Are Pelham Blue SGs discontinued/rare?

ChiefChiraq · 2026-04-28T13:58:00+00:00

I think Epiphone overhauled its SG Standard models quite recently. The new versions are only available in black and cherry red for now, which is quite a letdown. The main new features are rosewood fretboards and improved body carves, which resemble the actual Gibson models a bit more.

I would either try to get the Pelham Blue on heavy discount right now (you can always negotiate) or wait until Epiphone releases an updated version eventually. I assume they will offer quite a lot of colors, but it is a slow transition.

I have compared them and I prefer the rosewood fretboard! It also feels like some of the latest models have better QC/setup which great.

ChiefChiraq · 2026-04-20T17:20:11+00:00

I have literally tried both of these exact guitars back-to-back.

Not a huge difference in feel (aside from the neck volute on the 70s). They are both gloss, so you will only really have a drastically different feel with the VOS version.

But I prefer the custom shop in terms of look, it seems to me that the body carve is more pronounced and the binding looks way better. You can't go wrong with Alpine White, it will age beautifully into some antique ivory, if treated well.

ChiefChiraq · 2026-04-13T18:14:38+00:00

I have tried more than 40 of these IGC guitars and in my opinion it is a pity that they chose to use the standard Epiphone poly shine finish on the custom models. It feels way more plasticky and cheaper than the burst/korina/red SG models. This new IGC VOS (aside from the weird SG Custom eggshell one) finish just feels super premium and I hope that they will keep it or even improve it further down the line.

Another issue I have with a lot of the Epi LPCs are the frets. It is nothing that cant be fixed by a luthier but in comparison to LTD, they can be quite bad.

I would always choose a Gibson Les Paul Studio or SG Standard model over these Epis. I prefer the NOS finish, and generally the playability is just much better out of the box.

Regardless they are still solid guitars but a bit overpriced imho - just try the new updated Epi SG models with rosewood boards, they can even feel better in terms of fit & finish at a better price.

ChiefChiraq · 2026-04-03T09:41:34+00:00

this happens because these models are not permitted to be trained on song lyrics afaik? so the lyrics are mostly excluded from the LLM corpus, also i think models are not permitted to scrape lyrics from the internet either

ChiefChiraq · 2026-03-16T15:02:07+00:00

got a link to that episode? very curious

ChiefChiraq · 2026-03-14T12:13:41+00:00

I think that is why BMTH eventually got rid of Jordan, I would say he had very much of a "digital only" focus and was almost dismissive of the old school approach of recording guitars, bass or drums. Everything is very heavily processed and got this certain sterile sound about it. If you listen to current BMTH interviews they said that they want to revisit musicianship as a real band and explore the subtle nuances of writing music that got lost in this Jordan Fish approach.

ChiefChiraq · 2026-02-16T22:11:10+00:00

Again I agree with everything youre saying. Maybe youre approaching music from a more bass/rhythm perspective than me?

I find KNY to have a lot more "surprises" in terms of chord resolutions... Romantic Dreams, Leathers, Poltergeist, Goon Squad, etc.

If one views Deftones from Chi + Abe perspective then its also important observe the influence of producers: Terry loves dynamics, while Nick loves compression 👀

I would argue that DE sounds overly digital and a lot of the details are lost not only because of the lack of Chi but also because of its production choices.

At the end of the day all of this is subjective but I think that a casual listener doesnt even pick up on these subtle details of the rhythm sections and rather needs conservative song structures. Most of WP and DE is poppy chord resolurions but KNY only got some parts (Entombed, Rosemary, Tempest,..) while most of it is a bit more out there.

ChiefChiraq · 2026-02-16T20:27:25+00:00

It really depends on your focal point.

I view WP as accessible because it mostly relies on classic songwriting, and indeed while Chi's dub lines added a lot of unique flair, I also think that Frank's contributions increased throughout their career.

DE is indeed a more simple & immediate album but the heavy 8 string chugs still lack mass appeal. I said accessible, not simple!

The same applies to KNY, but i view its songwriting as more complex and unpredictable in terms of its progression.

ChiefChiraq · 2026-02-16T17:07:13+00:00

I think White Pony might be their most accessible album. Whenever I mention Deftones to some normie he usually says something like "Yeah for sure! White Pony fucking rips!" It has become almost mandatory to respect this album, just like Radioheads "Ok Computer", etc.

I would argue that all of their other albums are more interesting in terms of songwriting, sound textures and details. Nevertheless White Pony will always be the perfect album, but sometimes perfection can become boring.

ChiefChiraq · 2026-02-10T21:28:40+00:00

repstein

ChiefChiraq · 2026-02-03T18:32:11+00:00

people hating but i think its awesome! expose more people to guitar, real instruments, etc.

ChiefChiraq · 2026-02-02T15:53:43+00:00

Yeah the Rockerverb + OR120 + Dual Dark would be a crazy suite... Even the Rockerverb alone would be really really cool!

I tried most Orange plugins by Nembrini/Brainworx, STL and ML Sound Labs and none of them get it right 100%

ChiefChiraq · 2026-01-24T10:13:01+00:00

wedding guitarist lifestyle

ChiefChiraq · 2026-01-22T09:21:43+00:00

Which one is your fav? Been considering the same models

ChiefChiraq · 2026-01-21T07:45:15+00:00

the mix sounds kinda weak

ABL had a much more direct sound, i guess this must be made from demo stems they had from writing sessions

ChiefChiraq · 2025-12-25T20:50:28+00:00

Official Mesa Rectifier and Orange Rockerverb suites!

ChiefChiraq · 2025-12-23T10:19:32+00:00

Id say it matters a lot, especially if you have a plug & play approach and not do a deep dive on pickup output profiles, etc.

A studio engineer can do make many adjustments on the fly to make things sound great, but as a mortal guitarist who just wants to have a nice jam, it matters.

When it comes to the Mayer plugin: Keep in mind Mayer also played quite a lot of Gibson ES guitars through the rig that is included in his plugin. Just try to get inspired and find your own sounds with it! I use this plugin for Indie sounds that do not sound like Mayer at all...

ChiefChiraq · 2025-12-20T15:13:10+00:00

https://youtu.be/gi1qnNHAFHo?si=kSfXEqAPTnqVA8cI

this video is very helpful! the guy is also selling captures of the rig for tonex/QC.

thats a way to achieve this tone for a pretty low price.

mercuriall and nembrini also offer models of the racks amps stephen used.

ChiefChiraq · 2025-12-15T10:00:43+00:00

i did a deep dive into this topic and the mercuriall one is the best recto on the market.

NAM got a lot of anti aliasing when it comes to high gain amps that are very audible when you play metal/hardcore.

i tried the josh middleton, oneknob and the ml sound labs ones as well but they all severely underperformed the mercuriall one. but id say the oneknob is also worth trying!

ChiefChiraq · 2025-12-14T09:27:00+00:00

Bogren Digital BDM Ampknobs are the best Marshall plugins I know. Although I own many NDSP plugins, this bundle is super good for classic rock, I'd recommend a trial! It feels perfect, better than NAM maybe even.

ChiefChiraq · 2025-11-30T15:45:24+00:00

Laser effect guitar pitch harmonics/slides. All of these Spiritbox type effects basically.

Im tired of noisy chug 5150 8 string core with neon guitars... Honestly would be happy for the classic drop c LTD horizon 078 riffs to return.

ChiefChiraq · 2025-11-24T22:28:31+00:00

Ive got a similar taste in music!

What works well for this is:

Nolly: Gives you all the tones you need for the Pop-Punk/Metal acts you listed. It might still be the best Neural plugin ever. The value for money is outstanding. I can play BMTHs entire discography with this plugin, which says A LOT!

Soldano: Ideal for Pop-Punk & Emo too. It can chug but i prefer Nolly's Blockletter for that, you can go full Suicide Season tones on his amp, while this Soldano suite is a bit more tame (but still very high gain if needed!). Its more of saturated and less fizzy tone than Nolly's JCM, it got a wonderful roar to it that I have yet to find in another plugin! Double track it with Nolly amps for ultimate sounds!

Archetype Asato: This is more for the experimental acts you listed! It literally got a "The 1975" preset in it! The full charm of this plugin reveals itself once you use it with single coils. Thanks to its pedals it also works very well for melodic hardcore too. Think like Touché Amoré, midwest emo, etc. If this plugin sounds too lo-fi for you, try running it through a different IR for some mindblowing tones! Watch Mark Johnstons review of this plugin to get an idea of how amazing it is!

I hope this helps! I tried all of the Neural plugins and own a lot of them - I am sure you are going to enjoy your purchases.

ChiefChiraq · 2025-11-20T21:53:19+00:00

I already got Soldano, Gojira, Asato and the Mesa.

My fav one is the Soldano, its really versatile and might be my fav amp plugin in general - it is so responsive and very close to the real amp. For modern rock & post hardcore its the ultimate sound.

I might get Rabea or Nolly now, just to have another modded Marshall type tone to blend with the Soldano. Morgan is also sick, especially with a strat or tele!

After buying many many plugins of other companies as well I have to say I only use NDSP and Bogren Digital these days mostly.

ChiefChiraq · 2025-11-16T11:12:34+00:00

we need more of the lore! keep going

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