Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

Nostalgic Distortion

Nostalgic Distortion

New member
So from what I can tell these guys don't have the best reputation... I'm trying to think of what it could be & not what it currently is & to be honest a double P-90 guitar would be kinda nice, it's about the only pup configuration that I don't have at the moment?

View attachment 70621
Here's a pic of the fiddle in question, but what to do???


I'm on the fence about this one, I made him a $400 offer thinking that if I put $200 into the neck I might end up with a guitar that plays halfway decent & doesn't slice open my hand when I run it up the fingerboard? The guy just countered with $450 & it's not a huge leap but it was enough to make me take a step back for a moment.

The nitro is chipping away around the heal of the guitar but other than that it's looks alright & of course the seller said its perfect. Why if it perfect is he selling it so cheaply, I know they are not very expensive Gibson's and they don't hold their value as well as a L.P. Custom but knowing that you normally get what you pay for is this a mistake? I'm just worried that I'm going to be buying a $150 guitar with a $300 logo on it and not be able to get it playing something like a Gibson should? I know the wrap around bridge isn't ideal nor is the Q.C. of these guitars in general but I'm hoping a trip to the tech to have a new nut installed & the fretboard dressed might give me something half way decent afterwards???

Normally I'd do the work myself, at least the nut, but in this case I think taking it to someone who knows exactly what they're doing & has everything to do it with would a better choice. If it sucks after at least I'd have someone to blame, LOL!!!
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

Well, I've had great experiences with Gibson Studios...never played a Melody Maker though.

If I were interested in this guitar I would stick with the $400 because I would be buying a hardshell case for it...maybe go up to $425.

It looks sharp and as along as it doesn't have any major issues the $400-$450 price range seems fair to me...closer to $400 without a hardshell case ;)
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

treyhaislip said:
Well, I've had great experiences with Gibson Studios...never played a Melody Maker though.

If I were interested in this guitar I would stick with the $400 because I would be buying a hardshell case for it...maybe go up to $425.

It looks sharp and as along as it doesn't have any major issues the $400-$450 price range seems fair to me...closer to $400 without a hardshell case ;)
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So I'm not sure if anyone here is familiar with the 2012 Melody Makers but I acquired one of every flavor other than the L.P. because my local music store was closing & I was able to pick them up for $200 a piece! They said Gibson on the headstock & they looked like a S.G., a Explorer, & a V all loaded with a single 490T but that's about where the comparisons ended?

The necks were awful, plain and simple! Rough fretboard, rougher frets, high action, and the wrap around didn't even have the raised lip like this one has, just straight off the bar! Those things weren't much good for anything other the wall candy so I traded all 3 for my Flame Top Stratocaster. They might have said Gibson and they may have been made in Kalamazoo but Gibson they were not!!! I definitely don't want another one of those things, these have to be better than that right? Maybe????
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

Nostalgic Distortion said:
So I'm not sure if anyone here is familiar with the 2012 Melody Makers but I acquired one of every flavor other than the L.P. because my local music store was closing & I was able to pick them up for $200 a piece! They said Gibson on the headstock & they looked like a S.G., a Explorer, & a V all loaded with a single 490T but that's about where the comparisons ended?

The necks were awful, plain and simple! Rough fretboard, rougher frets, high action, and the wrap around didn't even have the raised lip like this one has, just straight off the bar! Those things weren't much good for anything other the wall candy so I traded all 3 for my Flame Top Stratocaster. They might have said Gibson and they may have been made in Kalamazoo but Gibson they were not!!! I definitely don't want another one of those things, these have to be better than that right? Maybe????
Click to expand...

Oh wow, crazy deal! I'm a Strat guy so I definitely would have traded them for the Flame Top Strat myself!

Can you play this one before you buy it?
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

Nostalgic Distortion said:
So I'm not sure if anyone here is familiar with the 2012 Melody Makers but I acquired one of every flavor other than the L.P. because my local music store was closing & I was able to pick them up for $200 a piece! They said Gibson on the headstock & they looked like a S.G., a Explorer, & a V all loaded with a single 490T but that's about where the comparisons ended?

The necks were awful, plain and simple! Rough fretboard, rougher frets, high action, and the wrap around didn't even have the raised lip like this one has, just straight off the bar! Those things weren't much good for anything other the wall candy so I traded all 3 for my Flame Top Stratocaster. They might have said Gibson and they may have been made in Kalamazoo but Gibson they were not!!! I definitely don't want another one of those things, these have to be better than that right? Maybe????
Click to expand...

I wouldn't expect a huge difference, but you never know. They're all made in Nashville, and Gibson does make good guitars, but they make a lot of lemons too. First and foremost if you can't play the guitar first, walk away. Second in terms of price, the seller is asking too much IMO. Looking on ebay shows private sales mostly around $400 with one as low as $372 and very few higher. The only listings at $450 and up are dealers. I agree w/ treyhaislip on the $425 counter offer, and wouldn't pay more.
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

dystrust said:
I wouldn't expect a huge difference, but you never know. They're all made in Nashville, and Gibson does make good guitars, but they make a lot of lemons too. First and foremost if you can't play the guitar first, walk away. Second in terms of price, the seller is asking too much IMO. Looking on ebay shows private sales mostly around $400 with one as low as $372 and very few higher. The only listings at $450 and up are dealers. I agree w/ treyhaislip on the $425 counter offer, and wouldn't pay more.
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Thank you for checking the prices on eBay–confirms the lower end of the $400s
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

treyhaislip said:
Oh wow, crazy deal! I'm a Strat guy so I definitely would have traded them for the Flame Top Strat myself!

Can you play this one before you buy it?
Click to expand...

No such luck unfortunately & the guy is being very evasive about the questions I'm asking him so I think I'm going to pass on this one? Simple questions, mostly how is the neck!

I only asked 3 things because I could really care less about the electronics, I'd probably end up replacing them anyway. I asked how the action was, are there any rough frets that I'll have to deal with once it arrives, & is there ANY buzz. Obviously its not up to par with a $3000 L.P. Custom & i mean it's a 2014 Gibson, of course it has some rough frets! I just wanted to know how bad it was so I could get some idea of what it would take to get it playing good & comfortably?

It don't know, he sorta danced around the questions instead of just giving me a yes or no answer & I was getting the feeling that it had a lot of these problems but instead of just telling me about them he instead would deflect & tell me how great the sustain was... B.S.!!!!
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

Nostalgic Distortion said:
No such luck unfortunately & the guy is being very evasive about the questions I'm asking him so I think I'm going to pass on this one? Simple questions, mostly how is the neck!

I only asked 3 things because I could really care less about the electronics, I'd probably end up replacing them anyway. I asked how the action was, are there any rough frets that I'll have to deal with once it arrives, & is there ANY buzz. Obviously its not up to par with a $3000 L.P. Custom & i mean it's a 2014 Gibson, of course it has some rough frets! I just wanted to know how bad it was so I could get some idea of what it would take to get it playing good & comfortably?

It don't know, he sorta danced around the questions instead of just giving me a yes or no answer & I was getting the feeling that it had a lot of these problems but instead of just telling me about them he instead would deflect & tell me how great the sustain was... B.S.!!!!
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Yeah dude, sounds very sketchy to dodge the question...a reputable seller would gladly answer! And I agree, I never care about the electronics because 99% of the time I will be replacing them with the pickups anyways.
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

You know, I could buy a brand new Epi. 339 for about the same price? Replace the nut & puppies & I'd have a much better instrument at the end of the day!!!! My recent stint with that Cort hollow body has got me thinking that I might want something like that? I think I'd rather have a semi hollow over a real hollow body because they are much more comfortable to play I.M.H.O. & I don't like it when my bridge isn't physically attached to the guitar's body!

I brought up the Epi. 339 because I find myself actually really digging the smaller body compared with a Sheraton or 335? I already have an awesome set of M.J. wound 59's that would be right at home in a guitar like this! Plus if I was to go that route & it were to show up with anything at all screwy going on I could just keep sending them back until I get one that's just right???
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

For the price point I think you would be better served with the Epi 339 than a seller who dodges questions about a neck you can't play until after the money leaves your hands...
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

I'd pass if the seller is being evasive regardless of how much you might want the guitar. It never feels right when that happens.
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

I really wanted the blue one. It's a gorgeous guitar. But I played a bunch and thought that even though they sounded good, they were overpriced and not very well made, even for a "budget" guitar. They need $100 to $150 worth of fret, nut, and setup work before they could be considered to be a proper "finished" guitar. Gibson seemingly does not **** for final finish work these days. Their guitars come out of the factory incomplete in my mind; the first owner has to actually finish making the guitar, or pay a tech to do it. I also couldn't get past the sight of that 12th fret inlay. I was hoping they'd continue into the next model year so the inlay would go away, but they did not. Also, the weird slug-pole P90S's freaked me out a bit. I like the adjustability of traditional P90's.

The old LP Melody Makers (the first of the "modern" Melody Maker line) were much better guitars over all, and I think they sell for less. They are basically stripped down Les Paul Jrs., and the earliest ones have the traditional Honduran mahogany body, which Gibson doesn't even use on their nice Les Pauls any more. (They switched to a cedar body on the LPMMs before too long.) I'd get one of those (the older the better; look for one with a "3" as the 5th digit of the serial number) and mod it to your heart's content. I bought an '03 model back in '04, and it was one of my main guitars for many years. I can't speak well enough about it. It needed fret work and nut work too, but not as much as the '14's I played, and it's a little easier to stomach when it's a $350-$400 guitar brand new, as opposed to $600 new.

At the right price, and if you can get past the 12th fret inlay and the fixed-pole pickups, the '14 MMs have good potential. To me, they are $300 used-market guitars; i.e. that's the price I'd have to get to jump on one. That said, even if you do get one of that model, you should obviously not get it from that seller. I'd be patient and pick one up off of your local Craig's List.
 
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Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

Ehh, I passed... I picked up a brand new Epi ES-339 for $375, something tells me the overall quality of the two guitars is probably about the same? The seller tells me that the neck is straight with low action & "the guitar will come already setup by their tech who has 15+ years of experience" which probably means I'll only have to spend 3 hours doing my own setup instead of 4 this time, LOL!!! At least he answered all of my questions directly, I wasn't expecting some magical guitar or anything & I'm not expecting that from this either but at least I know what kind of starting point I'm getting.
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

I didn't read any of the replies to your post and was just going to say..."absolutely NOT!!" Don't buy it at that price. Maybe $250, but there are sooo many much better guitars available.

Then when I scrolled down to post my reply, I see that you passed on it and got a new Epi 339 for less than the MM. Good choice. I'm not a real fan of the 339 (I much prefer the 335, Casino, or Sheraton), but the 339 is certainly way better than the MM. You'll probably need to replace the pups in it, however.
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

GuitarDoc said:
I didn't read any of the replies to your post and was just going to say..."absolutely NOT!!" Don't buy it at that price. Maybe $250, but there are sooo many much better guitars available.

Then when I scrolled down to post my reply, I see that you passed on it and got a new Epi 339 for less than the MM. Good choice. I'm not a real fan of the 339 (I much prefer the 335, Casino, or Sheraton), but the 339 is certainly way better than the MM. You'll probably need to replace the pups in it, however.
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I really ally like my new 2014 LP Jr that I stripped phy the ridiculous Gforce toy'ish junk auto tuners and installed some nice Grover Rotomatic Roto Grip Locking Tuners. It is now an awesome antique burst Gibson.

I also recentl bought a new LP 50's Tribute Dual P90 LP and super dig it. One of my nicest sounding, playing guitars, vintage burst. I like the soap at pickups better than the Jr. These were not cheap guitars. This one also has the Roto Grip locking tuners that I put on it.

Too bad bad the MM does not stand up to anticipated quality standards. I like the way they look, but not as well as my Gibson P90"s.

I recently bought a new Epi Sheraton II Pro with Probuckers. These Probucker pickups are really nice and are staying for now at least. Maybe try to get a used set of Probuckers, real nice pickups, or splurge on some Pearly Gates or Seth Loveds, or even Gibson 57"s/+.
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

Wattage said:
I'd pass if the seller is being evasive regardless of how much you might want the guitar. It never feels right when that happens.
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Exactly my thoughts..

You mentioned an Epi too.. Ill tell you, Ive been considering a LP JR to get a p90 in the stable, and Im thinking maybe getting a stripped down guitar like that would kinda force me to improve my technique.. (I so dont need nor can I afford anymore guits tho..) I played an EPi Jr at GC a few weeks back, that was a gorgeous blue color, and the guitar was AWESOME!! Good fretwork, sustain, feel, total package. And CHEAP!!! The ONLY reason I didnt toss it in layaway is that it had a single humbucker instead of a p90..
 
Re: Should I Buy a 2014 Melody Maker, & no it's not a redundant question, LOL!!!

BloodRose said:
Exactly my thoughts..

You mentioned an Epi too.. Ill tell you, Ive been considering a LP JR to get a p90 in the stable, and Im thinking maybe getting a stripped down guitar like that would kinda force me to improve my technique.. (I so dont need nor can I afford anymore guits tho..) I played an EPi Jr at GC a few weeks back, that was a gorgeous blue color, and the guitar was AWESOME!! Good fretwork, sustain, feel, total package. And CHEAP!!! The ONLY reason I didnt toss it in layaway is that it had a single humbucker instead of a p90..
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And Gibson does not make an LP Jr this year and resale prices are high.

Rondomusic.com has some great inexpensive Agile P90 guitars and the quality far surpasses many Epi"s. Good luck. Good P90"s sound super great.
 
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