Has anyone played a Epiphone SG-400 ?

[holgaguy]

... if you have, did you like it and how does it compare to a real Gibson SG Standard?

I would like to replace my 61 SG as a giging guitar.

[7turns]

I just picked up a VG cond. used g-400 deluxe. The stock pickups are pretty tinny...in an already thinner sounding platform. The neck measured 8.7k and the bridge 14.4k. I've been messing around with SD '59n in this guitar. I think it sounded better in the bridge than the neck ( this '59n is 7.6k, close to the specs of Pro II APH-1B). In the neck it's clean and defined and not too bassy in this particular guitar. I want to try some Alinco 2 pickups in this guitar of some variety (seth, APH-1, 490R, 57classic, PGn) that might give less clarity (more Allman brothers sounding). The original neck pickup ain't that bad for the money. Some say good things about replacing the A5 with an A2 in the '59s on the SD forum.
If your going to play most lead stuff just tone up the bridge position with a quality pickup. Maybe a slightly larger cap ( .03 or .05 ) would help tone up the bridge as well. The pots could probably stand a replacing with better quality, but thats the last step I want to take.

I think the switch just went out in the lead position. The g and b strings catch in the nut and need a little help to keep this thing in tune.
The neck has more of a U shape than a C shape so fills my hand a little more eventhough it's not the thickest profile, but it does seem thicker than the necks on the faded SGs.
This guitar came with grover romantics. The gotoh tune-o-matic replacment fits the g-400 models from my asking around.
So these epi's need a little TLC before you'll like how it plays or sounds. But from what I've read out there with a little cash you can turn them into good guitars.

Just a few observations....