INCOMING!!!!!
- Thread starter Wattage
- Start date
Wattage
High Voltologist
I don't normally go into a lot of detail on these things but snow day so....
After living with it for a few days, I can safely say I’m in love with this guitar (no kidding lol). There are so many things it gets right, with only a couple of areas that could be a little better.
The guitar weighs 6 lb 10 oz and is really comfortable — surprisingly well balanced for an SG. The 60’s Burstbuckers are very good; they lean a little to the brighter side, but they’re well matched. The neck reads 7.63k and the bridge 7.70k. The guts are Gibson 500k pots with OD 223 caps (very neatly wired), plus a Switchcraft jack and switch.
Hardware is straightforward: an Advanced Plating lightweight tailpiece and a wireless ABR‑1. Both are exactly what you’d expect on a new Gibby, and I definitely appreciate the wireless bridge. The tuners are standard Gibson Deluxe with keystone buttons — so far, so good, and we’ll see how they hold up over time. I also love that Gibson finally put usable strap buttons on a guitar. The tiny traditional ones are basically worthless; these are more in line with the D’Addario/Planet Waves brass end pins. I prefer not to use strap locks unless I have to. Plastics are typical Gibson fare, as are the reflector knobs.
The rosewood board is a nice piece — a little greyish in color, but with some attractive streaking. The vintage fret wire is well done with a decent polish, and the inlays are extremely clean with no obvious filler. The nut was cut well too. The fretboard did have a few rough spots, which felt odd considering how well the rest of the neck was finished. I’m chalking that up to the board being a bit dry when it arrived; it was easy to fix, but it’s something Gibson could’ve handled better at the factory.
No fitment issues anywhere, which I’m very happy about. The only real letdown is a bit of orange peel on the beveled sections. It looks like they didn’t cut the finish coat enough before the final buff. It’s limited to a few areas — the headstock, neck, and flat parts of the body are nearly perfect — so it feels like they just dropped the ball a bit there. I love the guitar, though, and I’ll probably take care of that myself at some point.
I really prefer the Standard ’61 to the large‑guard Standard — mostly the small guard and the way the neck comes off the body — but I also definitely prefer the BB pickups over the 490 set.
So yeah, other than some orange peel in the bevels and a few rough spots on the board, I think they absolutely killed it on this one. The TV finish looks fantastic IMO; I love the color. I’m vibing with it big time. I smoothed out the rough spots, put on a set of 9.5–44s, and it set up perfectly. The case is great too — the new latches are light‑years ahead of the old style.
The only mods I see myself doing are small‑font reflector knobs and a wide‑bevel 5‑ply guard. Can’t expect it to stay totally stock lol
After living with it for a few days, I can safely say I’m in love with this guitar (no kidding lol). There are so many things it gets right, with only a couple of areas that could be a little better.
The guitar weighs 6 lb 10 oz and is really comfortable — surprisingly well balanced for an SG. The 60’s Burstbuckers are very good; they lean a little to the brighter side, but they’re well matched. The neck reads 7.63k and the bridge 7.70k. The guts are Gibson 500k pots with OD 223 caps (very neatly wired), plus a Switchcraft jack and switch.
Hardware is straightforward: an Advanced Plating lightweight tailpiece and a wireless ABR‑1. Both are exactly what you’d expect on a new Gibby, and I definitely appreciate the wireless bridge. The tuners are standard Gibson Deluxe with keystone buttons — so far, so good, and we’ll see how they hold up over time. I also love that Gibson finally put usable strap buttons on a guitar. The tiny traditional ones are basically worthless; these are more in line with the D’Addario/Planet Waves brass end pins. I prefer not to use strap locks unless I have to. Plastics are typical Gibson fare, as are the reflector knobs.
The rosewood board is a nice piece — a little greyish in color, but with some attractive streaking. The vintage fret wire is well done with a decent polish, and the inlays are extremely clean with no obvious filler. The nut was cut well too. The fretboard did have a few rough spots, which felt odd considering how well the rest of the neck was finished. I’m chalking that up to the board being a bit dry when it arrived; it was easy to fix, but it’s something Gibson could’ve handled better at the factory.
No fitment issues anywhere, which I’m very happy about. The only real letdown is a bit of orange peel on the beveled sections. It looks like they didn’t cut the finish coat enough before the final buff. It’s limited to a few areas — the headstock, neck, and flat parts of the body are nearly perfect — so it feels like they just dropped the ball a bit there. I love the guitar, though, and I’ll probably take care of that myself at some point.
I really prefer the Standard ’61 to the large‑guard Standard — mostly the small guard and the way the neck comes off the body — but I also definitely prefer the BB pickups over the 490 set.
So yeah, other than some orange peel in the bevels and a few rough spots on the board, I think they absolutely killed it on this one. The TV finish looks fantastic IMO; I love the color. I’m vibing with it big time. I smoothed out the rough spots, put on a set of 9.5–44s, and it set up perfectly. The case is great too — the new latches are light‑years ahead of the old style.
The only mods I see myself doing are small‑font reflector knobs and a wide‑bevel 5‑ply guard. Can’t expect it to stay totally stock lol
Ashurbanipal
Well-known member
Going the Laura Cox route, eh 
? Good that they've got some other colours going these days with this model (and the batwing one) besides red.
Regarding the fretboard, Gibson make those separately (including adding the binding), and they get put on the neck later on in the process. So I wonder if/how this affects the final outcome.
? Good that they've got some other colours going these days with this model (and the batwing one) besides red.Regarding the fretboard, Gibson make those separately (including adding the binding), and they get put on the neck later on in the process. So I wonder if/how this affects the final outcome.
Ashurbanipal
Well-known member
A French girl who's been on the classic rocky train for some years, she's been using one of these, also in tv yellow, quite a bit recently.
Wattage
High Voltologist
If I paid 2k maybe I would be a little less accepting. I don't really find a huge issue with those things, I work on lots of guitars that cost a fair amount of money that have bigger problems so I don't know how excited I want to get over it. The guitar sounds and plays great so I am happy.
Wattage
High Voltologist
I looked her up, I actually remember her when she was younger. She did a few Iggy tunes, I was super impressed. Glad she's still out there, I will check her current stuff out for sure
Ashurbanipal
Well-known member
Regarding knobs, fwiw, I got some silver tophats from Crazy Parts recently and they're pretty cool. Plastic is mint greenish and numbers are embossed. They're supposed to be going for the vintage correct thing (font is smaller than on yours). I got them because the factory ones literally disintegrated 
.
Anyway, a killer SG is one of the best things in life, imo.
.Anyway, a killer SG is one of the best things in life, imo.
Yep! She got known years ago doing covers of Skynyrd, GnR, rocky country stuff etc. Has been touring steadily for some time, started working with Gibson more recently. Think she's got a new album coming out, if it hasn't already.
Wattage
High Voltologist
FIrst gig report:
It worked well, used for almost everything during the show. I am not crazy about the pickups though. They have a typical Gibson tone curve and a very weird, at least to me, top end. These are just a bit too bright for my tastes. I have a stack of 59 and DA-59 pickups here so I imagine I'll put a set in and see. Maybe run pure nickel strings and see if that warms it up enough.
It worked well, used for almost everything during the show. I am not crazy about the pickups though. They have a typical Gibson tone curve and a very weird, at least to me, top end. These are just a bit too bright for my tastes. I have a stack of 59 and DA-59 pickups here so I imagine I'll put a set in and see. Maybe run pure nickel strings and see if that warms it up enough.
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Wattage
High Voltologist
I wanted to give them a legit shot before I pulled them. I just assume I am changing pickups, rarely over the last 45 years or so have I kept stock pickups in a guitar, sometimes the neck will stay, I am a lot more forgiving of neck pickups.
They sound pretty good on their own but soon as I started soundcheck I knew they weren't going to work
They sound pretty good on their own but soon as I started soundcheck I knew they weren't going to work
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
I wanted to give them a legit shot before I pulled them. I just assume I am changing pickups, rarely over the last 45 years or so have I kept stock pickups in a guitar, sometimes the neck will stay, I am a lot more forgiving of neck pickups.
They sound pretty good on their own but soon as I started soundcheck I knew they weren't going to work
Did you try changing the knobs on the amp? Asking for a friend...
