First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

Gearjoneser

Gear Ho
Jammed on one of these pelham blue P-90 Les Paul Classics. A little on the heavy side, but looks and sounds very cool. $1999, it may stay on my used guitar radar, because 2 grand is a bit more than I'd pay for it.

Sounded great through the Friedman Dirty Shirley 40, but that amp makes anything sound good.
It has my vote for the most inspiring amp to come out in recent years. $2699
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Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

You should try the Friedman Butterslacks (Bill Kelliher signature model)

No clue why, if anything to make me jealous since chances are I'll never own one and I'll consider myself lucky if I ever PLAY one.
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

Nice looking guitar. Maybe I can pick one up used in a year or two.
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

the black one has my name all over it

I think Gibson weighs their wood and Historics gets the lightest, then Traditionals and Standards, and then the heavier pieces make their way to Classics and Studios.

I really like the sound and feel of the P-90 Classics, but all three I played were around 10.5 lbs.
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

You should try the Friedman Butterslacks (Bill Kelliher signature model)

No clue why, if anything to make me jealous since chances are I'll never own one and I'll consider myself lucky if I ever PLAY one.

The best place to shop for high end gear is the San Fernando Valley Ca, and some of the rare signature stuff remains special order only. The only place to hear some of it is the trade shows like NAMM and the LA Amp Show.

The only signature Friedman I've actually seen in a store is the Steve Stevens model.
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

The idea that Gibson weighs their wood and the lighter wood goes to better line of guitars is quite irritating to me. All of these guitars are expensive by the standards of the global guitar market and all should get the best materials. I think the consensus is that lighter wood is more resonant, and that characterizes classic Gibson sounds from 60s 70s people actually pay for. The luthier I am taking my Traditional to notes each time how heavy that guitar is, and it is wildly heavy. I don't in general have kind feelings towards the company right or wrong, correct me if I am talking with inadequate basis.
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

That guitar is blue. After 45 years of being in the guitar world, one tends to be able to discern such things.

However, this is the internet, and I am certain that someone will point out that internet wisdom will prove that that guitar is actually red.
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

That guitar is blue. After 45 years of being in the guitar world, one tends to be able to discern such things.

However, this is the internet, and I am certain that someone will point out that internet wisdom will prove that that guitar is actually red.

Oh, man... you brought color into it... really?!!

(FWIW, I had a turquoise guitar once that played like an tiger-flame orange, but sounded like a Spruce-topped green, so I KNOW what I'm talking about)

:)


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Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

Is it really blue
I mean really
Is it not just some shade aqua
Or indigo
Could it be like the dress?
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

That guitar is blue. After 45 years of being in the guitar world, one tends to be able to discern such things.

However, this is the internet, and I am certain that someone will point out that internet wisdom will prove that that guitar is actually red.

Oh, man... you brought color into it... really?!!

(FWIW, I had a turquoise guitar once that played like an tiger-flame orange, but sounded like a Spruce-topped green, so I KNOW what I'm talking about)

:)


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You guys are ALL nuts… I've been selling paint for almost 30 years now, and I can tell you most definitely and with authority that that guitar is YELLOW.
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

You guys are ALL nuts… I've been selling paint for almost 30 years now, and I can tell you most definitely and with authority that that guitar is YELLOW.

Oh, there he goes again... yellow, yellow, yellow... everyone knows EVH preferred tangerine...


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Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

I think Gibson weighs their wood and Historics gets the lightest, then Traditionals and Standards, and then the heavier pieces make their way to Classics and Studios.

I really like the sound and feel of the P-90 Classics, but all three I played were around 10.5 lbs.


You think? I don't know? You could be right. I would think the Historics would get the best wood for sure.

A 10.5 LP (or any guitar really) has very little appeal to me these days. Even though I love the black version of that guitar I am more likely to go find a nice Special, I miss my old one. I'd love to find a nice '54 Custom RI, that would check off all the boxes in one shot lol.
 
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Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

I think that Gibson uses the better wood on the cheaper Studios and Tributes. The only "problem" is that they use many pieces of the better wood in those guitars. :bigok:
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

All I know is that a pair of P-90s in a LP is quite simply a recipe for FUN... no matter what color you have!
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

I think that Gibson uses the better wood on the cheaper Studios and Tributes. The only "problem" is that they use many pieces of the better wood in those guitars. :bigok:

There’s really no such thing as “better” wood. These are all mahogany. Les Pauls were always heavy. That includes the guitars made in the 70s.

Also it makes no difference how many pieces of wood the body is made from. They are glued together and will resonate together and ring like a bell when you tap them. I know this from experience. Very few guitars have one piece bodies. It’s almost impossible to find old growth boards that wide and thick.

Then when you consider all the other pieces of wood it takes to make a guitar, you see that it doesn’t matter. They all work as one unit.


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Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

There’s really no such thing as “better” wood. These are all mahogany. Les Pauls were always heavy. That includes the guitars made in the 70s.

Also it makes no difference how many pieces of wood the body is made from. They are glued together and will resonate together and ring like a bell when you tap them. I know this from experience. Very few guitars have one piece bodies. It’s almost impossible to find old growth boards that wide and thick.

Then when you consider all the other pieces of wood it takes to make a guitar, you see that it doesn’t matter. They all work as one unit.


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The Wood is wood is wood debate aside, suffice it to say that you missed the tenor of my post. That's ok though. Lost in translation so to speak. It happens.
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

The Wood is wood is wood debate aside, suffice it to say that you missed the tenor of my post. That's ok though. Lost in translation so to speak. It happens.

I’d think they use what ever wood that comes into the factory. This is the a boutique builder.

Obviously for tops they will pick through them and offer the nicer ones on the more upscale instruments.

I do not have very high opinions of Gibson these days based on working on many of them over the years. The quality has really gone down. I’ve seen chatter marks from a dull cutter on the ebony fretboard on a new LP Custom, and file marks left in the binding on a new gold top. And lack of sanding under the finish.

It’s a sad state of affairs! My old 70’s Deluxe Norlin and ‘81 Standard are much nicer. Even with the pancake body on the Deluxe!


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Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

I am more impressed with the amp. A Dirty Shirley is one awesome machine. I think it is the best sounding amp out there in 20 years.
 
Re: First 2018 Gibson I've played and want

I’d think they use what ever wood that comes into the factory. This is the a boutique builder.

Obviously for tops they will pick through them and offer the nicer ones on the more upscale instruments.

I do not have very high opinions of Gibson these days based on working on many of them over the years. The quality has really gone down. I’ve seen chatter marks from a dull cutter on the ebony fretboard on a new LP Custom, and file marks left in the binding on a new gold top. And lack of sanding under the finish.

It’s a sad state of affairs! My old 70’s Deluxe Norlin and ‘81 Standard are much nicer. Even with the pancake body on the Deluxe!


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It's pretty well known that the body of Gibsons cheaper LP's, Studio and below, have a pretty good probability of being multi piece. There may be some 2 or 3 piece Studios or Tributes shipping out but I'm betting that most are 3+ piece bodies (not counting the cap). My 2013 Tribute has a 5 piece body (not counting the cap) and despite that, it's a real nice example of a sub 1K LP. Even if I didn't own it, I would still agree with your previous comment regarding multi-piece bodies, speaking in general. Here's the thing though ... I have no real idea whether Gibson actually takes small pieces of wood into their factory such that they fully intend to have to glue up 4 or 5 or 6 pieces to make up a blank for a body their less expensive models. That very well could be the case. But I'm thinking that it's more likely that they are using pieces of "scrap" from the higher end guitars to supplement smaller boards. When I say "scrap", I don't mean junk wood, I mean the cut-off's from the higher end guitars. Now, considering how many Studios and Tributes they produce, I doubt that there would be enough "scrap" to make them all. But I have a pretty good feeling that they aren't letting any wood go to waste.
 
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