Mark Guitar Loft

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jharpersj

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Hey all,

Just posting about a great trip to Mark’s Guitar Loft in NH. Mark is a great dude and took a lot of time showing me some super cool fender custom shops and amazing Les Paul’s. He had a 58 reissue with real PAF’s that was mind blowing. Everything he had was stellar.

He also knows a shit ton about amps and his own MGL 50 series heads sound incredible. He has a new 20W version that was mind blowing. Crazy good tone at any volume.

I would say if you’re looking for a Paul or a hot rodded Marshall he is the guy.
Jim

 
Mark is awesome to deal with. Just bought an amp from him last week and curious to hear one of his MGL’s. I’m in New York, so maybe I can drive up there one of these days

Those old PAF’s and other vintage ones really are special. A lot of the so called paf style pickups made now by brands like bare knuckle and motor city sound nothing like them
 
We had brought a really cool explorer with us sort of as a reference because it sounded so killer and we wanted something we knew when playing through his amps. His Les Paul with original PAF's made it sound like a toy LOL. Honestly was a shock. His amps rip, so fun to play through. Going to his shop is like an old school experience before the big box retailers took over.
 
Jim, It was great to meet you and always a pleasure to hang out with other amp and guitar junkies! I own a store and it’s what I do 6 days a week. But I still love it! Just one correction on you first post. My guitar with the real PAF’s is actually a 1952 goldtop converted to ‘59 burst specs by my good friend Dave Johnson. Old wood w/ PAF’s is hard to beat.
 
One of my friends also has a ‘56 gold top LP that he had converted to a ‘59 burst and fitted with real PAF’s. One of the best guitars I’ve tried. It sent packing some real ‘59’s that he owned before. I like even more my ‘57 LP Jr that I bought from him (my favorite guitar), but that ‘56 he has is awesome

I had the same experience as you did with your explorer. I’d buy all these boutique guitars like a Nik Huber or Knaggs I had with Virgil Arlo’s in them, thinking they were so great, but then compared to that ‘56 they’d sound so sterile/neutered, like the life was taken out of them by comparison. He also had other guitars we compared also fitted with real PAF’s (an ‘80’s Flying V, ‘60 335), but that Les Paul was the clear best sounding. He also has an unusually good 3 pickup SG Custom from either ‘62 or ‘63. He said doesn’t normally like those guitars as much, but for whatever reason we both like it similarly well to his ‘56
 
braintheory said:
One of my friends also has a ‘56 gold top LP that he had converted to a ‘59 burst and fitted with real PAF’s. One of the best guitars I’ve tried. It sent packing some real ‘59’s that he owned before. I like even more my ‘57 LP Jr that I bought from him (my favorite guitar), but that ‘56 he has is awesome

I had the same experience as you did with your explorer. I’d buy all these boutique guitars like a Nik Huber or Knaggs I had with Virgil Arlo’s in them, thinking they were so great, but then compared to that ‘56 they’d sound so sterile/neutered, like the life was taken out of them by comparison. He also had other guitars we compared also fitted with real PAF’s (an ‘80’s Flying V, ‘60 335), but that Les Paul was the clear best sounding. He also has an unusually good 3 pickup SG Custom from either ‘62 or ‘63. He said doesn’t normally like those guitars as much, but for whatever reason we both like it similarly well to his ‘56
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I hear you man I have had SO many high end guitars, you grab a great les paul, strat or tele and they just crush your dreams and send you on a selling spree LOL
 
jharpersj said:
I hear you man I have had SO many high end guitars, you grab a great les paul, strat or tele and they just crush your dreams and send you on a selling spree LOL
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Yes that’s what happened to me lol. I’ve also had tons of high end ones, but have some friends locally who’ve had even more than me and have gotten to try them all and I feel embarrassed for most of these current “boutique” guitars after I got into trying those old Gibson’s and fenders, but most of those current high end makers focus more on playability, aesthetics and everything but sound anyway, which is one of the dumbest things to me in gear, but I digress. I mostly only go for modern guitars now if they have unique materials or woods not found on any vintage ones like my EGC’s, which are also some of my absolute favorites. I used to try so many current boutique guitars thinking I tried the be all end and all and now feel stupid looking back on that
 
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