jp_nyc
Kick Henry Jackassowski
I bought this because it was $500 off. Nice deal for a guitar that’s on par with a standard aside from the satin finish and pickup covers.
This is a fun one. I don’t know why they put it in the Traditional line, because it’s not traditional. It has my favorite upgrade: locking tuners. The nut is Graphtec, probably the same used on the standard. The transition line between the neck and binding is still there like the one I returned, but I’m just going to accept that as the price of buying a “cheap” Gibson.
The electronics are cool: the pickups can be coil tapped or split (controlled by a dip switch) with the push/pull volume knob. One push/pull tone knob lets the pickups run out of phase and the second controls if the outer or inner coils are used. It’s a lot of sonic options for a basic looking Les Paul. The neck pickup has a big bass hump so I’ll be getting out the screwdriver to turn that down.
I like the looks. It’s not an award winning top but it doesn’t look like a discount model. This is the satin model so it isn’t shiny but that’s not obvious unless you hold it under a light. Gibson claims this is a rosewood fingerboard but it must be from a new source because it’s not the dark Indian rosewood I’m used to. I’ll try darkening it with a little mineral oil.
The setup needs a little work. The action is optimistic so there’s a little buzz but I should be able to fix that by raising the bridge a little bit.
A Gibson branded leather strap is included in the case. It’s pretty cheap; the rough inside flakes off. It’s not wide or padded so it isn’t suited for a heavy guitar (think 70s heavy) but I have another padded strap for this and I’ll use the new one on one of my SGs.
So now that I have a reason to play again I hope I start playing. $1,750 isn’t a lot for a Gibson Les Paul but it’s enough that I noticed so it will light a little fire under my ass.
