So, I spent an afternoon with the 2015s...

[rct]

I'm far from home. Stopped in the OKC GC last weekend, it was super crowded, but I noticed the wall full of 2015s. A guy from work with 7 guitars and I with 12 decided we'd spend the day at GC cracking wise.

 

So I've given them 4 solid hours, for you, the little people.

 

1. Signature and picture may be stupid, but they just don't bother me. I don't care what they put on them, never have.

 

2. GForce tunerz. I don't care. I have changed Gibson machines my whole life, if it's a gigger it gets Grovers. If they were on there, like back then sometimes, great. Otherwise, off they go. So changing machines is nothing to me. It would be disingenuous and hypocritical of me to hate them for the GForce. I don't like the...truth mangling about you can't take them off and all that, but I don't care about that either, I'd just change them. No guitar of mine has ever had fretwork and setup that was sentient enough to know what kind of machines were at the end, so I doubt that has happened. Maybe so, I could be wrong.

 

3. Metal nut/zero fret. eh. I'd probably put a regular old skewl nut on it, after a couple tries I'd probably get it right. It looks thicker, that is, more of it from end of fretboard towards the end of the guitar, so a replacement nut to fill all of the space a zero fret/nut combo fills might not be easy. But I will leave that up to the experts that do it a lot to decide, and the nut blank suppliers to very quickly provide thicker replacements if needed. The metal part, I don't know. Didn't like brass nuts in the 70s so, chances are I wouldn't like these for the same reasons, or, at worst, I wouldn't even notice it.

 

4. Wider neck, strings moved in. DO NOT LIKE. Had to de-ring my left hand, the edges of the neck falling somewhat further out, closer to my fingers, further from my palm, closer to my thumb on the other side. Not negotiable to me, I'm a thumb over player, and I use my thumb for scorching low end thunder as I arpeggiate through articulate open power chords and other miscellaneous molten riffery and blistering chord soloing. Or something. If you play D/G or D/F# with yer thumb for instance, I had a heck of a time getting the hang of it. So that's one thing, just the overall width increase, for me, not good. It's putting one of those necks in the rack with the regular old Gibson necks on my other Gibsons. Any thoughts I might have of picking up the 2015 to record something are going to be squashed by the other kinds of necks. It would be too hard to move amongst them, and the 15 would be the problem.

 

So, in no particular order.

 

First up was the Special? Double cut, 2 P90s, one was Red, one was Sunburst. I think Rabs pretty hot for these. Me too actually, the P90s are definitely something I need some of. This thing was...1100? I think that much. Seems cheap for a new Gibson, so I was surprised. Great paint on both, well put together, no glaring flaws at all. Just too much neck. It's like the all neck guitar. It could be a Steinbrenner or whatever them things were. All Neck, No Body. Small body guitars usually work better for me, 339 over 335, Casino Coupe over Casino, like that. This thing, both of them, were actually too small, I really wanted some more at that end. Played nice, if you can hack that neck, I can't. Both sounded great unplugged. I only plugged one in for a minute, it sounded like P90s, so that was good. I'd have to really take it home and wind it out to see how good they actually are, but I'm guessing pretty darn good. They are P90s, right?

 

Next was a Les Paul Plus? Thin, cut at the top for "comfort". Slim Les Paul body, Sunburst, don't know what the pickups were. Really Nice paint job, really really well put together. Sproingy and delightful unplugged, I could get the hang of this one quick yessir. Too bad it was glued to that neck.

 

Les Paul...Standard. It think. In a Blue that Paul Reed calls Denim, like that. Light back on it, very on the brown side of mahogany. Spectacular flame on top, very even, not too too much over the top like they can be. Just beautiful. This one had...Burstbucker something or others, I put it into some Blackstar thing and it made righteous Les Paul sounds, clean and the other clean. GREAT guitar fit and finish, paint, just stinking of a great Gibson. Too bad it was stuck to that neck.

 

Definitely a Les Paul Standard, Sunburst, no uber flamey top, some grain. Medium back, not as dark as my Classic, but on the red side of mahogany. Light. Superb balance. Sproingy and reverb-y unplugged. Into the same Blackstar thingy it made even more righteous Les Paul sounds, but I don't know what pickups in that one. I'da bought it if I didn't already have a great Les Paul and if it wasn't stuck to that neck.

 

Finally, some single cut thing, one P90 in the back, sorta not so shiny paint on it. Unbound neck, but all the rest of the 2015 stuff intact. Neck was way clubby, even for a junior, whatever it is. Almost, no kidding, almost unplayable. An open D made my back hurt, it was that clubby. No dice, at 900 dollars it was just sad.

 

In between all of them, a Skunk Baxter FiberBird. meh. A 2015 Sunburst regular old FibreBird. Just meh again. A 2015 Studio, another nice guitar, this one very heavy, but that neck, I'm tired of saying it. And a new Deluxe, GoldTop. Sweet! Neck not even Nice! I'da bought that Deluxe if it had a regular neck on it, I liked it a lot. It scratched the GoldTop and the minis itches simultaneously and at the same time, concurrently also.

 

Winner Of The Day: SG 61 Reissue, Heritage Cherry. None of the 2015 nonsense, I don't know if that was because it was a 2014 or because it was a 61 Reissue. Don't matter. That thing was a B1TCH. I swear I would have bought that if I didn't already have a delightful SG with a very similar neck. My partner was all just DAMN over and over again. Beautiful paint, really well put together, Gibson Neck that we all die for, exactly what we want, sounded just gargantuan plugged in, light and delicate unplugged. Man. We are supposed to go back next weekend to further shower our studly guitar selves on the locals. I'm laughing as I type it, but one of us might leave with that SG!

 

It was fun.

 

rct

[SteveFord]

The double cutaway is all neck - that pretty much sums it up!

[Rabs]

Thanks for the review man...

 

And its just such a darn blinkin shame.... I could forgive or mod all of the other changes they made.. But changing THE most important aspect of what makes a Gibson a Gibson in such a drastic way is just totally beyond reasoning to me... Just WHY??

 

One of the reasons I like the Double Cuts so much and was going crazy for this one, with neck binding an all is cos of my Faded one which has the most amazing slim and fast neck profile.. And it suits the slab body perfectly... it really is what makes them so great (and the P90s of course)..

 

 

Just baffling????

 

If you ever see one.. you gotta try one of these... then you will see what im always on about :)

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Classic-Double-Cutaway.aspx

[capmaster]

...

Winner Of The Day: SG 61 Reissue, Heritage Cherry. None of the 2015 nonsense, I don't know if that was because it was a 2014 or because it was a 61 Reissue. Don't matter. That thing was a B1TCH. I swear I would have bought that if I didn't already have a delightful SG with a very similar neck. My partner was all just DAMN over and over again. Beautiful paint, really well put together, Gibson Neck that we all die for, exactly what we want, sounded just gargantuan plugged in, light and delicate unplugged. Man. We are supposed to go back next weekend to further shower our studly guitar selves on the locals. I'm laughing as I type it, but one of us might leave with that SG!

 

It was fun.

 

rct

If this SG will still be there next weekend, that is!

 

Thank you for your reports and insights, Rct, well appreciated.

[SteveFord]

Wait until you try one of the 2015 SG Standards, it has enough neck for two guitars.

[rct]

Wait until you try one of the 2015 SG Standards, it has enough neck for two guitars.

 

I couldn't reach them, and after all the neck grousing we had already done, I didn't care that I couldn't reach them.

 

rct

[rct]

Thanks for the review man...

 

And its just such a darn blinkin shame.... I could forgive or mod all of the other changes they made.. But changing THE most important aspect of what makes a Gibson a Gibson in such a drastic way is just totally beyond reasoning to me... Just WHY??

 

One of the reasons I like the Double Cuts so much and was going crazy for this one, with neck binding an all is cos of my Faded one which has the most amazing slim and fast neck profile.. And it suits the slab body perfectly... it really is what makes them so great (and the P90s of course)..

 

 

Just baffling????

 

I used to have one of those faded double cut specials, pair of P90s in it and it too had a really nice neck on it. Why was it I traded that again?

 

If you ever see one.. you gotta try one of these... then you will see what im always on about :)

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Classic-Double-Cutaway.aspx

 

YOW zuh. That's a nice guitar.

 

rct

[Kaiser Bill]

I did a gig last night with my double cut...what a nice guitar...not my fave in the stable, but close to #1.

[Drog]

 

 

If you ever see one.. you gotta try one of these... then you will see what im always on about :)

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Classic-Double-Cutaway.aspx

I tried one, to be honest I was disappointed in how the neck felt. My two Les Paul feel a ton better to me. I just could not get comfortable on that neck. The top was really nice, but a little too orange for my taste.

I did finally try an LP Axcess the same day, I love that guitar. A perfect neck for me. I will be getting one of these in a hard tail.

[saturn]

I'm far from home. Stopped in the OKC GC last weekend, it was super crowded, but I noticed the wall full of 2015s. A guy from work with 7 guitars and I with 12 decided we'd spend the day at GC cracking wise.

 

So I've given them 4 solid hours, for you, the little people.

 

1. Signature and picture may be stupid, but they just don't bother me. I don't care what they put on them, never have.

 

2. GForce tunerz. I don't care. I have changed Gibson machines my whole life, if it's a gigger it gets Grovers. If they were on there, like back then sometimes, great. Otherwise, off they go. So changing machines is nothing to me. It would be disingenuous and hypocritical of me to hate them for the GForce. I don't like the...truth mangling about you can't take them off and all that, but I don't care about that either, I'd just change them. No guitar of mine has ever had fretwork and setup that was sentient enough to know what kind of machines were at the end, so I doubt that has happened. Maybe so, I could be wrong.

 

3. Metal nut/zero fret. eh. I'd probably put a regular old skewl nut on it, after a couple tries I'd probably get it right. It looks thicker, that is, more of it from end of fretboard towards the end of the guitar, so a replacement nut to fill all of the space a zero fret/nut combo fills might not be easy. But I will leave that up to the experts that do it a lot to decide, and the nut blank suppliers to very quickly provide thicker replacements if needed. The metal part, I don't know. Didn't like brass nuts in the 70s so, chances are I wouldn't like these for the same reasons, or, at worst, I wouldn't even notice it.

 

4. Wider neck, strings moved in. DO NOT LIKE. Had to de-ring my left hand, the edges of the neck falling somewhat further out, closer to my fingers, further from my palm, closer to my thumb on the other side. Not negotiable to me, I'm a thumb over player, and I use my thumb for scorching low end thunder as I arpeggiate through articulate open power chords and other miscellaneous molten riffery and blistering chord soloing. Or something. If you play D/G or D/F# with yer thumb for instance, I had a heck of a time getting the hang of it. So that's one thing, just the overall width increase, for me, not good. It's putting one of those necks in the rack with the regular old Gibson necks on my other Gibsons. Any thoughts I might have of picking up the 2015 to record something are going to be squashed by the other kinds of necks. It would be too hard to move amongst them, and the 15 would be the problem.

 

So, in no particular order.

 

First up was the Special? Double cut, 2 P90s, one was Red, one was Sunburst. I think Rabs pretty hot for these. Me too actually, the P90s are definitely something I need some of. This thing was...1100? I think that much. Seems cheap for a new Gibson, so I was surprised. Great paint on both, well put together, no glaring flaws at all. Just too much neck. It's like the all neck guitar. It could be a Steinbrenner or whatever them things were. All Neck, No Body. Small body guitars usually work better for me, 339 over 335, Casino Coupe over Casino, like that. This thing, both of them, were actually too small, I really wanted some more at that end. Played nice, if you can hack that neck, I can't. Both sounded great unplugged. I only plugged one in for a minute, it sounded like P90s, so that was good. I'd have to really take it home and wind it out to see how good they actually are, but I'm guessing pretty darn good. They are P90s, right?

 

Next was a Les Paul Plus? Thin, cut at the top for "comfort". Slim Les Paul body, Sunburst, don't know what the pickups were. Really Nice paint job, really really well put together. Sproingy and delightful unplugged, I could get the hang of this one quick yessir. Too bad it was glued to that neck.

 

Les Paul...Standard. It think. In a Blue that Paul Reed calls Denim, like that. Light back on it, very on the brown side of mahogany. Spectacular flame on top, very even, not too too much over the top like they can be. Just beautiful. This one had...Burstbucker something or others, I put it into some Blackstar thing and it made righteous Les Paul sounds, clean and the other clean. GREAT guitar fit and finish, paint, just stinking of a great Gibson. Too bad it was stuck to that neck.

 

Definitely a Les Paul Standard, Sunburst, no uber flamey top, some grain. Medium back, not as dark as my Classic, but on the red side of mahogany. Light. Superb balance. Sproingy and reverb-y unplugged. Into the same Blackstar thingy it made even more righteous Les Paul sounds, but I don't know what pickups in that one. I'da bought it if I didn't already have a great Les Paul and if it wasn't stuck to that neck.

 

Finally, some single cut thing, one P90 in the back, sorta not so shiny paint on it. Unbound neck, but all the rest of the 2015 stuff intact. Neck was way clubby, even for a junior, whatever it is. Almost, no kidding, almost unplayable. An open D made my back hurt, it was that clubby. No dice, at 900 dollars it was just sad.

 

In between all of them, a Skunk Baxter FiberBird. meh. A 2015 Sunburst regular old FibreBird. Just meh again. A 2015 Studio, another nice guitar, this one very heavy, but that neck, I'm tired of saying it. And a new Deluxe, GoldTop. Sweet! Neck not even Nice! I'da bought that Deluxe if it had a regular neck on it, I liked it a lot. It scratched the GoldTop and the minis itches simultaneously and at the same time, concurrently also.

 

Winner Of The Day: SG 61 Reissue, Heritage Cherry. None of the 2015 nonsense, I don't know if that was because it was a 2014 or because it was a 61 Reissue. Don't matter. That thing was a B1TCH. I swear I would have bought that if I didn't already have a delightful SG with a very similar neck. My partner was all just DAMN over and over again. Beautiful paint, really well put together, Gibson Neck that we all die for, exactly what we want, sounded just gargantuan plugged in, light and delicate unplugged. Man. We are supposed to go back next weekend to further shower our studly guitar selves on the locals. I'm laughing as I type it, but one of us might leave with that SG!

 

It was fun.

 

rct

 

If you don't already, you should find a way to get paid fr your creative writing. Nice reviews. But just to be clear, you don't like the necks?

[Jimi Mac]

Actually, and I'm not being wise...

 

What is it about the necks?

 

Is it some new compound radius thing they're putting on them all or some asymmetrical profile?

 

I know it's been gone over in here but I can't remember... Is it the same neck style/profile on all of them?

 

If you don't mind I'd appreciate a refresher on what that's all about...

[Searcy]

I was really excited abou8t the new necks at first. But the more I look at them it seems that they necks are wider but the string spacing is the same...? I'm thinking I won;t like that. I'll try some of these out neck week and get an idea.

[Rabs]

Actually, and I'm not being wise...

 

What is it about the necks?

 

Is it some new compound radius thing they're putting on them all or some asymmetrical profile?

 

I know it's been gone over in here but I can't remember... Is it the same neck style/profile on all of them?

 

If you don't mind I'd appreciate a refresher on what that's all about...

Well theres a few things they have done...

 

They have made the fretboards thicker which is really neither here nor there as they can compensate on the neck profile BUT it seems they haven't... They have also increased the width of the necks by 0.05" each side (which I just looked up and is 1.27mm each side) which sounds like nothing but with the extra thickness of the fretboard seems to add up to a HUGE difference...

 

And thirdly they have increased the space between the bottom and top E and the edge of the fretboard... check this pic and look at how much space there is between the bottom E string and the side... So even though the neck is thicker and wider the string spacing is the same as older LPs?

 

Some people have referred to the new necks as akin to almost a classical guitar :o

 

I will still have to try one myself just out of some morbid type curiosity, but am in no rush at all.

[Kimbabig]

If you don't already, you should find a way to get paid fr your creative writing. Nice reviews. But just to be clear, you don't like the necks?

 

+1 on that. I'd definitely read a guitar blog if he made one.

[rct]

+1 on that. I'd definitely read a guitar blog if he made one.

 

[laugh]

 

Thanks for that you guys. I just love guitars, guitar stores, the people in them, and the nutty stuff they do!

 

rct

[rct]

Actually, and I'm not being wise...

What is it about the necks?

Is it some new compound radius thing they're putting on them all or some asymmetrical profile?

I know it's been gone over in here but I can't remember... Is it the same neck style/profile on all of them?

If you don't mind I'd appreciate a refresher on what that's all about...

 

I think Rabs did a pretty good job up there with an explanation technically of what they did.

 

I went in thinking everyone was as usual, just having a reason to get their thongs all stuck up in their azzes, and that it would be just fine. Boy was I surprised at how actually not just fine it really is.

 

The guy I was with owns no big name guitars, he likes the oddballs. So to him, the initial part of the afternoon he didn't see too much wrong with the new necks. Then I had found this juicy 61RI SG, no new neck specs. THEN he understood. THEN he saw why I was quite baffled by it all. If I've got non-2015 necks at home, I'm never going to use one of these.

 

Wider neck, strings moved in, no compensation across the back, at least not for me. I actually had difficulty with fairly simple Green Grass and High Tides open string arpeggiating and such, I couldn't get around at the pointy end well at all. This is stuff I've playing since it was new, so I really don't think I should have trouble physically with it, I long ago mastered that part. Further up was only less worse, there was not the relief I expected as I moved up. So up in the weedly area I was still not able to get my fretting hand in the same place as my others, and I would no way pick up a 2015 to do any part that required no thought to physicality, and I would not gig it with the way I tend(ed) to change guitars when I gigged.

 

rct

['Scales]

An insightful review - thankyou.

 

I still can't accept the new logo so get caught at point 1, but interesting about the necks et al in any case.

 

I do have a question re G-Force - if I wanted to play tuned to Eb does it have that as an option or would it be a (painfully slow given gearing) manual job?

 

cheers.

[Rabs]

An insightful review - thankyou.

 

I still can't accept the new logo so get caught at point 1, but interesting about the necks et al in any case.

 

I do have a question re G-Force - if I wanted to play tuned to Eb does it have that as an option or would it be a (painfully slow given gearing) manual job?

 

cheers.

http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/Fun-with-Alternate-Tunings.aspx

['Scales]

cheers Rabs.

I like that (assuming it works - I wonder if it drops below and then tunes back up into a note, or just dreops straight onto the note?).

[capmaster]

...

Some people have referred to the new necks as akin to almost a classical guitar :o

 

I will still have to try one myself just out of some morbid type curiosity, but am in no rush at all.

In case they had increased string spacing, these necks would be FANTASTIC for my wide fingers. Classical guitar boards are just that... I guess putting a new nut on a 2015's Gibson and playing her would make me sell ALL of my actual guitars.

 

Perhaps I shouldn't even think about trying out.

[SteveFord]

rct,

 

Did you say you tried a 2015 Firebird with that new nut? That was the one model I wasn't able to try out so what was the neck like?

 

 

 

[rct]

rct,

 

Did you say you tried a 2015 Firebird with that new nut? That was the one model I wasn't able to try out so what was the neck like?

 

Yes, I noodled around only for a few minutes with a Firebird. By that time I was pretty tired of the necks, and yes it was the new nut and string width thingy going on.

 

rct

[kidblast]

entertaining and informative Rich.

 

 

and the bonus was this: I use my thumb for scorching low end thunder as I arpeggiate through articulate open power chords and other miscellaneous molten riffery and blistering chord soloing.

 

LOL!

 

Masterfully written!! :)

 

but seriously, So this new "neck profile" I guess you'd call it?? I must have missed the email on that one.. Makes me glad I'm glad I'm NOT in the market. Guess the 5 gibby's I currently own will have to do. (I do confess that I was a bit smitten by a L45 Elite last week when I waltzed into the Boston GC with a few minutes to kill on Columbus day. I didn't notice anything different in the neck.. maybe just electrics... Anyway I managed to get out of there without being 3K lighter in the savings account, but I'm not sure how I did it. it really was a lovely thing..

[rct]

and the bonus was this: I use my thumb for scorching low end thunder as I arpeggiate through articulate open power chords and other miscellaneous molten riffery and blistering chord soloing.

 

LOL!

 

I really enjoyed the late 80's early 90's guitar/amp/rack advertising. "Is that what we do?" was always what I ended up asking myself!

 

Masterfully written!! :)

 

but seriously, So this new "neck profile" I guess you'd call it??

 

Oh thanks.

 

I think the main thing about the new string spacing and nut is that the existing Gibson players own their guitars, all of their guitars, for the most part, because of the necks. If you don't bond with the neck quickly, you are either never going to, or you will have a heck of a time going from the ones you have bonded with to this new one, whatever it might be.

 

It really is different. I do believe it will be fine for first time buyers, they will not have anything to compare it to. The problem, as I see it, is if they find this didn't really work out like they thought, and they have to stop. That is going to leave some amount of guitar players with necks on their expensive guitars that they can't get rid of. Not good no matter how you look at it, but again, they know more about selling guitars than I do

 

rct

[kidblast]

Well Rich I'm used to a lot of different setups and details.. This is what happens when you have 20 guitars..

 

But, i have no reason to doubt your 1st impressions, this is where it's made, or it's not,

 

look man,, I've been playing as long as anyone on this board, 50+ yrs..

 

this kind of stuff either works immediately, or it never works at all.

 

if it aint broke,, for crying out loud.......... don't fix it....

 

/Ray