I *want* to like Gibsons really bad. - Page 2

winny pooh · April 1st, 2008, 08:59 AM

After years of hating on Les Pauls and the weird way they feel I now have a tele deluxe with the 70's widerange buckers and 1 meg pots that kills. Great sound in more comfy package and I can do AC/DC with no Gibson necessary.

Big John · April 1st, 2008, 09:02 AM

Isotech, it actually isn't mandatory to like them, lot's of folk just don't get on with them, lots of them probably don't like Tele's either.
My problem on the other hand is M*rsh*ll amps !!, i don't like 'em never have, never will but i know a lot of folk here love 'em so like McCloud says "there you go".

Flat357 · April 1st, 2008, 09:06 AM

You ' want ' to like Gibsons ?

I want to like Bentley Continental convertibles , 12 bedroom houses with stables and acres of beautiful land , and my own state of the art recording studios with live in engineers and vocal coaches , but I think there is some doubt in my mind .... doh

How can somebody ' not ' like Gibsons ?

Doug Ferguson · April 1st, 2008, 09:14 AM

Never been too much into the LP's (just never played one that "felt" right, although I had an Electra LP copy that was okay, although the neck brought my wrist to the brink of carpal tunnel), but I love the SG's; great tone and feel. Don't have one, and if I ever do get one it'll be an Epi, since the Gibson's are out of my reach. Sadly, I had a chance to buy a '67 or '68 Gibson SG in 1971, but was a broke high school kid. The guy was selling it for $125.00! It still haunts me....

SabuJSE · April 1st, 2008, 09:37 AM

I love my Les Paul - now. But in order to get to love, I had to do the following:

1) Fret Job
2) Install Tonepros Bridge
3) Install Tonepros Tailpiece
4) Major setup work
5) Installed RS Guitarworks pots/caps replacement kit
6) Installed Zhangbucker Pure Handwound humbuckers

Basically, a complete overhaul - certainly electronically. Now, it gets wonderful Les Paul tones and useful tone/vol controls. Luckily, I bought mine used so I didn't pay full price but I still put more money into this thing then I should have. But at least now I have one smoking LP that I'll never get rid of...

PA Woody · April 1st, 2008, 12:19 PM

I went to the Experience Music Project in Seattle a couple of months ago. On my way home I decided to stop at the GC just a few blocks away to check out a few Gibson LPs. I looked at about 6 or 7 LP Standards and every single one of them had horrible binding on the bodies. The bindings were not in the same plane as the side of the guitar. They angled in at the top edge and there was a highly visible ridge at the lower edge where the binding meets the body. I looked at a used LP Custom( I think) that was only 2 or 3 years old. The binding on it was separating from the body in many places. Is this a common problem with Gibson LPs?
I didn't bother to play any of them. I wouldn't pay over 2K for a guitar with two bit bindings. I know they're not all like these but the fact that so many are is enough to turn me off to Gibson.
How can anyone not like Gibsons? High prices and hit or miss quality does it for me. YMMV

strummin67 · April 1st, 2008, 12:52 PM

Been to EMP a couple of times and that GC once. :D

All four of the Les Pauls I've owned (still own one) were from the Norlan period and despite the bad rap, all were actually made fairly well. Even better than today.

River · May 2nd, 2008, 04:53 PM

My LP is a '92 Standard, fully stock in what I think is a relatively rare natural finish. Plays extremely well and pushed through a Bassman easily duplicates Jimmy Page on his Telecaster on LZ I and live with no effects but reverb. I don't know what Gibson's reputation for quality and pricing was in '92, but there is just nothing sub par about this one. If they ship poor-quality LP's now, shame on them. I don't know what mine's worth, but it should probably be worth more than a comparable new one, from what I'm hearing. As far as tone goes, I subscribe to the theory that it's mostly the player, then the amp, then the guitar. My 60's Hoffner is pretty much a train-wreck, but I can make it sound 90% the same.

Strummin67, what's the "Norlan period" please?

strummin67 · May 3rd, 2008, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by River

Strummin67, what's the "Norlan period" please?

The Norlin period Ran from 1969 to January 1986. Basically, Gibson was run by bean counters, much like Fender was by CBS. As a result, cost cutting moves started appearing. If I can give you an example like the sandwiching of the Les Paul bodies called "cross banding". I had a '76 Custom with this wonderful feature. The traditional two piece maple tops became three pieces and sometimes poorly matched.

During these years the headstock angle changed and it got wider. The carved top started losing definition. The bodies got heavier. (Sound familiar?)

Out of this dark period did come some gems and I have played a few examples of them

Unseen · May 3rd, 2008, 01:19 AM

I have two dual-humbucker guitars which sound great (Minarik Lotus, Luna Andromeda). One dual P-90 (Eastwood Sidejack Deluxe) which sounds sweet, and one coil-tapped dual-humbucker guitar which has the hottest pickups of the four and sounds fine indeed.

I love the sound of humbuckers. I love the sound of single-coils (and P-90's are a kind of single-coil). I just can't get into guitars made by GIBSON.

Joe Chaney · May 3rd, 2008, 04:14 AM

seriously i prefer epiphones by a long way

Trimac20 · May 3rd, 2008, 04:58 AM

My favourite tones are the P90 and the Tele vintage pickups: you need buckers for hard rock, but they sound generic and lack character. My favourite tone is real 'rock-n-roll': harsh, ballsy with a bit of distortion - 'screaming'. The more I think about it the compressed humbucker tones are simply too 'over-produced' and not pure enough for me. As for the guitars themselves - I still drool over a Paul, but in terms of the sound, it's still Fenders...except for the P90. Having said that, I'm not a fan of the Strat tone.

TG · May 3rd, 2008, 09:18 AM

I've just returned from a trip to town where I checked out a new Slash signature Les Paul...the Epiphone one.

Other than needing a bit of a setup and perhaps some work on the nut it was ace. About 7 pounds or so, great finish, frets seemed OK, hardware was all good...and the Duncan Alnico2 humbuckers sounded great thru a little Roland Cube30 amp (the reason I went to the shop was to price the amp for a friend's son...I just used the guitar as a random 'tester'). The Duncan pickups seemed clear and balanced with no humbucker mushiness. A good clean sound.
So if you can forget about it having anything to do with Slash (if that bothers you) you'll have a great LP for not a lot of money.

drewsblues · May 3rd, 2008, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isotech

The amp and pedal settings are the same between switching guitars.

I think this is part of your problem. You're assuming that two very different guitars are going to sound great with the same amp settings. Each guitar needs to seek its own level (kind of like water) to sound good. Tweak, play, repeat, until you start getting the sound you're looking for.

There is a difference, however. If you've got one sound in your head -- and it sounds like a single coil -- you're never going to be happy with the Gibson. If you like the clarity and snap of a single coil over the "woody" tone of a Gibson PAF, so be it. No biggie. But, if you're trying to make your Gibby sound like a Telecaster, you'll never get there. Sell it and get another Tele.

Pvee · May 3rd, 2008, 12:16 PM

I had a couple new Les Pauls that needed fretwork and other setup work, but the new es339 I just bought is about perfect.

I could not find a thing wrong with it in the store before I bought it.

I like the 57 classic pickups.

wooderson · May 3rd, 2008, 05:39 PM

There are three Gibson models I've not seen many people offer up complaints about - the Melody Maker, the SG Classic and the ES-339. I dunno if they just have better crews working them, or if it's a price thing (lowered expectations for the first two at their lower price?), or if folks buying them just aren't cork-sniffing as much as folks who reject 8 out of 10 $3000 LPs.

studio1087 · May 3rd, 2008, 07:22 PM

I prefer single coils and P-90's but I have to have one humbucker guitar in the woodpile. I prefer clean and dirty single coils but every now again I want a thick clean jazz tone or a really meaty overdrive sound and then humbuckers are perfect.

I've had two Epi jazz guitars but the feedback problems and the size of a hollow body bothered me.

I've had three Les Pauls over 30 years and they were very heavy.

I have a Faded SG now that I love. It's about as heavy as a Strat, it plays really well and the Gibson Humbuckers in the mahogany/nitro body sound organic and alive. It's a very responsive humbucker guitar be it clean, edgy or really dirty. I wouldn't yank the Gibson pickups out of my SG for anything.

Just keep looking.

If you're happy without a Gibson....just be happy.

The PRS Singlecut SE humbucker guitars are really sweet @ $600 but my old PRS SE humbucker guitar did not have the organic growl that my Gibson does. My Gibson has a boatload of sound. It's a keeper....

I love my P90 guitar but the sound of a P90 cannot be compared to my SG....different animals.

raf · May 4th, 2008, 09:21 AM

If you like gibsons, get something with p-90s and you can still get the jangle ! Check out videos from Sean Costello...too bad he is gone...he made that gibson sing!

May not be an SG in comparison, but hell, what a sound!

CatfishStudios · May 4th, 2008, 09:36 AM

I like my Les Paul...I can get some sweet sounds out of it..burstbucker pros are sweet..tone ,tone tone....but I still use my fenders more..just personal preference.two different animals.Ill disagree with whoever says they are not versatile..I can get good cleans..meaty chunk..or even country twang from my Gibson..I WILL AGREE that Gibsons current lack of quality control is plain stupid..Ive seen sharp frets, glue globs under finish..sanding marks..twisted necks..rattling wood chips in the "Tone Chamber"for the price they need to get on the ball or risk damage to the brandname..which is the only reason they are gettin away with it..I opened and returned 5 Les Pauls before finding one that had none of the issues..I still need a Gibby 335...nothin like em!..but ill not be purchasing any new gibbys..ill look for good quality older used gibsons.. you see it with most companies..if they have a good name and rep..they raise price and lower quality..if they have a poor rep on the name, they raise quality and lower price..think Squire..

April 1st, 2008, 08:59 AM	#41 (permalink)
winny pooh Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: South London Posts: 1,593 7 Photos	After years of hating on Les Pauls and the weird way they feel I now have a tele deluxe with the 70's widerange buckers and 1 meg pots that kills. Great sound in more comfy package and I can do AC/DC with no Gibson necessary. __________________ my afro ambient side project: http://www.myspace.com/theswyambusessions

April 1st, 2008, 09:02 AM	#42 (permalink)
Big John Friend of Leo's Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Suffolk UK Posts: 4,341 33 Photos	Isotech, it actually isn't mandatory to like them, lot's of folk just don't get on with them, lots of them probably don't like Tele's either. My problem on the other hand is Mrshll amps !!, i don't like 'em never have, never will but i know a lot of folk here love 'em so like McCloud says "there you go". __________________ If you are going to be a bear, be a grizzly !!

April 1st, 2008, 09:06 AM	#43 (permalink)
Flat357 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Cheshire Age: 40 Posts: 2,852	You ' want ' to like Gibsons ? I want to like Bentley Continental convertibles , 12 bedroom houses with stables and acres of beautiful land , and my own state of the art recording studios with live in engineers and vocal coaches , but I think there is some doubt in my mind .... doh How can somebody ' not ' like Gibsons ? __________________ Homepage http://www.soundclick.com/members/de...member=flat357 MySpace http://www.myspace.com/flat357

April 1st, 2008, 09:14 AM	#44 (permalink)
Doug Ferguson Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Indianapolis, IN Age: 55 Posts: 1,511	Never been too much into the LP's (just never played one that "felt" right, although I had an Electra LP copy that was okay, although the neck brought my wrist to the brink of carpal tunnel), but I love the SG's; great tone and feel. Don't have one, and if I ever do get one it'll be an Epi, since the Gibson's are out of my reach. Sadly, I had a chance to buy a '67 or '68 Gibson SG in 1971, but was a broke high school kid. The guy was selling it for $125.00! It still haunts me.... __________________ If you get hung up on just guitar players, you've missed something.... Don't ever get to a point where you just gotta be a guitar player. You hear something, go try to get that note and sound as much like that as you can.-Buddy Guy

April 1st, 2008, 09:37 AM	#45 (permalink)
SabuJSE Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Massachusetts Age: 42 Posts: 309	I love my Les Paul - now. But in order to get to love, I had to do the following: 1) Fret Job 2) Install Tonepros Bridge 3) Install Tonepros Tailpiece 4) Major setup work 5) Installed RS Guitarworks pots/caps replacement kit 6) Installed Zhangbucker Pure Handwound humbuckers Basically, a complete overhaul - certainly electronically. Now, it gets wonderful Les Paul tones and useful tone/vol controls. Luckily, I bought mine used so I didn't pay full price but I still put more money into this thing then I should have. But at least now I have one smoking LP that I'll never get rid of... __________________ Fender 2007 Custom Shop Custom Classic Telecaster \| Gibson 2004 Les Paul Standard Gibson 2005 SG Std / Fender 2004 AmDlx Ash Strat \| Mesa '05 Lonestar Special Gibson 2006 CJ-165 Maple \| Martin 2004 DC Aura "Playing is not practice. Practice is taking something you can't do, and trying it until you can." - Ben Harper

April 1st, 2008, 12:19 PM	#46 (permalink)
PA Woody TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bremerton, Wa Age: 53 Posts: 11	I went to the Experience Music Project in Seattle a couple of months ago. On my way home I decided to stop at the GC just a few blocks away to check out a few Gibson LPs. I looked at about 6 or 7 LP Standards and every single one of them had horrible binding on the bodies. The bindings were not in the same plane as the side of the guitar. They angled in at the top edge and there was a highly visible ridge at the lower edge where the binding meets the body. I looked at a used LP Custom( I think) that was only 2 or 3 years old. The binding on it was separating from the body in many places. Is this a common problem with Gibson LPs? I didn't bother to play any of them. I wouldn't pay over 2K for a guitar with two bit bindings. I know they're not all like these but the fact that so many are is enough to turn me off to Gibson. How can anyone not like Gibsons? High prices and hit or miss quality does it for me. YMMV

April 1st, 2008, 12:52 PM	#47 (permalink)
strummin67 Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sunnyvale, CA Age: 41 Posts: 210	Been to EMP a couple of times and that GC once. :D All four of the Les Pauls I've owned (still own one) were from the Norlan period and despite the bad rap, all were actually made fairly well. Even better than today. __________________ Strummin My Guitars

May 2nd, 2008, 04:53 PM	#48 (permalink)
River TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Crestone, CO USA Age: 53 Posts: 61	'92 LP Standard My LP is a '92 Standard, fully stock in what I think is a relatively rare natural finish. Plays extremely well and pushed through a Bassman easily duplicates Jimmy Page on his Telecaster on LZ I and live with no effects but reverb. I don't know what Gibson's reputation for quality and pricing was in '92, but there is just nothing sub par about this one. If they ship poor-quality LP's now, shame on them. I don't know what mine's worth, but it should probably be worth more than a comparable new one, from what I'm hearing. As far as tone goes, I subscribe to the theory that it's mostly the player, then the amp, then the guitar. My 60's Hoffner is pretty much a train-wreck, but I can make it sound 90% the same. Strummin67, what's the "Norlan period" please?

May 3rd, 2008, 01:19 AM	#50 (permalink)
Unseen Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 61 Posts: 1,396	I have two dual-humbucker guitars which sound great (Minarik Lotus, Luna Andromeda). One dual P-90 (Eastwood Sidejack Deluxe) which sounds sweet, and one coil-tapped dual-humbucker guitar which has the hottest pickups of the four and sounds fine indeed. I love the sound of humbuckers. I love the sound of single-coils (and P-90's are a kind of single-coil). I just can't get into guitars made by GIBSON.

May 3rd, 2008, 04:14 AM	#51 (permalink)
Joe Chaney Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: aude, France Age: 16 Posts: 455 2 Photos	seriously i prefer epiphones by a long way __________________ If you're not careful, It'll stick to your cheeks, and You'll smell like a native, For a couple of weeks In France

May 3rd, 2008, 04:58 AM	#52 (permalink)
Trimac20 Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Perth, WA, Australia Age: 22 Posts: 238	My favourite tones are the P90 and the Tele vintage pickups: you need buckers for hard rock, but they sound generic and lack character. My favourite tone is real 'rock-n-roll': harsh, ballsy with a bit of distortion - 'screaming'. The more I think about it the compressed humbucker tones are simply too 'over-produced' and not pure enough for me. As for the guitars themselves - I still drool over a Paul, but in terms of the sound, it's still Fenders...except for the P90. Having said that, I'm not a fan of the Strat tone.

May 3rd, 2008, 09:18 AM	#53 (permalink)
TG Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Beside a bog in the west of Ireland Age: 46 Posts: 4,427 7 Photos	I've just returned from a trip to town where I checked out a new Slash signature Les Paul...the Epiphone one. Other than needing a bit of a setup and perhaps some work on the nut it was ace. About 7 pounds or so, great finish, frets seemed OK, hardware was all good...and the Duncan Alnico2 humbuckers sounded great thru a little Roland Cube30 amp (the reason I went to the shop was to price the amp for a friend's son...I just used the guitar as a random 'tester'). The Duncan pickups seemed clear and balanced with no humbucker mushiness. A good clean sound. So if you can forget about it having anything to do with Slash (if that bothers you) you'll have a great LP for not a lot of money.

May 3rd, 2008, 12:16 PM	#55 (permalink)
Pvee Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 253	I had a couple new Les Pauls that needed fretwork and other setup work, but the new es339 I just bought is about perfect. I could not find a thing wrong with it in the store before I bought it. I like the 57 classic pickups.

May 3rd, 2008, 05:39 PM	#56 (permalink)
wooderson Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: DFW, TX Age: 27 Posts: 177	There are three Gibson models I've not seen many people offer up complaints about - the Melody Maker, the SG Classic and the ES-339. I dunno if they just have better crews working them, or if it's a price thing (lowered expectations for the first two at their lower price?), or if folks buying them just aren't cork-sniffing as much as folks who reject 8 out of 10 $3000 LPs.

May 3rd, 2008, 07:22 PM	#57 (permalink)
studio1087 Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Near Milwaukee Age: 44 Posts: 3,750 36 Photos	I prefer single coils and P-90's but I have to have one humbucker guitar in the woodpile. I prefer clean and dirty single coils but every now again I want a thick clean jazz tone or a really meaty overdrive sound and then humbuckers are perfect. I've had two Epi jazz guitars but the feedback problems and the size of a hollow body bothered me. I've had three Les Pauls over 30 years and they were very heavy. I have a Faded SG now that I love. It's about as heavy as a Strat, it plays really well and the Gibson Humbuckers in the mahogany/nitro body sound organic and alive. It's a very responsive humbucker guitar be it clean, edgy or really dirty. I wouldn't yank the Gibson pickups out of my SG for anything. Just keep looking. If you're happy without a Gibson....just be happy. The PRS Singlecut SE humbucker guitars are really sweet @ $600 but my old PRS SE humbucker guitar did not have the organic growl that my Gibson does. My Gibson has a boatload of sound. It's a keeper.... I love my P90 guitar but the sound of a P90 cannot be compared to my SG....different animals. __________________ JLG Carry On

May 4th, 2008, 09:21 AM	#58 (permalink)
raf Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2007 Location: Indiana Age: 42 Posts: 642 9 Photos	If you like gibsons, get something with p-90s and you can still get the jangle ! Check out videos from Sean Costello...too bad he is gone...he made that gibson sing! May not be an SG in comparison, but hell, what a sound! __________________ "Great playing! Awesome tone! Cool Tele! All is right with the world!"...raf '08 Last edited by raf; May 4th, 2008 at 11:33 AM.

May 4th, 2008, 09:36 AM	#59 (permalink)
CatfishStudios Banned Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Portland, Oregon , United States Age: 33 Posts: 727	I like my Les Paul...I can get some sweet sounds out of it..burstbucker pros are sweet..tone ,tone tone....but I still use my fenders more..just personal preference.two different animals.Ill disagree with whoever says they are not versatile..I can get good cleans..meaty chunk..or even country twang from my Gibson..I WILL AGREE that Gibsons current lack of quality control is plain stupid..Ive seen sharp frets, glue globs under finish..sanding marks..twisted necks..rattling wood chips in the "Tone Chamber"for the price they need to get on the ball or risk damage to the brandname..which is the only reason they are gettin away with it..I opened and returned 5 Les Pauls before finding one that had none of the issues..I still need a Gibby 335...nothin like em!..but ill not be purchasing any new gibbys..ill look for good quality older used gibsons.. you see it with most companies..if they have a good name and rep..they raise price and lower quality..if they have a poor rep on the name, they raise quality and lower price..think Squire..