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Epiphone Prophecy SG
Epiphone SG Custom
VS
Playability
80
Sound
80
Build
63
Value
79
Score
74
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Playability
73
Sound
65
Build
55
Value
69
Score
64
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Show Full Spec Comparison
Epiphone Prophecy SG vs SG Custom Specs Comparison
Epiphone Prophecy SG SG Custom
General
Brand: Epiphone Epiphone
Year: 2020 2020
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: Prophecy Collection Original Collection
Colors: Black, Blue, Red Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany with 1/2 Maple cap Mahogany
Bridge: LockTone Tune-O-Matic LockTone ABR Tune-o-matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Grover Locking Rotomatic Epiphone Deluxe with Ivory Plastic Button
Fretboard: Ebony Ebony
Neck Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Decoration: Block and Triangle; Abalone compliments body color Pearloid Block
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: Asymmetrical Slim Taper Slim Taper
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm) 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.92'' (23.4mm)
Frets: 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: NuBone Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Fishman Fluence Proprietary (Humbucker / Active) Alnico Classic PRO (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fishman Fluence Proprietary (Humbucker / Active) Alnico Classic PRO (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Bell
Pickup Mods: Coil Split, Multi-Voicing None
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 1 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Epiphone Prophecy SG pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Epiphone Prophecy SG's switch options
Epiphone SG Custom pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Epiphone SG Custom's switch options

Reasons to Get
Epiphone Prophecy SG over SG Custom

Decorative Top
Flame Maple Veneer vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Asymmetrical Slim Taper vs Slim Taper
Adapts to the natural shape of your hand
Pickups Brand
Fishman vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Pickup Mods
Multiple vs None
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.9'' (22.9mm) vs 0.92'' (23.4mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Pickups Power
Active vs Passive
More output
Value Score
79 vs 69
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Epiphone SG Custom over Prophecy SG

Number of Frets
22 vs 24
Warmer neck pickup
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Slim Taper vs Asymmetrical Slim Taper
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.92'' (23.4mm) vs 0.9'' (22.9mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Pickups Power
Passive vs Active
Cleaner sound and no battery needed

Other Key Differences
Epiphone Prophecy SG vs SG Custom

Bridge Pickup
Fishman Fluence Proprietary vs Alnico Classic PRO
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fishman Fluence Proprietary vs Alnico Classic PRO
Different Neck Pickup
Nut Material
NuBone vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Epiphone Prophecy SG vs SG Custom

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm)
Same neck comfortability
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

Epiphone Prophecy SG Prices

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .

Epiphone Prophecy SG:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Epiphone SG Custom:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Epiphone Prophecy SG meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Epiphone SG Custom meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Epiphone Prophecy SG
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Epiphone SG Custom
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

The Epiphone Prophecy SG has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Epiphone SG Custom. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Heavy Metal and similar genres.

The Epiphone Prophecy SG's pickups are Active while the Epiphone SG Custom's are Passive.

Passive pickups are what most guitars use. These have a normal output that works well for most genres. However, Active pickups are the preferred choice of heavy metal players because they offer extra output thanks to their 9v battery, which results in a heavier, more distorted sound. Bear in mind that achieving a completely clean tone with them won't be easy. So if you want to also use clean tones, you might want to avoid Active pickups.

Winner: Epiphone Prophecy SG.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Epiphone Prophecy SG comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split, Multi-Voicing.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Epiphone Prophecy SG.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Epiphone Prophecy SG
Pickups 85
Sustain 90
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 80
Epiphone SG Custom
Pickups 60
Sustain 75
Versatility 53
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 65

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Epiphone Prophecy SG compares to the Epiphone SG Custom.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in China.

China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Epiphone Prophecy SG has a NuBone nut. It's made by the same company that makes TUSQ nuts. It's slightly softer but hard enough to give you a brighter sound when playing open strings. It's also self-lubricating, so it's good for tuning stability.

On the other hand, the Epiphone SG Custom comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

The Epiphone Prophecy SG has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: Epiphone Prophecy SG.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Epiphone Prophecy SG
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • NuBone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split, Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in China
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Epiphone SG Custom
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Epiphone Prophecy SG
Quality of materials 63
Features 65
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 63
Epiphone SG Custom
Quality of materials 56
Features 50
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 55

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Epiphone Prophecy SG Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 43mm (1.693'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Epiphone Prophecy SG and Epiphone SG Custom's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Epiphone Prophecy SG Neck Profile
Epiphone Prophecy SG's neck profile
Epiphone SG Custom Neck Profile
Epiphone SG Custom's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Epiphone Prophecy SG has a Asymmetrical type of neck. Even though this neck shape looks like a poorly-made job, it's, in fact, the neck that most naturally adapts to the arc of your hand when grabbing a guitar neck. You'll notice that the lower part of your palm makes a more pronounced, deeper curve while the upper part makes a more subtle arch. This is the shape that adapts the best to that natural arch your hand makes while playing.

The Epiphone SG Custom, on the other hand, has a C neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Epiphone Prophecy SG Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Epiphone Prophecy SG and the Epiphone SG Custom have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

Fret Size

Epiphone Prophecy SG Frets Size
Epiphone Prophecy SG's Frets Size
Epiphone SG Custom Frets Size
Epiphone SG Custom's Frets Size

The Epiphone Prophecy SG has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Epiphone SG Custom's Medium Jumbo frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Epiphone Prophecy SG
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 80
Epiphone SG Custom
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73