Gibson 2016 SG Faded T Electric Guitar (with Gig Bag)
The Gibson 2016 SG Faded T is stripped down, with a distinctive worn finish and a pair of Alnico humbuckers for a traditional look and tone you'll love.
Overall User Ratings (based on 4 ratings)
Submitted January 22, 2016 by Steve F in Sebastopol, CA
"Gibson SG Faded T "Great Guitar-Great Price""
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zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I always wanted an American Made Gibson SG Guitar. For me there was always an excuse not to purchase one; cost, not playing good enough to own one etc. So I always have owned foreign made Guitars. However now that I am at the "Bucket-List" age, I purchased this Guitar. It arrived on schedule, securely packed in an generic outer shipping box as it was placed on our front porch in plain view. Unpacking and viewing it was a treat as this was the 1st. Gibson I have owned. I tuned it up, adjusted the intonation and fired it up. Right off the bat the "B" string came out of the groove in the Nut. I inspected the groove with a magnifying glass and notice manufacturing residue. I carefully cleaned it out, then resumed taking it for a ride. Granted I have owned it for about a month, the Guitar is fantastic and has made me a better Player. "Great Guitar-Great Price."
Sound
The out of box sound is off the charts for me, whether playing soft & quiet or cranking it up, the transition is smooth & effective. I play through a Fender Twin & a Marshall in tandem through a Boss ME-70 combo switch box, which I will be replacing with individual boxes throughout this year.
Features
It's a total package. The Products used to construct are top of the line for its Price Range.
Ease of Use
This Guitar out of the box was a joy to play the very 1st. time and continues to be so.
The weight was the 1st. noticeable factor, the neck fit perfect in my hand and the control locations were easy to get used to.
Quality
Only have had it for a Month, so time will tell. So far after a close inspection & playing it, all is good.
Value
"Great Guitar-Great Price" Can't say more then that!
Manufacturer Support
No need to as of yet.
The Wow Factor
Give it 5 Stars. Couldn't be happier with it.
Musical Background:
Recreational Guitarist & Drummer Player since the mid 60's.
Musical Style:
Rock, Blues & Rockabilly.
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Submitted April 27, 2016 by Josh Brown in Sacramento, CA
"2016 Gibson SG of the year!"
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zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Well...Thank God Gibson figured out the mistakes of 2015 and came roaring back for us traditionalists in 2016. OK, to this guitar. I spent the last 2 months trying all the SG's offered this year. All of them were great, but I kept coming back to this model. Something about the almost non existing finish that just lets the tone pour through. It feels and sounds right through all the right spots and angles. Sound is just unbeatable and dynamic. I found it strange that the cheapest SG 7 in the line up would have this magic. I really do equate it to it being a simple design. It will need to be set up, but if you are a serious guitarist, then you should know that complete magic only happens after a bridge and intonation job by a luthier. That being said, this guitar is going to become your work horse... its just that damn good. I could go on and on........ but instead, I'm giving it 5 stars across the board. Dont sit on the fence, get one.
Musical Background:
I've played music all my life from instruments as varied as bagpipes to Indian Sitar.
Musical Style:
Classic, Prog, Rebel Rock, Reggae, Jazz, Deep Hip-Hop
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Submitted November 13, 2015 by Glenn L in New York, NY
"Perfect in everyway"
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It exceeded all expectations. Plays beautifully right out of the box. If you are looking for that classic late sixties British blues or Southern rock tone buy this guitar. The playability is really amazing. Fit and finish on all the parts are perfect and the Faded finish looks great.
Musical Background:
I have been playing and Jamming since I was a kid.
Musical Style:
Blues, Folk, Bluegrass
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Submitted April 30, 2017 by Robert Herndon in San Bernardino, CA
"A Love-Hate Relationship - Gibson Can Do Much Better:"
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zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I bought my first new Gibson SG in 2004 (Serial #03023435). I had problems with squealing, unpotted pickups, and a faint buzz that was always present, regardless of amp/cable used, and I didn't keep it long. I bought this 2016 Gibson SG T Series in September 2016 from zZounds, specifically for the "clubby" 50's neck profile. Upon arrival, the neck set angle was way off the Gibson spec of 4.25°and the strings were bowed against the tailpiece. The 490T/490R pickups were noisy and the guitar would pick up a local AM radio station that no other guitar, using the same cable and amplifier, exhibited. I used a Faber Locking Tailpiece with shims to elevate the tailpiece enough to clear the bridge, which took about 1/2" of shims. The sustain of this guitar was excellent and the tuning stability very good - these are the only reasons I did not send it back. I had to remove the printed circuit board and used 9 feet of 2" copper tape to fully shield the guitar. I installed a Tone Man vintage wire harness with K40Y tone capacitors. Even then, the 490T/490R buzzed, so I replaced them with a set of Gibson 57 Classic, which were also noisy in multiple environments, amps and cables. I finally threw in a set of GFS Classic II's (7.93k bridge and 7.88k neck) and the noise stopped. So, after purchasing the SG for $800, I spent another $250 in upgrades solely to quiet it down enough that I could use it in the studio. There is now nothing Gibson in the guitar from an electrical standpoint. Gibson is better than this. My 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom is proof positive that Gibson is capable of better attention to detail. People would argue that this is an entry-level Gibson, but other manufacturers guitars, costing hundreds of dollars less, do not have these issues. I should have sent it back immediately, but the sustain and unplugged volume led me to keep it and fix the problems with it. I am quite sure this guitar slipped through the cracks and I would like to think this is not an everyday occurrence with Gibson, but if you read the reviews, you will find that there are more than a few people having problems like this with an American made Gibson. It's completely unacceptable...
Sound
The basic tone of the 490T/490R was good and I have several videos posted on You Tube of this guitar. Do a You Tube search for "Gibson SG Lead Tone" to hear this guitar in totally stock condition. The biggest problem was the constant buzzing. The pickups would also buzz even louder if you touched them. The bridge ground was verified. I ended up changing out all the electronics, including the Gibson pickups to get rid of the noise.
Features
The Gibson Deluxe Green Keys are fabulous tuners. I love the "clubby" neck and wider string spacing of the 50's rounded profile, as I wear size 14 gloves. The finish is pleasing and the guitar has excellent grain structure. The Nashville bridge is not as easy to intonate as the ABR-1, but it's useable.
Ease of Use
Again, the tone from the 490's was very good and very balanced, but the "white noise" was unacceptable because I bought this guitar to record with first and foremost. Lightweight, good tone and easy to fret notes on. Ironically, my 12 year old daughter, with very small hands, plays it quite comfortably.
Quality
From a construction standpoint, the guitar was very well made, despite a huge error in the neck set angle, which was closer to 8.0° than the Gibson specification of 4.25° set angle. The frets were well leveled and the edges were smooth from the 1st to 12th fret, with a little more rough fret edges being prevalent from the 13th fret upwards.
Value
I will try to be fair in my response. I paid $800 for this guitar which required $250 worth of immediate work to make it useful as a recording guitar. It would have probably been OK as-is in a garage band, but not in the studio. In comparison, a PRS SE 245 at $659.00 has better fret edge finish, better action and noise free electronics. What's up with that, Gibson???
Manufacturer Support
I contacted Gibson and they suggested I return it and buy an HP model, stating that "Gibson customers expect traditional assembly methods and the more modern HP would likely have fewer issues." That did not address the problems I experienced at all. I also sent them the emails I exchanged with Gibson's Nicholas Chemsak in 2004 which detailed the exact same problems I had with my 2016 Gibson SG
The Wow Factor
It's a classic looking SG that appears much older than it really is. The "wow factor" really doesn't apply to the professional musician.
Musical Background:
Studio Musician, BMI Recording Artist
Musical Style:
All Styles, Heavy Blues a Specialty, Full-time bassist in a SoCal Blues Band.
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