Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14
The back looks nice; I was thinking, "Not quite a one-piece," before I read your comment. Top looks great, too; is there binding? Hard to see from the photos. How was the setup out of the box? How's it sound plugged in? Happy with the stock pups?
...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
pros:
- 7lbs 12oz chambered vs the 10lbs (allegedly weight relieved) of my custom. can actually sit with it unlike the custom which will just tip off.
- very resonant unplugged. the main factor i look for. you can feel the notes in the neck. my custom does not have this characteristic. it's a bit of a dead guitar though it sounds fine plugged in.
- pickups sound awesome. was initially thinking i might put a mini hum in the bridge (to get neil finn tonez) but i love the P90s.
- the usual good tuners and hardware. no issues for me. lots of people like to change them though.
- nice fretboard (especially after some oil) and decent inlays. the inlay work itself is fine.
- good pots (the usual stuff). unlike fender (who wires lefty but doesn't use lefty taper which means none of controls actually work) gibson just wires right handed and uses linear volume pots which means all the controls work (and 10 means 10, not 1 means 10, like fender). i prefer this and rewire all my fenders thusly. (rickenbacker and gretsch do the same half-ass job as fender but i don't alter those guitars. ricks due to value and gretsch because it's a PITA hollowbody.
- it's a goldtop with P90s!!!! next step up is an R6 for 5x the money (3-4x used). this is good value for me. plus i got mine for $850 (same as righty whereas everyone else is charging 1000-1050.
cons:
-craftsmanship on the neck is pretty weak. just the joint between the fretboard and the neck... mostly around the 1-3 frets. it just looks poor but really doesn't feel any different than the slight binding shrinkage that my other gibbys have. the side dot positioning is better than on my J45 (which was done by a blind, drunk, squirrel).
-one strange fret. it's levelled properly but has some excess material on the side, never seen that before, it's weird but doesn't affect play. fretwork overall seems fine.
-the odd gribbly in the finish but nothing major and overall the finish is thin which is nice. it will wear nicely. it's still nitro. the top was flaw-free.
-the precise location of the seam on the back lines up with the treble horn so it looks a little crap there. just bad luck.
-the "worn" finish amounts to them removing finish along the top of the lower bout which is logical, along the edge of the treble upper bout which is not, and from the back of the neck which is pretty much undetectable (sort of splotchy in places) with the natural finish on this one. now, the "worn" edges on the top don't really stand out due to the light sides (natural finish of the maple top, no binding on the body or neck) and the gold which is fine by me (the rest of the colours, save honeyburst, look like crap). i'm going to beat the shit out of it anyway since i have a feeling it's going to get a lot of play.
- crappy ceramic tone caps (the 50s tributes had orange drops) but that's easy enough to change should i so choose. they aren't any crappier than those in my custom (old gibson USA, not a historic custom). soldering job is not as nice as my custom but there are no weird hums or anything.
- set up was ok (action a little high) but i use 11-50 (not 10-46) so i had to set it up to my liking anyway. with the nashville bridge and the neck angle on this particular guitar, i had to have the stop tail way too high to clear the back of the bridge so i ultimately screwed it right down and top-wrapped which i've never done before but now i have the action nice and low with no buzz.
- some poor assembly. the washer on the toggle switch was obviously tightened with pliers because the switch ring is gouged. easy fix. also, the pointers on the knobs aren't aligned. easy fix. but they're obviously firing these things out fast.
overall:
i'm happy. the pickups are deadly. dynamics are so easy and they've got lots of bite. the neck is a 60s profile which is smaller than my other LP. my 335 is 60s as well but it's more of a D whereas this feels a lot like an vintage style fender C or something. not hard to get used to but very noticeable switching back to the custom. the light weight is a treat. it's chambered but i don't feel like it loses anything because of it. it's still ballsy. picking up the custom afterwards is a chore. this one is way more fun and comfortable to play.
the biggest downside is the quality of the crafting on the neck. i would say it's epiphone level. that's a bummer but it's not like i have 10 to choose from or lots of options in the P90 realm thanks to my leftiness. the back of mine is a lot nicer than some i've seen (up to 5 pieces, weird grain etc.).
i'm generally happy. it's barebones and feels a bit like a stripped down hotrod. i've wanted a goldtop for a long time and i wanted a true P90 guitar ( i missed out on the faded DCs) so this was a good fit for me. i wasn't expecting historic-level quality. i just wanted a fun guitar and hoped it would be light and resonant, which it is. it's a win.
Sounds like a typical modern Gibson... hit or miss, and you got mostly a hit. Looks like no binding, just the maple top peeking through on the sides. Glad the stock pups came out great, I've been a little underwhelmed by Gibby pups lately. But they've been winding P-90's for a long time now. I did laugh a little at the little sliver of different wood on the horn; if they could've avoided that cut, it would look a bit better. But the grain looks good. Sounds like you're a couple orange drops and a half-hour with a solder gun short of a small masterpiece!
...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
my SG standard is 3 piece and has that stupid little piece too. :(
wood selection was not a priority on these things. that, the lack of binding, and the finish are the big cost reducers.
i should state that the right-handed white one i looked at before i received mine, though hideous, had better overall fit and finish on the neck/fretboard.
but it's really minor. mine was the only lefty goldtop to come into the city so i don't have anything to compare to or exchange for. and resonance trumps this anyway.
Thank you exhausted! Most in-depth review I've read yet on this series. Awesome work. Overall worked out well for you, and fits the bill for your needs perfect.
Evolution Music Studios presents:
DO THE EVOLUTION - a 20th Anniversary Tribute Celebration
of PEARL JAM - WORLD CAFE LIVE PHILLY JUNE 19th 7pm
Comments
*almost* got a one piece back. i'll post some thoughts later. overall positive.
wow, she is pretty
:thumbup:
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
https://www.facebook.com/aghostwritersapology/
DO THE EVOLUTION - a 20th Anniversary Tribute Celebration
of PEARL JAM - WORLD CAFE LIVE PHILLY JUNE 19th 7pm
DO THE EVOLUTION - a 20th Anniversary Tribute Celebration
of PEARL JAM - WORLD CAFE LIVE PHILLY JUNE 19th 7pm
pros:
- 7lbs 12oz chambered vs the 10lbs (allegedly weight relieved) of my custom. can actually sit with it unlike the custom which will just tip off.
- very resonant unplugged. the main factor i look for. you can feel the notes in the neck. my custom does not have this characteristic. it's a bit of a dead guitar though it sounds fine plugged in.
- pickups sound awesome. was initially thinking i might put a mini hum in the bridge (to get neil finn tonez) but i love the P90s.
- the usual good tuners and hardware. no issues for me. lots of people like to change them though.
- nice fretboard (especially after some oil) and decent inlays. the inlay work itself is fine.
- good pots (the usual stuff). unlike fender (who wires lefty but doesn't use lefty taper which means none of controls actually work) gibson just wires right handed and uses linear volume pots which means all the controls work (and 10 means 10, not 1 means 10, like fender). i prefer this and rewire all my fenders thusly. (rickenbacker and gretsch do the same half-ass job as fender but i don't alter those guitars. ricks due to value and gretsch because it's a PITA hollowbody.
- it's a goldtop with P90s!!!! next step up is an R6 for 5x the money (3-4x used). this is good value for me. plus i got mine for $850 (same as righty whereas everyone else is charging 1000-1050.
cons:
-craftsmanship on the neck is pretty weak. just the joint between the fretboard and the neck... mostly around the 1-3 frets. it just looks poor but really doesn't feel any different than the slight binding shrinkage that my other gibbys have. the side dot positioning is better than on my J45 (which was done by a blind, drunk, squirrel).
-one strange fret. it's levelled properly but has some excess material on the side, never seen that before, it's weird but doesn't affect play. fretwork overall seems fine.
-the odd gribbly in the finish but nothing major and overall the finish is thin which is nice. it will wear nicely. it's still nitro. the top was flaw-free.
-the precise location of the seam on the back lines up with the treble horn so it looks a little crap there. just bad luck.
-the "worn" finish amounts to them removing finish along the top of the lower bout which is logical, along the edge of the treble upper bout which is not, and from the back of the neck which is pretty much undetectable (sort of splotchy in places) with the natural finish on this one. now, the "worn" edges on the top don't really stand out due to the light sides (natural finish of the maple top, no binding on the body or neck) and the gold which is fine by me (the rest of the colours, save honeyburst, look like crap). i'm going to beat the shit out of it anyway since i have a feeling it's going to get a lot of play.
- crappy ceramic tone caps (the 50s tributes had orange drops) but that's easy enough to change should i so choose. they aren't any crappier than those in my custom (old gibson USA, not a historic custom). soldering job is not as nice as my custom but there are no weird hums or anything.
- set up was ok (action a little high) but i use 11-50 (not 10-46) so i had to set it up to my liking anyway. with the nashville bridge and the neck angle on this particular guitar, i had to have the stop tail way too high to clear the back of the bridge so i ultimately screwed it right down and top-wrapped which i've never done before but now i have the action nice and low with no buzz.
- some poor assembly. the washer on the toggle switch was obviously tightened with pliers because the switch ring is gouged. easy fix. also, the pointers on the knobs aren't aligned. easy fix. but they're obviously firing these things out fast.
overall:
i'm happy. the pickups are deadly. dynamics are so easy and they've got lots of bite. the neck is a 60s profile which is smaller than my other LP. my 335 is 60s as well but it's more of a D whereas this feels a lot like an vintage style fender C or something. not hard to get used to but very noticeable switching back to the custom. the light weight is a treat. it's chambered but i don't feel like it loses anything because of it. it's still ballsy. picking up the custom afterwards is a chore. this one is way more fun and comfortable to play.
the biggest downside is the quality of the crafting on the neck. i would say it's epiphone level. that's a bummer but it's not like i have 10 to choose from or lots of options in the P90 realm thanks to my leftiness. the back of mine is a lot nicer than some i've seen (up to 5 pieces, weird grain etc.).
i'm generally happy. it's barebones and feels a bit like a stripped down hotrod. i've wanted a goldtop for a long time and i wanted a true P90 guitar ( i missed out on the faded DCs) so this was a good fit for me. i wasn't expecting historic-level quality. i just wanted a fun guitar and hoped it would be light and resonant, which it is. it's a win.
this is how it turned out top-wrapped.
wood selection was not a priority on these things. that, the lack of binding, and the finish are the big cost reducers.
i should state that the right-handed white one i looked at before i received mine, though hideous, had better overall fit and finish on the neck/fretboard.
but it's really minor. mine was the only lefty goldtop to come into the city so i don't have anything to compare to or exchange for. and resonance trumps this anyway.
DO THE EVOLUTION - a 20th Anniversary Tribute Celebration
of PEARL JAM - WORLD CAFE LIVE PHILLY JUNE 19th 7pm
I love the aged white 60s tribute SG too. But I still think I am holding out for the worn ES-339 if and when they ever make one.
8/15/92, 9/28/96, 8/28/98, 8/29/98, 9/18/98, 8/3/00, 8/9/00, 8/10/00, 8/23/00, 8/25/00, 9/1/00, 9/2/00, 4/28/03, 6/18/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 10/1/04, 10/3/05, 6/19/08, 10/27/09, 10/31/09, 5/21/10, 9/3/11, 9/4/11, 10/21/13
More to Come....