Gibson SG Faded Review – A Top Notch Electric Guitar

This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read More

Gibson’s SG series is one of the most iconic series in the history of Rock n Roll, with its distinctive body shape, and amazing set of pickups that have produced one of the best sounds in the history of the instrument. It holds the number 3 spot on our list of the best electric guitars under $1000.

It has risen to prominence in the 1969 Woodstock music festival when it was played in the hands of the living legend Carlos Santana, and the rest is history. Gibson SG Faded has been apparent through the years in Gibson’s lineup and its most recent model is reminiscent of the guitars produced in the 70s, with a light body, thin neck, interesting styling, and perfect vibes.

It has an affordable price tag of under $1000 and I think it is a bargain for a Gibson SG.

There are not a lot of guitarists out there that are not fans of the Gibson SG design, that looks a little devilish and slick, but still raw and natural in my opinion. It has a distinct double-cutaway body shape with a flatter wide base and beautiful finish.

The Gibson SG Faded features a mahogany tonewood that is very lightweight and comfortable in true SG fashion. The body has a traditional nitro finish that looks pretty vintage and marvelous, it gives the guitar the classy and retro look that simply couldn’t be achieved with the glossy polyurethane that is used today.

The Gibson SG Faded is available in multiple paint jobs such as Worn Brown, Heritage Cherry, and Worn Bourbon that is the most classic in my opinion. This guitar features a maple neck with the Slim Taper profile with 24.75-inches scale length, it is extremely playable and one of the thinnest neck you will find on the market, if you are used to thick necks this will be a joy to play on. It rocks a rosewood fretboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets that are cryogenically treated for extreme playability.

Overall, I can say that this is one of the lightest solid body guitars I have ever played, plus the balance between the body and the neck is perfect in every sense.

I found the Gibson SG Faded’s hardware standard but pretty useful, stable and very lightweight. It features an aluminum Tune-o-Matic bridge and stop bar tailpiece, nickel plating, and vintage-style Keystone tuning machines. I found that this layout kept the guitar in tune for a long time and was very reliable.

To provide the excellent trademark Gibson SG sound, this guitar utilizes 490R humbucker pickup at the neck and a 490T humbucker pickup at the bridge position, they connect to three-way pickup selector switch, 2 volume knobs for each pickup, and 2 tone knobs for each pickup. The knobs are part of the design too, featuring a black top hat styling to go with the overall vibe.

You will notice the sound difference the Gibson SG Faded makes right from the first strumming, it delivers its distinctive vibe and feels. The output is warm and very flexible, achieving a bright sound without becoming annoying, simply put classic SG.
It is the way to go if you want to explore the tonality of the SG series.

Gibson SG Faded

9.2

Quality

9.0/10

Value

9.5/10

Sound

9.0/10

Pros

  • Great Value
  • Impressive Sound
  • Great Playability

Cons

  • Might Require Tuning

Whether you want to learn about guitars, guitar equipment or other instruments, Guitarsquid has all the answers.