Mar 28

Comparing 3 SG Guitars: Epiphone Special vs Epiphone Standard vs Gibson Standard — Landon Media Inc.

Guitars · Dec 1, 2021 · Written By Landon Bailey

Comparing 3 SG Guitars: Epiphone Special vs Epiphone Standard vs Gibson Standard

🎸 $200 vs $500 vs $2,000

The SG is one of the most iconic guitar shapes in rock history — favoured by Tony Iommi, Angus Young, and Derek Trucks. But do you need to spend Gibson money to get that SG sound? Or can an Epiphone get you there for a fraction of the price?

Landon puts three SG-style guitars side by side — from the budget-friendly Epiphone SG Special at around $200, to the mid-range Epiphone SG Standard at around $500, all the way up to the Gibson SG Standard at $2,000+ — and runs them through a full blind tone challenge, spec comparison, and the legendary neck dive test.

The results? The comment section says it best: "The Epiphone Standard sounds the best." 630 likes on that comment alone.

        📊 The Numbers
        399K views · 8,000 likes · 1,116 comments. The blind tone challenge generated a huge response — most viewers guessed the Epiphone Standard as their favourite sound, placing above the Gibson in perceived tone quality.
      

        🎵 The Blind Tone Challenge Spoiler
        Without seeing price tags, viewers consistently favoured the Epiphone SG Standard's tone in the clean and dirty tests. The Gibson's pickups still impressed, but the price gap vs perceived tone difference is the real story here.
      

🎸 The Three Contestants

~$200 USD

Epiphone SG Special Satin E1

The entry point. A no-frills SG with a satin finish, open-coil humbuckers, and that unmistakeable double-cutaway body shape. The tuners are... memorable. But the playability impresses for the price, and it takes pedals surprisingly well.

~$500 USD

Epiphone SG Standard (Inspired by Gibson)

The sweet spot. The Inspired by Gibson series brought significant upgrades — ProBucker pickups, improved hardware, locking tuners on some models, and a fit and finish that genuinely embarrasses the price tag. The fan favourite in the blind tone test.

~$2,000 USD

Gibson SG Standard

The real deal. Made in Nashville, with 490R/490T humbuckers, a nitrocellulose lacquer finish, and genuine Gibson quality control. This is the benchmark — the guitar every other SG is measured against. The question is whether the tone gap justifies the price gap.

🔬 Spec Comparison

Spec	Epiphone SG Special	Epiphone SG Standard	Gibson SG Standard
Body	Mahogany-style	Mahogany	Mahogany
Neck	Mahogany, C-profile	Mahogany, SlimTaper D	Mahogany, SlimTaper D
Fingerboard	Indian Laurel	Indian Laurel	Rosewood
Frets	22	22	22
Pickups	Open-coil Humbuckers	ProBucker-2 & ProBucker-3	490R & 490T Alnico II
Tuners	Standard (budget)	Grover Rotomatic	Kluson Waffle
Bridge	LockTone Tune-o-matic	LockTone Tune-o-matic	Tune-o-matic
Finish	Satin	Gloss	Nitrocellulose Gloss
Made In	China	China	USA (Nashville)
Price	~$200	~$500	~$2,000+