Gibson's new LP w/maple fretboard....

[thiswaythatway]

Umm.....try as I might to like these new offerings, I find myself having to give them a collective grade of.....

Before throwing grades around have you actually played one? I guess just saying "buy an old Gibson" is the answer? That's a F as well and I've played enough early 80's Gibsons that were piles of junk. The ONE Custom Classic that I played was better than the standards and Traditional's they had.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Does anyone actually READ the specs? The "maple" neck is the same baked/roasted maple neck that everyone RAVES about on the John Suhr guitars. So what's the difference? ]If it plays and sounds good I say go for it. I'm looking at picking one up soon--just have to comparison shop...

the people ordering Suhr guitars optionally choose roasted maple for asthetics only - they know the importance of a balanced tonal guitar. Gibson is trying to pass it off as an answer to no stocks of rosewood or ebony since they screwed themselves to a wall. Heres a sentence mentioning gibson quality - thrown in for good measure

if you like it go for it. why bother roasting the neck at all and save a few hundred dollars.

I think you're correct because Gibson's roasted maple looks like they are trying to pass it off as Rosewood. But again, the one I played was a pretty nice guitar, no complaints really.

 

[racerevlon]

So I have to eat a little crow here. On the Gibson models, only the FINGERBOARD SPECIES is baked maple. Neck is the same neck as every other LP in the world. Gibson is also putting the Baked Maple Finger Board on some of the LP Studio Faded models. Other LP Studio Faded models get the African Obeche fingerboard. So, if memory serves, on the Suhr models, the whole neck, including the finger board is roasted maple (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). Gibson is laying a Baked Maple finger board on top of a standard LP neck. THAT, as I understand it, is where the difference lies, and where the significant tonal differences will be.

As I noted, the only LP I have that has a maple (NOT a Roasted Maple) fingerboard is my Studio Raw Power: dot inlays... trapezoid only at the 12th fret; '57 Classic Pickups--it's "brighter" than any other LP I have but still sounds great, and especially when paired with a great-sounding Marshall. I'll get clips up if I can in my "copious spare time."

Would love to hear what experiences others have had!!

Cheers,

 

[glpg80]

So I have to eat a little crow here. On the Gibson models, only the FINGERBOARD SPECIES is baked maple. Neck is the same neck as every other LP in the world. Gibson is also putting the Baked Maple Finger Board on some of the LP Studio Faded models. Other LP Studio Faded models get the African Obeche fingerboard. So, if memory serves, on the Suhr models, the whole neck, including the finger board is roasted maple (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). Gibson is laying a Baked Maple finger board on top of a standard LP neck. THAT, as I understand it, is where the difference lies, and where the significant tonal differences will be.

As I noted, the only LP I have that has a maple (NOT a Roasted Maple) fingerboard is my Studio Raw Power: dot inlays... trapezoid only at the 12th fret; '57 Classic Pickups--it's "brighter" than any other LP I have but still sounds great, and especially when paired with a great-sounding Marshall. I'll get clips up if I can in my "copious spare time."

Would love to hear what experiences others have had!!

Cheers,

roasted maple is still maple. your LP is no longer the only maple fretboarded LP on the face of the planet now.

also, the difference between suhr and gibson is one still offers rosewood and ebony fretboards

if Gibson knew how to effectively run a company within laws/guidelines there wouldnt be a problem. But instead you get a company trying to pass maple for rosewood and producing guitars like this:

 

[university81]

the 'raw power' series maple styles =0

some of them not bad tbh, yet to see one in person tho, prefer these sorts of offerings than the firebird x for example

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electri ... Power.aspx

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/P ... itars-401/

 

[Stramm8]

I played a custom classic this evening and I have to say it's very nice guitar; played great, sounded great through a marshall vm. The maple fretboard was actually very dark if looks are of concern. As far as sound goes, I couldn't hear much difference between it and the 70's LPC I played as well. But that's just me. My only beef is that just the fb is maple. If it had a maple neck as well, I'd be all over it Like i mentioned in another post, the zakk wylde model with the all maple neck is an awesome LP...

 

[Digital Jams]

Does anyone actually READ the specs? The "maple" neck is the same baked/roasted maple neck that everyone RAVES about on the John Suhr guitars. So what's the difference? ]If it plays and sounds good I say go for it. I'm looking at picking one up soon--just have to comparison shop...

the people ordering Suhr guitars optionally choose roasted maple for asthetics only - they know the importance of a balanced tonal guitar. Gibson is trying to pass it off as an answer to no stocks of rosewood or ebony since they screwed themselves to a wall. Heres a sentence mentioning gibson quality - thrown in for good measure

if you like it go for it. why bother roasting the neck at all and save a few hundred dollars.

YOu are correct, they are trying to pass the burnt maple for rosewood. Anyone trying to deny that is a fool and blinded by fanboi-ism so badly I feel bad for them.

Anyone notice the $3000 price tag??????

 

[Lance-a-not]

-

 

[halford]

That LP actually looks quite nice!! i wouldn't play it though, doesnt suit me. And the 2 SG's far right are quite cool also


I havent been following too closely, but in that raid did they loose all their Rooswood and Ebony?

 

[racerevlon]

These "Raw Power" models came out a few years ago--before the doors got kicked in, I believe. Hey, and they came with a really crappy GIG BAG.

 

[Spaceboy]

It's a Gibson. It probably feels like the same hunk of wood that 99% of other Gibsons feel like.

/runsforcover

 

[stephen sawall]

Anyone notice the $3000 price tag??????

I did ... it is the end of a era...

 

[rottingcorpse]

some companies never recover from a fiasco. dean guitars may never get past the "cheap import q.a. issues" they have become known for. that is a shame because the dean usa custom shop stuff is awesome.

but gibson will live on. they are too big to fail!! they deserve government bail-out money.

(damnit, where is that sarcasm font?)

 

[JonVengeance]

Anyone notice the $3000 price tag??????

I did ... it is the end of a era...

The street price is actually $1899 for the Classic Plus and Classic Custom.

I played a Classic Plus the other day not knowing it had the baked maple fretboard and it sounded great. It compared to other classics I've played in the past. I was running it through the new Recto mini and it sounded full, powerful and crunchy. I have an '87 Custom and a chambered '06 Standard, both of which I love, and I felt the Classic Plus compared very favorably to them.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Most people will probably not even give it a chance, or they'll read some doofus post on the net (that's me) and make a decision without playing the guitar.

My take:

I work at one of the biggest Gibson dealers in the world for historic custom shop guitars, hundreds in stock and I have played probably a couple thousand Gibsons, plus several of real vintage ones. I have played a bunch of the new maple board Gibby's already.

I personally dig the Custom Classics with the Maple and would take one in a second. The maple sounds balanced and punchy, not thin. On other Gibsons too, the SGs rock! I put it in between rosewood and ebony on attack and not as thin as ebony in the presence range (I love ebony btw), bottom is warm and even with a nice smack.

There ya go, go play it and give it a chance... Does it sound like rosewood, nope. Does it sound really good, in my opinion hell yep.

I do like stepping in puddles with my socks though

eh?

I agree Lance, the Custom Classic is a pretty cool guitar regardless of what fingerboard wood it has.

And some of you.....*cough cough digijams* usually gave rosewood a bad rap anyway. So isn't using a maple board a good thing for some of you.

But yes, I'll agree that Gibson is probably keeping their fingers crossed that some buy these without knowing it's a maple board.

 

[Metlupass2]

I bought a new Classic Custom last week. It plays and sounds awesome.

I've got a 2009 Traditional Pro, a 1990 Standard, a 2006 Standard, and a 2011 Standard Plus.

The Classic Custom is my favorite out of all my Les Pauls right now. Don't knock em till you try em. The stock pictures make the boards look really light but mine is not. I'll have to take some pictures.

 

[Metlupass2]

Heres some quick pictures with crap lighting.

 

[Anonymous]

I think the blue or black one will make a nice addition to my collection! I actually have been looking for a light weight chambered les paul..My 1990 standard weighs a ton!

 

[thiswaythatway]

Heres some quick pictures with crap lighting.

Looks cool. All you need now is a real amp to play it through.

 

[Ventura]