Low down on new Gibsons

[jibberish]

prs's are very nice. years ago, GC had a wall of them and i played every one of them. if i had the cash, i would have bought one for sure. then i boiled down to either getting that studio LP which i did end up getting, or a used PRS. it was sweet, but it was purple and had a trace of fretwear.

i think many people rag on prs that have never picked one up. they are sleek sexy pieces of art for starters.  there was not a clinker on that wall. they all played like a dream.

another underrated guitar brand is carvin.  i was over at an ex-hs classmates' place last summer. he has a nice stable of guitars and amps. he still plays music. we will probably jam again soon ...anyway.  i already told him, if there is a breakin and his carvin guit and fender twin reverb are gone...it was me lol

edit: that also was when they had the whole parker line in stock too.  the carbon fly neck was amazing. the thing's sound just did not impress me tho. <--relate this to the adrian belew video where he does use one for its specific characteristics

[Pissy]

Thanks for posting that Jake. Good to know. When not playing my beloved Guild, I flip between a Hagstrom Ultra or Super Swede (not sure which), an Agile, and an early 90s "1960" Les Paul
Classic (all belonging to Pissy, because he has furnished me with guitars and amps off and on for 20 years

Anyway, that early 90s LP is fantastic. Much like my Guild, it damn near plays itself. If I can get the $ together, I'd like to buy it from him. The Hag is 2nd.. Good but not great. Something about it just doesn't quite click with me. The Agile just feels like a cheap guitar to me. I don't know what it is. If I was looking to spend $800-$1.5K on a LP style guitar, I'd probably look for an early 70s Guild Bluesbird first, but if most early 90s "classic" series Gibson LPs play like Pissy's, I'd be looking at those for sure. My two cents, based on my limited experience with them.

That Hagstrom is a Swede, not a Super Swede.  The reason i bought it was for the extra switch location on the lower 'bout.  I knew that switch was only a mid/high cut, and the guitar sounded best when the switch was in the "do nothing" position.  This allowed me the ability to remove it, and to move the pickup selector switch down there, so it was in a place where I wouldn't inadvertently hit it while strumming.  A problem I have with all LP style guitars.  The Super Swede doesn't have that switch.

Also, the Les Paul is just a straight up Standard, rather than a 1960, unless you've done some research and found something otherwise.  I got it on trade from Lippy.

[RacerX]

I got it on trade from Lippy.

Can I have it?

[Pissy]

You'll need to generate the largest batch of roasted Hatch Green Chiles in existence, then add cash.

[bitter]

I think the problem with PRS is their association with creed and a bunch on nu-metal acts in the early 2000's. 

I played one of the lower end models one time (may have been an se santana model). For the price, it was a fine guitar. Maybe not stellar but worth consideration.

[bass sic]

The guitarist in my old band played one and it sounded great. He had gibbys and a bunch of other shit but always played the PRS.

[mutantcolors]

Most of the PRS guitars I've seen have a GIGANTIC chunk of wood at the neck joint which was not comfortable in my hand.

Plainly seen here:


I am used to this:

[VOLVO)))]

PRS always lacked something for me. I dunno... I like Bolt ons.

[clockwork green]

PRS is a victim of guilt by association. Too many nü metal bands and too many blues lawyers. The do make plenty of bolt on's by the way. I really like their single cuts if I was in the market for a factory built Les Paul style guitar.

[VOLVO)))]

Edit of the original...


The finish is NOT nitro. It is some whacky urethane. Still smells good.

[The Shocker]

Edit of the original...


The finish is NOT nitro. It is some whacky urethane. Still smells good.

What The Fuck? 

From Gibson's spec page:
Finish Sealer Nitrocellulose
Process 1-1.5 mils

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio-70s-Tribute/Specs.aspx

And in the description page: "To top it off, the Les Paul Studio '70s Tribute looks great in your choice of Vintage Sunburst, Cherry, Gold Top or Silver Burst finish, all in grain-textured satin nitrocellulose lacquer."

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio-70s-Tribute.aspx

[VOLVO)))]

Apparently it isnt even a lacquer, it's a urethane. Maybe the SEALER COAT is, but the paint is not.

[fallen]

Most of the * guitars I've seen have a GIGANTIC chunk of wood at the neck joint which was not comfortable in my hand.

I am used to this:

Must be fun for the guitar salesman when you walk in. Not many guitars out there have a neck joint like that Mockingbird.

"Stratocaster?" giant chunk of wood at the neck joint. "SG? LP? Explorer? Telecaster? PRS? Rickenbacker? Jaguar? Thunderbird? Flying V? Ibanez? Yamaha? Hamer? Kramer? Yamaha? Gretch?"  giant chunk of wood at the neck joint.

[EddieMullet]

The PRS I have (The SE One) is one of the lower end ones, The SE series are made in Korea. I paid $299.00 for it used.

But it is a nice chunk of mahogany, not a bolt on, plays, sounds and feels great, it is a single cut with a single P-90.

only complaint was no tone control,  just a single volume, but I put in a stacked fender J bass pot so I could have a tone control and so I wouldn't have to drill more holes and it works great.

All in all a pretty nice Les Paul Jr. clone, I'm happy with it.

They still make them, but only out of Korina now, I guess Mahogany got too expensive to put in guitars that cheap.

[bitter]

Eddie, how's the neck profile on your PRS? I remember them being chunky, in a good way.

[mutantcolors]

Most of the * guitars I've seen have a GIGANTIC chunk of wood at the neck joint which was not comfortable in my hand.

I am used to this:

Must be fun for the guitar salesman when you walk in. Not many guitars out there have a neck joint like that Mockingbird.

"Stratocaster?" giant chunk of wood at the neck joint. "SG? LP? Explorer? Telecaster? PRS? Rickenbacker? Jaguar? Thunderbird? Flying V? Ibanez? Yamaha? Hamer? Kramer? Yamaha? Gretch?"  giant chunk of wood at the neck joint.

That's part of why I play Mockingbirds.

[mutantcolors]

Only other thing I fuck with is a Squire strat I got for $20, usually just for tracking solos. No salesman necessary.

[fallen]

They do look nice. My very first guitar was a BCRich "Platinum" strat shape and of course I put an EMG 81 in it right away.

[mutantcolors]

I get a chuckle out of the price tag on the American made ones. 'bout $3000...both mine together ring in well under a grand. Easy to find used because folks sell 'em off when they first think they have neck dive. They do, just a little, and then balance out just below where any other guitar might sit. Took me all of 2 days to get used to.

Anyway, enough derail.

[lordfinesse]

That Hagstrom is a Swede, not a Super Swede.  The reason i bought it was for the extra switch location on the lower 'bout.  I knew that switch was only a mid/high cut, and the guitar sounded best when the switch was in the "do nothing" position.  This allowed me the ability to remove it, and to move the pickup selector switch down there, so it was in a place where I wouldn't inadvertently hit it while strumming.  A problem I have with all LP style guitars.  The Super Swede doesn't have that switch.

Also, the Les Paul is just a straight up Standard, rather than a 1960, unless you've done some research and found something otherwise.  I got it on trade from Lippy.

Whatever Pissy. You come in here, all "settin the record straight"..  You know what? I say that Hagstrom is an Ultra Mega Rocket Swede. That Les Paul? It's a 1960 Classic Lightning Hammer one off with a factory EMP installed. So there. ..

Whatever they are, they play great. Coincidentally, after my earlier post touting Guild Bluebirds, one popped up on Charlotte Craigslist. Looks great. Asking $1500. No mention of what year it is. Wish I could pick it up.

[mawso]

PRS is a victim of guilt by association. Too many nü metal bands and too many blues lawyers. The do make plenty of bolt on's by the way. I really like their single cuts if I was in the market for a factory built Les Paul style guitar.

The PRSs that I've played have always seemed way too "smooth" and there doesn't seem any way of getting around that

With a good Paul I really like how it responds to what you put into it.  If you play it cleanly and carefully it will sound nice and smooth, but if you really dig in hard there is lots of bite and snap and you can get a really jarring attack out of it.  They can be sweet and civilised but they can also scratch and sting.  With PRSs they seem to stay smooth and polite all the time, and there's no getting around it.  I get the feeling the blues lawyer crowd gravitate towards them because they're really forgiving of poor right hand technique.  For me though I find them unexpressive and boring to play.

The PRS that I most liked was one of the cheaper SEs that I played in a guitar shop a few years ago.

[Ranbat]

Apparently it isnt even a lacquer, it's a urethane. Maybe the SEALER COAT is, but the paint is not.

I've read that they have started using urethane clear to speed up the curing process because they need to fill orders for MF, GC and the like.

[EddieMullet]

That describes the PRS I have perfectly the neck is chunky, but in that good way like a Les Paul is.

Also since it is pretty much the lowest end model they make, it is not all smooth and sterile, you gotta work it for good tones and you are rewarded well with your efforts.

My final take is I really like it, because it is a really nice low cost LP Jr. clone there's really no other way to describe it.

[The Shocker]

So Jake, any update on the Les Paul?