OK, let's see, where to begin...
This thing is light, like really light. 7 lbs 13 oz. It feels like a feather compared to my LPs. Extremely comfortable to play although I can't explain why it would be compared to my other Vs. They're all pretty well balanced and none are heavy, but this one just feels very natural, sitting or standing.
As above, the neck is on the thick side, but it's very comfortable to play and feels thinner than it is. It's strangely round, very much a C shape, but IMO, all Gibson necks are a little different from one another. This one is unique in my experience, but I haven't played a lot of Custom Shop Vs.
The nut is cut really well, no pinging at all, and no tuning problems, either. I haven't really noticed any quality issues on it anywhere, for that matter, which is as it should be for something like this. Gibson has certainly had QC issues over the years, but in the past 5 years or so, all of the ones I've played have seemed to be really good. I know a few slip through, but they seem to be doing a better job these days at all levels, not just CS stuff.
The action on this thing is incredible. It needed a setup when it arrived, but the neck was straight and intonation good, so with just a bridge height adjustment, she's playing as well as my Rhoads (which is the best Jackson I've ever played and I've owned a few). It's just so easy to play, maybe not quite as fluid as the Rhoads, but it's not supposed to be either. Not that this one is rough, it's not, she's just got enough attitude to make me work for it a bit, where the Rhoads is easy to just go on auto-pilot. I've always liked guitars that make me work for it a bit and this one is just the perfect amount of that attitude.
So, the most impressive thing is the sound and by that I mean unplugged. It's bright enough to be aggressive when she wants to be, as expected, not harsh at all, also as expected, but there are two things that I wasn't expecting. The first is in the upper mids. There's a nice amount of that woody vocal character that a good Les Paul has, which I was not expecting at all. It's not too much, but enough to be really expressive if that's what I want.
The second is in the lower mids. This one's got a growl to it that I've only heard from two other guitars. My '81 V has it, which I would have attributed to it being maple (I think, could be alder, but it looks like maple to me) with a maple neck and an ebony board. My LP 25/50 has it, too, which I attributed to its maple neck and its weight (almost 3 times what this V weighs). The V is all mahogany. I've got other guitars that are all mahogany with ebony boards and none of them growl like this one. She's just vicious! The range of sounds from this one is just amazing, far exceeding my expectations. Definitely one of my best sounding guitars and right up there with my R0 as far
It's very resonant, very alive feeling, both the body and the neck. The neck is loud, too, almost as much as the body.
So, all that leads me to think that maybe I might be better served by lower output pickups or at least something that really lets all the character shine through. IDK just yet and intend to give it some time. The 498/490 aren't bad at all, but maybe something that breathes a little better, maybe. Something that captures that growl, something that really lets it rip your head off when that's what's it wants to do, but something that can purr, too, because this guitar is capable of all of that. It's a lot to think about and nothing to rush into. All I know is that this one is REALLY special.
And the icing on the cake is how she looks. I've always loved the black and gold look and this one's classy, beautiful, and mean, all at once.
Obviously, I'm still much very in the honeymoon phase. But I've owned a number of guitars, some really great ones, and played a whole lot more. I think I'm a pretty good judge of what works for me, and this one really is special, more than I'd expected, and much more than I'd hoped for.
Congrats on the NGD!
