Wikinson with a wrap around tail piece that has adjustable saddles. £800!
i saw this guy probably 20 years ago backing paul mccartney. fantastic musician (his whole band was). not just your regular backup musician, he had proper stage presence and his own style.
I guess if you look from a collectors perspective, the price might be somewhat justifiable, but for $4200 you can get a lot more guitar somewhere else, and I mean a lot more.
İf you are a player and want to have multiple guitars there isnt really a reason to buy this. But if you are a collector that also likes to play for fun its a good guitar specialy if you like the guy.
@Myke Fuller I was making a joke regarding the video. When Austin said SG and showed the Les Paul,I was sure he made a mistake. As for Matt Heafy,I know he has played Explorers,V,Dean MLs,Music Man guitars,Aristedes and a few Kiesel guitars. SGs? Maybe but he hasn't shown anything besides his Les Les Paul Customs,Explorer and V when it comes relating to Gibson
@@compt3ck They did not do a good job on the top. When it is angled just right for a split second you can see in the light the top has been sloppily done as well.
@@bradley8913 You've said this multiple times in this comment section, but have completely failed to provide a time stamp where the video shows this. You need to take a break form the internet and start worrying about more important things :)
I really dig the SG Jr ( and a host of single pickup guitars)because the tone of a P-90 is awesome. Sometimes there is genius in simplicity and this guitar is proof of that statement.
@@puntman94 yea I get that, i'm just saying its like getting angry at a 59 custom being 10+ pounds, or having headstock tilt. the problem really doesn't lie with the gibson manufactures more so with the guitar design in it of themselves. I mean its like getting mad at high end Ibanez guitars because you don't like floyd roses or super thin necks.
Ya, but when you crank distortion it doesn't sound bad, and I think it's a good idea, but I would flip the wires like Austin suggested and use the dummy coil only in conditions when you get a lot of noise.
Looks beautiful but maybe its me, that dummy circuit really neuters the sound when its clean. Not as noticeable with a bit of OD though. Would love it but a bit overpriced i'd say. Thanks for bringing us this vid Trogly!
When I was a young man, I always wanted an SG Special like Pete Townshend used but after trying out a few SG's ,I soon learned I couldn't stand the neck dive. Shame they don't make more SG's with a slightly thicker body like this one .
get an esp or similar, with a slightly offset body, and a wide strap. will get rid of the neckdive. i have one of the Vintage VS6-es (Vintage is the brand name, I know, silly), it was made in China, but it is a fantastic guitar (especially after I have upgraded hardware and electronics).
@@tolvajakos The funny thing is, an ESP Viper, not LTD, but ESP Japan will set you back ~$3700 (~3200 for a bolt-on neck), and you get much more guitar from that than this signature model could ever offer, and I'd argue, more guitar than any other Gibson SG ever produced, except for sentimental value. If you go with the E-II versions, it's around $2500.
@@kurosumomo never had an esp or an ltd, closest i had was an edwards bass, that was a sweet thing, really felt and played like quality. it was an Edwards E-AK-125 silver sparkle signature bass, although I don't know the artist whose signature it was. i had it imported from Japan cause you cannot get that brand here (I'm in Europe). i had to sell it, the bass player of one of the top punk bands of my country bought it off of me. that was a sweet bass. too bad i had to sell it
Man as soon as I read you got this guitar on instagram I ran here to check the video out! I always wanted to look under the pickguard of this particular guitar! Thanks a lot Trogly!
@@shaunw9270 hahahaha I ran to my computer, I guess I forgot that part, but if you think you cannot run through the internet you've clearly never seen The Fairly OddParents Lol
I seriously have considered getting one of these, pretty much for all of the reasons you said, except no vibrola for me. But the price tag, I haven’t completely ruled it out, it’s an awesome guitar and I don’t have a single p/u guitar.
Great-looking guitar! Cool to see the ebony-block Vibrola, with the walrus-tooth handle yet, and the convertible bridge is a cool feature. It’s too expensive for my wallet, but it’s very cool. Now-how about an SG Custom in that finish, with the ebony block?
Just a question: I'm not the most familiar with P90s, but cant you just shield the cavity to get rid of the 60 cycle hum instead of using a dummy coil? Is it because of how hot the pickup is that it wouldn't make much of a difference? BTW, I know its just routing that youll never really see, but on a $4200 guitar the routing should be flawless. My $1000 PRS SE's have cleaner routing.
Yes, it should be flawless. A P-90 will hum like a Strat single coil, or any single coil, even if you shield the cavity. I think it's a good idea and gives you the option if your really start getting a lot of hum. I would just flip the wires to have the single coil with the pot down, as Austin suggests.
He was Etta Jame's guitarists when he was SUPER young, look at old live videos and if you see a super blonde kid playing in the background that's him! I am friends with his niece and he is a super rad dude. I personally want his first signature guitar over this one, but that's just my opinion.
Trogly, please do a review of the Johnny A Custom. I saw it described as the marriage of a 335 with a SG. It doesn't look to be the case, but it sounded pretty interesting anyway. Keep bringing the good content to the Trogly's Guitar Show community!
super cool guitar very rock roll and also has that tuxedo styling. that riff around 15:00 was extra badass phil x just turns the volume down asap in between his parts to avoid extra noise, but the push push is a good idea because you can just reach down and tap the dummy coil in and out for the same practical effect and it can be done very quickly
I so much appreciate Your Channel! You get right to the point! I have seen so many Guitar Models that I would have never seen let alone hear them played! Thanks for the Effort!.....I Love that Brian Ray SG!!
That is a killer sounding overdrive. I’m sure that p-90 definitely helps. Sg jrs and specials are some of the best sounding guitars.Ridiculous Gibson price as usual.
I feel like It would look way cooler if the tailpiece had the crown inlay to match the 12th feet. But still that is an awesome guitar. They should make an epi version.
Your channel was the first time 🕰️ saw this guitar for the first time and I fell in love. I can't afford/nor would I spend as li j as the bundle so I got a white custom shop maybach les Paul junior. It's a double cut les Paul instead of s junior but the vibe is still there. The maybach was £600 off. Absolutely love it
It might have made more sense, if Gibson had routed out the body for a neck pickup and put the 'dummy' coil in the neck position.Then cover it up with an SG Standard pickguard.Oh,well.....
@@ZIGSVIDS I wouldn't say polished, but much neater and better finished than this example and it cost significantly less. Pride in your work and attention to detail are still worth something to me in this throw away world. FYI my guitar is a Mexican Fender.
It’s funny, I’ve watched this channel enough to know when you like a guitar. Haven’t got to final thoughts yet and I know you love this one. Nice playing
Arctic Fox? Should be strongly white as Troglys skin tone matches the guitar lol! As always great review! I love ending every night watching a triglycerides video before hitting the sack
I think the reason they did it with up being normal, and down being dummy, is because the switch is a "normally closed" switch. As in, when in the natural position the circuit is closed. The person who wired it was clearly thinking in terms of electrical textbooks instead of guitar playing.
Do you maybe want to review a Gibson SG GT in the future? Back in the day Rory Clewlow from Enter Shikari used to play that one and it mesmerized me. Never seen it again and I would love to see an in depth review of it
This is the best looking sg I’ve seen. I loooove that finish. I would rather it have like a 61 side vibrola and give it like a Greta van fleet vibe. If I had the money for this I’d get it.
I just got a blueshawk in a guitar estate sale I bought, I had no idea what that dummy pickup was. It works though. I sold the guitar quickly, people were pretty interested in it. Weird they put it on that guitar.
The dummy coil has to be off to the side because if it was under the strings it would just be a weird under pick guard neck pickup that would throw off the tone of the single bridge P-90 they’re going for.
Here's how I could see myself using the dummy coil; while playing, you use the straight P90, then in between songs you hit the dummy coil so that the audience doesn't have to hear the hum while you turn your volume up or down, or you turn it on instead of using volume. I remember doing shows with my old Epiphone SG Junior, and having to constantly mess with the volume in between songs.
Myke Fuller, Thank you. Good old Pete Best. Brian Ray seems like a nice guy, and I this this is a sharp, if too pricey, guitar. But, like Ricky Ricardo might say, you’ll have a lot of ‘splaining to do.
I have this guitar, and absolutely love it. My only complaint WAS I felt it didn't have enough sustain. I recently swapped in the wrap tailpiece and the problem is solved. I do love a waggle stick, but man, the vibrola just sucks the gloriousness out of the guitar, sadly.
The dummy coil does mellow out the highs a bit, but I feel like it kind of gives it a bit of a humbucker-style sound (mind, that's what it is at that point, but you get the idea), so it could be considered an added layer of flexibility. If they were serious, they'd have given it a 3-knob PTB system.
It is a very cool guitar and I like Brian Ray. The only thing is there are about 10 guitars that I would rather get than this that cost $4000 or less.... You could get like a 1970s Les Paul Deluxe for $4000 that would have more potential to go up in value...
I still have my 1972 Gold top deluxe that I bought new then in very good condition. I.e. no checking on the finish not banged up all original parts and funny thing is I had no idea there was a standard model because mine was the only Les Paul in the store. Live n learn.
They used the dummy P90 on the Epiphone Lee Malia RD & Explorer guitars too. Those guitars were around $800.00 new...Quality was top notch on mine. Long way from $4000.00 and just "a few good'ol Gibson quality issues to 'let slide'. Wish Trog was as honest with his criticism as he was with all the other guitars he has bench tested for us. Once a fan boy always a fan boy...watcha gonna do. I love the SG... just not $4000.00 love.
My god, how did Gibson let that block leave their factory? That is embarrassing, and especially at $4000. You can even see what a crummy job they did on the top of the block. I find that mind blowing. Look at that route! Problems with the pot. Look at the divots at the back neck heel finish when the light hits it the right way. "QC on this one looks pretty good all things considered." Really? I'd say all things considered, it's pretty bad, and at that price, to boot. That just goes to show that crappy quality control is alive and well at Gibson. It's a shame because it's a pretty thing, but Gibson has a way to go.
@@StephenMorganCanada I have a cheap faded SG and the routing on that is fine. You could forgive that if all the things you can see were clean on Gibsons, but they screw up even the stuff that is in your face. I have seen some Gibsons on the walls of guitar shops that the finish was so amazingly bad, I simply couldn't believe it. I've seen all kinds of problems. On a 4k guitar that route should be clean, and everything should be perfect.
Bradley agreed. My Epiphone’s are all nicely routed but none of my USA or Custom Shop stuff is. And I have a vintage SG from 1964 that has rough routing as well... maybe they are going for that authentic vintage vibe?
The differences between the dummy coil being on or off are real - but they’re so slight that most people at a live gig would not even care, and the differences would also be lost completely when it’s swamped among other instruments, a singer, etc. Well worth getting rid of the noise. (And yes, this is true of most noiseless single-coil/stack systems - get over it.)
I have a PRS One se model Cherry with a killer p-90 and its like the L.P. Jr. or SG Jr. but it has a wrap-around bridge that I'm not a big fan of . Over the years friends of mine have had the old vintage Gibson Jr's with the wrap bridge and I don't like them .Sometimes they sound good but sometimes not . we wanted to mod my PRS to a Abr-1 & stop bar .Now i know how to handle it ! ! can't wait . This was a cool video Trogly . Well got to go , the wife wants the "Long neck tenon " can't keep her waiting ......Take Care !
I was thinking about buying one of these, but your description of the neck having a "flat" back is not what I wanted to hear! Why Gibson, WHY? They got the "chunky" part right, and if it had a rounded back, then I'd be sold. The nut width is only 1.850, so thinnish at the nut, while the new SG Juniors are 1 11/16" width at the nut, which is more to my liking. The new ones also have slightly chunky C-taper necks, but are rounded in back - not "flat". Gibson saved me $2,000 by making the neck that way, because I'd buy a new SG Junior over the Brian Ray '62 just because of that - neck shape is important! I once had a beautiful 1990's ES-335, but the neck was so thin and flat in back it felt too weird. I don't usually play with my thumb centered on the back of the neck, those types of players might like?
Gorgeous finish on this SG and I like the crown octave marker. Not endeared to the push push pot. And I never get the point of single pickup guitars. Why waste a perfectly good expanse of body.
@@kaaskaaskaaskaas yeah whatever dude. Have you even touched one? I have! Oh and for the record my 2015 Les Paul R0 is spectacular, but I'll make you a deal - you post of video of you playing your no name non branded guitar that's so great that we should buy that instead. I mean if you have the best no name guitar on the planet then why not share? Or are you just one of these Gibson haters who's never owned one but knows everything about them? 🙄
I love that conversion plate! I've been looking for something like that to convert my LPJ . The placement of the dummy coil is unique. Being under the PG, its a good spot. But sure looks ugly with the PG off.
They should offer that ABR mounting adapter as an upgrade for 1960's SG specials and FIREBIRDS that only have lightening bar setups, I could use one for my 66 special.
Very cool SG and I get that the market value is high for this thing, but what kills me about the Gibson market is that this is essentially a glorified SG junior/special with some extra hardware bolted on below the TOM bridge. The passive inductive P100 things is very cool too but jeez, 4 grand....ludicrous. Also, push push pots are superior when playing live for quick switching action.
