On the bench - Banker Flying V

[ICTGoober]

The owner is going to hit the builder up for a single ply truss rod cover.....Should be an improvement.

[NegativeEase]

If you go to the guys website you'd find that's what he used to be....

Yeah, Matt's been full time Guitar making only for maybe almost 1.5 years (can't remember but we celebrated that night) -so the quality and focus has been improved greatly with his guitars

[ICTGoober]

Oh. I thought banker was a reference to the owners occupation.

If you go to the guys website you'd find that's what he used to be....

[NegativeEase]

I was just jesting. I'd do an Explorer or Flying V any day. To be honest, the lower end of the Gibson range is where the value is. It's when you spend $3K+ only to realize that you got the same quality as a $1500 guitar that drives me nuts with Gibson.

Agreed 100%. with regards to most Gibson Solid Body guitars, you are gaining vestigial style appointments and prestige (not sound or core functionality) with Gibsons once you cross 1500.00 in their line, with semis and hollows that number is a bit higher.

[Masta' C]

I bought an Explorer for $1,260 on model-year clearance a few years ago. It is a brilliant guitar.

I was just jesting. I'd do an Explorer or Flying V any day. To be honest, the lower end of the Gibson range is where the value is. It's when you spend $3K+ only to realize that you got the same quality as a $1500 guitar that drives me nuts with Gibson.

[NegativeEase]

Why would anyone consider a $1500 Gibson an option?

Before getting any discussion on functional guitar details,

I'd say here are 3 common reasons before even talking about the actual guitar

• resale/investment value considerations.
• a prestige purchase (see worship player thread.... I kid I kid)
• fulfilling a daydream of one day owning a Gibson instead of an approximation or alternate.

[NegativeEase]

Call it badge snobbery or whatever you want, but I have really liked a lot of Gibsons in that price range.

I think the 1k to 1500 range is where the most Gibson are worth it honestly.

[ThreeChordWonder]

If you could spend $650 on an Epi + $200 on
pickups and easily get an instrument as good as the $5,000 Gibson, why would you consider the $1,500 Gibson an option?

For the tuners are hum canceling puckguard screws, obviously...

Nah, just badge snobbery.

[Masta' C]

If you could spend $650 on an Epi + $200 on
pickups and easily get an instrument as good as the $5,000 Gibson, why would you consider the $1,500 Gibson an option?

Why would anyone consider a $1500 Gibson an option?

[NegativeEase]

Hate to hear that, That looks like a pretty old Banker -maybe it sat at CME for a while before purchase, Matt's guitar's coming out now are much better.

I've played a lot of the new ones before he sells distributes or sells them.

[nexion218]

Man next time dim the lights when making pics, will ya? Those frets shine so bright on the 2nd pic it hurt my eyes!

[ICTGoober]

For those who don't remember, Banker is the first authorized Gibson custom shop maker.
And so far, I'm not impressed. The maker is a novice, but not an idiot. There are cosmetic glitches, and some lazy workmanship - but overall, it's not a horrible instrument. It plays nice now and sounds pretty good. The pickups are some boutique maker I never heard of.

[ThreeChordWonder]

I've always hankered after a Flying V (and a long blonde wig).

But right now I can neither afford nor justify an Epiphone, let alone the $5000 string through body Gibson I really want.

People are asking crazy prices even for beat up examples too.

There's an Epiphone on GC for $400 that needs a repspray, at least, and a husk on eBay for $400 with a (badly) repaired headstock crack.

For that kind of money, I'd just buy the Epiphone one new, which is string-through and has a proper set neck (unlike previous years bolt-ons). Spend $650 on the Epi and another $200 on SD pickups and you've easily got as good an instrument as the $5000 Gibson, or just spend $1500 on the basic Gibson with the standard stop tail bridge.

[idsnowdog]

I'm a bit confused. It doesn't look like a cheaply made guitar so why were so many things wrong with it? If it was a homebuilt guitar where they were fabricating most things from scratch you could understand it. But if a luthier actually built this their QC is crap.

[Mincer]

Sounds like an expensive repair!