C
chumbucket
Well-known member
Capulin Overdrive":29a198un said:
glpg80
Well-known member
RockStarNick":2mgsh022 said:
i have to agree.
a guitar can be setup great and still sound like dog shit, gibson is the prime example of finding the golden cherry.
ive only played 1 gibson i ever fell in love with, and i cant even count how many i have ever played in my lifetime. it was an all original neck through explorer from 85 or 86.
if i have to work to play a guitar because of a shit setup then so beit, if it sounds great it sounds great. if it plays awsome and sounds terrible/does not resonate/no punch or no character, then its wood flaws or paint based - pickups will only mask the difference. prime example are production made ibanez jem's - $2,600 retail priced production model guitars. exactly what gibson is.
SFW
Well-known member
I have heard the "Gibsons aren't what they used to be" since I started playing guitar in 1987. Bought my first Les Paul in 1988, a '74 Custom for $450. If you can play one first. Like anything involving wood work, not everyone is going to be "the one" for you. I personally think that Gibson is cranking out some of the finest guitars in their history right now. (Not every 1959 Les Paul was a holy grail.) I'm in the process in buying a new Les Paul now. Saving my pennies to get it our of law-a-way. I played four 60's tribute Les Pauls that all played and sounded killer. Picked the one that I liked the best and soon she will be playing gigs.
Jerome Allen
New member
Everybody has their own ideas about what a "good" or "bad" sound is. Fortunately, there are a lot of guitars, amps, pedals, ect to choose from to suit YOUR needs/desires.
My experiences with Gibson quality after owning many SG's, Les Pauls, ES-335s, ES-135s, ES-137s, and Firebirds :
1. I came across an SG Supreme with a 24th fret that was coming very slightly out of the fretboard on the high e-string side. Aside from that 1 fret that needed to be re-seated, I was able to set the action very low with minimal buzzing (I play with a very light touch, so YMMV). The fret-finish on Gibsons doesn't seem to be as polished/smooth as some other guitars I've owned. It's certainly not bad. But the frets don't "glitter" as much as frets on a couple $ ESPs and $$ Jacksons I've had.
2. Some Gibson necks are very thin and are sometimes more susceptible to up or down bowing. It's really thin. If you want thin, then you deal with it being slightly more flexible. Of course, the thicker Gibson necks don't flex much. All guitars do to some degree.
3. Gibson's binding starts life as tall as the frets. It is then ground down between the frets to match the height of the fretboard. This leaves some binding that extends up to the height of the fret, right next to the fret. Sometimes the grinding is done sloppily and you will notice grinding marks on the top of the binding. Or worse, you'll see where the "luthier" hit the front of the nut with the grinder. I have guitars with the binding up to the top of the fret and have had no problems with it. Of course, if the binding next to the fret starts to chip, you will have a sharp, irritating, exposed fret end (the "fret bevel" is on the binding, not the fret...you lose your bevel if the binding comes off). I also have Gibsons that I pulled the frets out of and replaced them with notched tangs so that the fret itself extends the full length of the fretboard without going through the binding. I prefer a full length fret, but have had no problems either way.
4. I have never encountered an electronics problem with any Gibsons I've had, new or old. The pots and switches always feel firm and of good quality. I prefer Dimarzio pick-ups with an extra switch or two. But I know many people who love the stock Gibson 490s and 500s. I've never had any hum/noise except on P90 equipped SGs and ES-135s....which is to be expected from single coils.
5. The Gibson nut is ok. I don't know what it's made out of, but it is somewhat soft and I have seen 1 or 2 that have started to crack on the low e-string side. Although I've never had a problem with the stock nut on any of my Gibsons, I do prefer a bone nut and have installed them on a couple guitars.
6. I've never encountered a Gibson with wood that didn't seem of good or better quality. The finish on the body/neck has always been pretty impressive to me. Some of the finishes are just absolutely stunning. I don't recall any overspray, runs, ect except like what is found in most guitars...a little going into a pick-up or control panel cavity.
7. Gibson head-stock angles are steeper than Fenders, Ibanez, ect. If the guitars falls back wards, the tip of the headstock will hit the floor first. And there is a good chance it will break. It's never happened to me. But it has happened to a lot of people.
8. Gibson tuners have been fine for me. I've never wanted or needed to change them. They have never been an issue when it comes to keeping my guitars in tune.
9. Gibson bridges : I have never had an issue with any of the bridges on my Gibsons. I've never had a Gibson that had a problem staying in tune. And I like that you can usually tweak the bridge up or down without tools. Adjusting intonation on the Gibson bridges has always been really easy. Personally, if a guitar doesn't have a tune-o-matic or an Edge Pro, I probably won't even consider buying it....that's my preference.
These are some observations of Gibsons I've owned. I've also owned many other other guitars by Jackson, ESP, Gretsch, Ibanez, Taylor, Ramirez, Fender, ect. And there's not 1 of them that I couldn't "complain" about to some degree. If I get a call to go out and jam tonight, there's no question in my mind....I'll be reaching for my '61 reissue SG. Why? because it is THE BEST GUITAR...for me.
My experiences with Gibson quality after owning many SG's, Les Pauls, ES-335s, ES-135s, ES-137s, and Firebirds :
1. I came across an SG Supreme with a 24th fret that was coming very slightly out of the fretboard on the high e-string side. Aside from that 1 fret that needed to be re-seated, I was able to set the action very low with minimal buzzing (I play with a very light touch, so YMMV). The fret-finish on Gibsons doesn't seem to be as polished/smooth as some other guitars I've owned. It's certainly not bad. But the frets don't "glitter" as much as frets on a couple $ ESPs and $$ Jacksons I've had.
2. Some Gibson necks are very thin and are sometimes more susceptible to up or down bowing. It's really thin. If you want thin, then you deal with it being slightly more flexible. Of course, the thicker Gibson necks don't flex much. All guitars do to some degree.
3. Gibson's binding starts life as tall as the frets. It is then ground down between the frets to match the height of the fretboard. This leaves some binding that extends up to the height of the fret, right next to the fret. Sometimes the grinding is done sloppily and you will notice grinding marks on the top of the binding. Or worse, you'll see where the "luthier" hit the front of the nut with the grinder. I have guitars with the binding up to the top of the fret and have had no problems with it. Of course, if the binding next to the fret starts to chip, you will have a sharp, irritating, exposed fret end (the "fret bevel" is on the binding, not the fret...you lose your bevel if the binding comes off). I also have Gibsons that I pulled the frets out of and replaced them with notched tangs so that the fret itself extends the full length of the fretboard without going through the binding. I prefer a full length fret, but have had no problems either way.
4. I have never encountered an electronics problem with any Gibsons I've had, new or old. The pots and switches always feel firm and of good quality. I prefer Dimarzio pick-ups with an extra switch or two. But I know many people who love the stock Gibson 490s and 500s. I've never had any hum/noise except on P90 equipped SGs and ES-135s....which is to be expected from single coils.
5. The Gibson nut is ok. I don't know what it's made out of, but it is somewhat soft and I have seen 1 or 2 that have started to crack on the low e-string side. Although I've never had a problem with the stock nut on any of my Gibsons, I do prefer a bone nut and have installed them on a couple guitars.
6. I've never encountered a Gibson with wood that didn't seem of good or better quality. The finish on the body/neck has always been pretty impressive to me. Some of the finishes are just absolutely stunning. I don't recall any overspray, runs, ect except like what is found in most guitars...a little going into a pick-up or control panel cavity.
7. Gibson head-stock angles are steeper than Fenders, Ibanez, ect. If the guitars falls back wards, the tip of the headstock will hit the floor first. And there is a good chance it will break. It's never happened to me. But it has happened to a lot of people.
8. Gibson tuners have been fine for me. I've never wanted or needed to change them. They have never been an issue when it comes to keeping my guitars in tune.
9. Gibson bridges : I have never had an issue with any of the bridges on my Gibsons. I've never had a Gibson that had a problem staying in tune. And I like that you can usually tweak the bridge up or down without tools. Adjusting intonation on the Gibson bridges has always been really easy. Personally, if a guitar doesn't have a tune-o-matic or an Edge Pro, I probably won't even consider buying it....that's my preference.
These are some observations of Gibsons I've owned. I've also owned many other other guitars by Jackson, ESP, Gretsch, Ibanez, Taylor, Ramirez, Fender, ect. And there's not 1 of them that I couldn't "complain" about to some degree. If I get a call to go out and jam tonight, there's no question in my mind....I'll be reaching for my '61 reissue SG. Why? because it is THE BEST GUITAR...for me.
Capulin Overdrive
New member
chumbucket":1t90okiq said:
C
chumbucket
Well-known member
Capulin Overdrive":2jamib79 said:
daver101
Active member
My new 61 SG and my Les Paul Traditional are top notch on quality. I'm actually selling the SG though, but more because I'm not gelling with the guitar.....
racerevlon
Active member
I've heard that there are only like six guys that make actual Custom Shop guitars these days. So, if you get a "Dave" guitar you're in heaven cuz he's been doing it for 30 years. If you get a "Sam" guitar, not so much, cuz he's a new guy. Rumor? Perhaps, but I've played VOS guitars where the necks were just shaved differently--one felt right and one felt wrong--QC problem or just plain variance?
Ventura
Well-known member
End of thread really, innit??RockStarNick":23sk85pe said:
Mo
stephen sawall
SEMI ERECT MEMBER
I think Gibson's build is about as good as anyone else .... the thing is the stupid price on Gibson's, Fender's, etc for what you get. In my view the whole thing is about crazy the price they ask for many guitars.
J
joepete77
New member
My favorite guitars are gibsons. WIth that being said, I think that their quality and standards really sucks starting in the mid 2000s when they started using two, three and even 4 piece back bodies on their standard usa production models when in the past they were always 1 piece bodies even on their low level models. The rosewood really sucks now and they are dying the rosewood with dark stain to make it look like quality rosewood, I have seen instances where fingers turned color from it. Also many have bad frett work with sharp ends and crummy binding work. They lowered their standards but the price didnt come down. Its a way to force u into buying a custom shop model just to get what used to be normal quality. I would feel safe going with something used from the 90's or early 2000's at the latest.
Ventura
Well-known member
Okay, I have to ask, who's the lingerie model??SFW":3h94itlg said:
Mo
