Gibson Les Paul vs SG – 5 Must-Know differences

Gibson USA has been manufacturing the SG and the LP electric guitars for over 50 years. They both are undoubtedly considered as two of the best guitars in the world.

If you’re thinking about getting either guitar, you’ll undoubtedly be comparing the Gibson Les Paul vs SG beforehand.

Is the Les Paul better than the SG? Or vice-versa?

In this article, we compare the SG Standard with the Les Paul Studio (instead of its standard model in order to keep the same price range).

After having a look at the history and similarities, we’ll go through the key differences and then finally note the famous players of each model.

Here is a video comparison between the 2 models as well.

History of the Gibson LP and the SG

Gibson Guitar Corporation, as Gibson Brands Inc. was known before 2013, has been in the business of guitar manufacturing for over a century.

In 1952, the company launched the Les Paul. The company’s first solid-body guitar was designed by:

• Ted McCarty, Gibson’s president
• John Huis, production supervisor
• Les Paul, the guitarist

The iconic guitar was finalized after testing a number of prototypes.

The company started production of Gibson SG in 1961 to compete with Fender’s Stratocaster.

The SG (which stands for Solid Guitar) was created by reducing the weight of Les Paul and providing a double-cutaway to give it a groovy look.

Similarities between the SG and the Les Paul

In order to have a complete picture, we’ll first look into the common features of the two guitars.

Specifications

As mentioned, we chose to compare 2 guitars that are in the same price range and exhibit similar specs.

	Les Paul Studio	SG Standard
Body shape	Solidbody, Ultra-modern weight relief, Les Paul	Solidbody, SG
Weight	3.7 kg / 8.2 lbs	2.9 kg / 6.5 lbs
Tuners	Grover Rotomatics – 40:1	Grover Rotomatics – -40:1
Neck	Set Mahogany Slim Taper	Set Mahogany Slim Taper
Scale length	24.75″	24.75″
Nut material	Graph Tech	Graph Tech
Nut Width	1.695″	1.695″
Fingerboard	Rosewood	Rosewood
Fingerboard radius	12″	12″
Frets	22 Medium Jumbo	22 Medium Jumbo
Inlays	Acrylic Trapezoids	Acrylic Trapezoids
Body	Mahogany Flamed Maple Top	Mahogany
Pickups	490R Humbucker (neck) 498T Humbucker (bridge) with Push/Pull Coil Tap	490R Humbucker (neck) 490T Humbucker (bridge)
Bridge	Nashville Tune-O-Matic with Stopbar	Nashville Tune-O-Matic with Stopbar
Price	~ $1,499 (Check today’s prices)	~ $1,499 (Check today’s prices)

Material

Undoubtedly, it’s the wood that provides depth to the sound of a guitar. This is wherein lies the secret to the thick tone of the SG and the LP.

Both models have their bodies and necks made of the finest mahogany wood, which has the best tonal quality and a natural rich brown texture. The sound quality of both these axes is second to none, especially through an overdriven amp.

The fingerboard is made of rosewood, like many other guitars worldwide.

Bridge

Although a variety of bridges have been changed on different models over the years, the stop-bar Tune-o-matic bridge in both these models provides them greater tuning stability.

Both guitars use this setup for the bridge and tailpiece.

Controls

Both the guitars have separate knobs for volume and tone, controlling the humbucking pickups. There are 4 knobs altogether, as well as a 3-way pickup selector.

This provides greater control with both guitars to the guitarist as compared to those guitars which have two-in-one knobs.

Versatility

They can both be used for literally any type of music; be it jazz, metal, rock, blues, or a combination of any of these. They’re equally great.

Key Differences

Now that you know the commonalities between the Gibson Les Paul and the SG, let’s go through the features that make each one unique.

Although a classical comparison of the specifications may not reveal glaring differences between them, a closer look can help you choose one over the other, depending upon your preferences.

Body style

The bodies of the guitars bear huge differences:

• The SG’s double-cutaway, along with the 20th fret neck-body connection as compared to the 16th fret connection in LP makes the higher frets easier to reach in the SG.
• The SG’s neck meets the body at the last fret, meaning the neck is way longer. This makes the neck more prone to “wobbleness” if you push or pull the neck while playing. In fact you can use this to create a vibrato effect.
• The additional cutaway and the thinner body design makes the SG lighter as well.
• The lack of carved maple-top on the SG reduces the weight further, but not without an effect on its tone.

Weight Redistribution

Because of the slender body with the same neck, SG is a little “neck heavy” in comparison to the Les Paul.

The SG can be considered as a modified, slimmer version of the LP, with its weight redistributed.

Output Jack Location

The SG has its output jack in the front whereas LP’s jack is at the bottom of the body. So, depending upon your playing style, you can choose between the two.

Tonal and Sound Quality

With the pickup, neck, and electronics remaining the same, it’s only the body structure that makes a difference in the tones of the two guitars.

As expected, the slender body of SG gives more depth to the mid-range chords. It also provides a little extra growl under gain. Although the difference is very little, but the crispiness and sharpness in its tone are enough to give SG an edge over the LP when it comes to rock music. The GS has more chime than an LP.

Although the harmonic feedback is higher in SG, it lacks in the depth and warmth of the Les Paul.

Price Difference

While you can find comparable models of the guitars, Les Pauls tend to be more expensive than SGs of similar specs.

Gibson Les Paul Studio and Tribute models are the least expensive authentic Gibson Les Pauls you can buy. They are priced similarly to the Gibson SG Standard.

However, a Gibson Les Paul Classic will cost much more.

• Current prices of all Les Paul models (GuitarCenter ) >>
• Famous Les Paul Guitarists

  Some very popular rock stars from across generations and different parts of the world have used the magic of Les Paul.

  A few artists who’ve created history with their records using this amazing guitar are:

  • Slash
  • Pete Townshend
  • Jimmy Page
  • Joe Perry
  • Billy Gibbons
  • Joe Walsh
  • Ace Frehley
  • Paul McCartney
  • Gary Moore
  • Zaki Wylde
  • and the designer of this guitar, Les Paul himself!

  The list is endless as the innumerable guitarists have played LPs to mesmerize fans.

  Famous SG Guitar Players

  Being much younger, the Gibson SG’s players list isn’t as lengthy as that of the Les Paul. But ever since it broke into the world scene, it has been loved by artists across the world.

  Some of the world’s most successful and noteworthy guitar players have preferred this stylish and sleeker Gibson over its older cousin.

  Here is a list of some of the most famous guitarists who have played memorable scores on the Gibson SG are:

  • Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath
  • Angus Young (AC/DC)
  • Robbie Krieger
  • Derek Trucks
  • Frank Zappa
  • Jerry Garcia
  • Mick Taylor

  Here is a longer list of Gibson players if you’re interested.

  My Verdict

  In my opinion, it’s your personal preferences in handling, the kind of music that you want to play, and the weight that you like that should help you decide which one of the two guitars is better for you.

  I’ve personally played on both the SG as well as the Les Paul. Although the SG has a sharper and crispier tone, I didn’t find a huge difference in the overall effect that the two had on my music.

  It’s important to note that the SG was created by making certain modifications to the body structure of a Les Paul to obtain some weight redistribution and other minor handling changes. Hence, if you’re into playing for long hours night after night, the SG is probably the right choice for you.

  The double-cutaway not only gives SG a stylish appearance, but it also allows you to reach the higher frets much more easily than the Les Paul. The difference is felt when you go beyond the 17th fret, but that again is not too prominent, since you’ll be playing the highest 3 strings up the neck.

  Now that you’ve read this comparison of the Gibson Les Paul vs SG, you should have a faint idea which one would be better for you.

  It would be great if you shared your opinion about the guitars in the comments section below!