“You can feel every nuance of the guitar”: Jake Kiszka on what sets SGs apart from other Gibson guitars
First introduced in 1961 – initially as the Les Paul SG – the Gibson SG has since been adopted by guitarists across a wide range of rock subgenres, notably including AC/DC’s Angus Young, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi and more recently, Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet and Mirador.
So besides its rockier looks courtesy of its double-horn body design, what exactly sets the SG apart from other classic Gibson models like the Les Paul, Explorer or Firebird?
READ MORE: Greta Van Fleet guitarist Jake Kiszka says his bandmates are “very critical of guitar things” and have rejected some of his best riffs for the band
According to Jake Kiszka, it’s that its design allows the player to feel “every nuance” of the notes they play.
Asked what a good SG should be in the latest issue of Guitarist magazine, Kiszka explains: “The early ‘60s ones – which were [branded] Les Pauls at first – with the thinner neck are highly microphonic.
“If you tap anywhere on the body and it’s making that sound, it’s just very thin lacquer. Mine’s basically been sanded off [by playwear] entirely.
“So the thing about an SG that differentiates it from other Gibson guitars is that it’s really microphonic, and you can feel every nuance of the guitar.”
Kiszka explains that this nuance is “highly important” to him as he likes to play guitar as if it’s a “full-body thing”.
“I really like to play with my body,” he continues, “and even pulling the neck slightly back and moving things and tapping on it. It’s responding in more than just one way. It’s not just the strings and the connection between that and the pickup.”
While Greta Van Fleet’s sound has been compared extensively to that of Led Zeppelin, Ghost frontman Tobias Forge recently leapt to their defence, urging fans to embrace GVF as the modern-day flag-bearers of rock music.
“I don’t wanna hear anything about Greta Van Fleet now, because I think that their intentions are true,” he insisted. “They just happened to sound like someone else, but that’s not their fault! So, stop it.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
