mickeybo89 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Its that tine of year again. I am itching for a les paul. It has been a long time coming. I am thinking of the classic custom ii or the traditional pro ii. Both have coil splits however I am not sure about the satin back. The pro ii has considerably more finish options. What are thoughts on this especially the satin back and neck? __________________________________________ Gibson Midtown custom natural Gibson Sg standard cherry Fender USA lamboo telecaster Takamine etn20c Fender standard Stratocaster Takamine eg449sc epiphone sg 3q0 Marshall tsl 60 1969a cab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Hi and welcome to the forum. I had never heard of the Trad Pro II so googled it and it seems to be USA-exclusive model; at least it's not available as a regular item here in the UK. There were some details posted, however, so at least now I know the specs. As far as the satin-finish neck and back are concerned; It must come down to personal taste as to what you feel (literally) about a satin finish. Personally I don't like a satin neck but others prefer them as they notice there is a tendency (with themselves) for a hi-gloss neck to become 'sticky'. FWIW the only satin-finish neck I own has actually become smooth through play - and it hasn't taken very long for this to happen. This, however, was on a Fender so the durability of the finish may very well be different. Apart from that the big differences, as you know, are the electronics (10db boost in the T-P II) and the increased amount of 'Bling' on the Classic Custom. P'ups are almost the same so I wouldn't expect too much difference on that score. One other thing; the T-P II is made from a solid mahogany body-blank. Some folks find this a plus-point. My choice, without a doubt, would be the T-P II but that's just me. Go and play a few of each and see what you think! P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeybo89 Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Thanks for the excellent reply. A good few uk companies have traditional pros ii ( andertons,guitar guitar and richtone music) however it looks like the majority left are equipped with the 50s neck. Which is foo chunky for me personally. however i can only fine 3 classic customs in the uk there in Guitar Guitar. The trad pros are going for 1199 and classic custom 1299 respectively. I was tempted this morning by a signature t in dawsons for 999. But the ebony finish with cream scratchplate would just leave me wanting something prettier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Hi again Mickeybo. I didn't realise you were also in the UK. Apologies. Yes, there are indeed a number of dealers advertising the Trad Pro II but best be mindful that not all of them have the guitars in stock - Andertons for example - and some of the ones who do are asking £1,399. I'm sure you will have already done your homework in this respect, though! If you have your mind set on 'something prettier' then I'd strongly advise you to hold-off from buying anything other than that which you truly desire. "A Les Paul is Not Just for Christmas" - as it were. The likelihood is that if you get a 'Good One' it will stay with you for years - or even decades. Spending £1k now only to wish in six months' time you had waited a bit longer and spent £1.2k to get 'The One' would be an unpleasant situation in which to find yourself. Of those examples I can find advertised in the UK for £1,199 (in an admittedly hasty search) this one would definitely appeal to me; http://www.pmtonline...CFWT4wgodA3EAZw I, too, am more of a fan of the '60s neck but it all depends on the carve of the individual instrument. As I'm sure you know Gibson necks are still finished by hand so vary from one example to the next even within the same model. I've played '58s - which are supposed to be the proverbial 'Baseball Bat' - which have had far slimmer necks than my R9 so a " '50s Neck profile" is not always a guarantee of heft... I have had no dealings with PMT so don't know how helpful they might be but it's worth asking if they would agree to measure the neck-thicknesses at the 1st and 12th frets. This would at least give you something to compare with the pair of Gibbies (and Fenders) that you already own. They seem to have around a dozen branches; perhaps one is near you and you could ask for a stock-transfer? P. EDIT : Exercising 'Due Diligence' I noticed in the link posted above that where the guitar is described as a LP Trad Pro II '50s in the headline the specifications says it has a '60s neck. If you are a fan of the HoneyBurst it might be worth while giving them a call. NGD Thread on the Horizon.......lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 ... FWIW the only satin-finish neck I own has actually become smooth through play - and it hasn't taken very long for this to happen. This, however, was on a Fender so the durability of the finish may very well be different. ... P. Interestingly I experienced the opposite with my 1986 Ibanez RG 430 bought new in 1987. It is the one guitar of mine with several thousands of playing hours, far more than all the others in addition, clearly revealed by fret wear. However, the back of the satin finished neck has darkened significantly but still has a satin surface. The single Gibson and all the Fenders of mine with satin finished neck backs have just a fraction of playing hours, so it might take some more use, but none of them shows any tendency of changing finish texture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Interestingly I experienced the opposite with my 1986 Ibanez RG 430... Yes, Cap, I thought the Fender example might not have been typical. I couldn't quite see how someone like Gibson could offer a 'Satin-Finish' if it became Glossy after around 100 hours playtime! The odd thing is Ryan H here has exactly the same type of satin-finish Fender neck as I do and his has smoothed-out in a similar fashion. Weird! But the good news is shooting some Gloss Nitro over the rear of a neck is child's play for a competent luthier/finisher. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Hi, coda music have them in a 60's neck for £1189, guitarguitar has the 60's neck for £1199 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeybo89 Posted April 2, 2014 Author Share Posted April 2, 2014 Yep coda music have em... . Sooo far away need to try it. Damn you dawsons for charging 200 more than everywhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Yep coda music have em... . Sooo far away need to try it. Damn you dawsons for charging 200 more than everywhere else. They might price match if you enquire. Im not familiar with their policies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeybo89 Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 After trying both I chose neither I have opted for a 2013 trans amber standard. Should have it in less then two weeks. Yesss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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