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2018 Gold Top advice


Beerad12

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So I pre-ordered a 2018 Les Paul Classic and it finally showed up yesterday after about three weeks of waiting for the orders to come in. The night before the guitar arrived some tubes in my amp hit the fritz so I have yet to run it through an amp yet but in the meantime I have been giving the guitar a once over and spotted a few things I wanted to get some of your opinions on. Some of the things I noticed are simply cosmetic and I don't necessarily mind them but the nut on this guitar looks a bit weird to me (see image below) On the low e side there is a notch cut into the nut. It also looks irregular in shape with a little arch like cut on between the high e and b string. Is this something I should be concerned with over the long haul or is it just a little sloppy work on the cut, but other than that not a big deal functionall or should I consider returning the guitar for another. Acoustically I don't hear anything weird, no buzz or binding in the nut so my gut reaction is its just a little off on the cut but I'll defer to some of the more experienced here on the forum.

20170916_120727.jpg

20170916_120805.jpg

The other things I noticed aren't deal breakers as they don't effect the sound or playability of the guitar but are noticable. The natural stain on the headstock looks like it smeared or dripped maybe and has two waves in the stain. It's either that or just some weird grain spots on that portion of the guitar and no where else. Not a big deal just curious.

20170916_114416.jpg

Lastly and probably the least noticeable is the overspray on the binding. Once again not a big deal and doesn't effect sound, or playability so I don't mind.

20170916_120925.jpg

Overall as of now I like the guitar. The rolled binding feels nice and at a little over ten pounds she is a chunky thang!! Now im just waiting to get my amp back so i can plug up and hear those P90's.

So really my only concern is the nut so any advice on that is most appreciated.

 

Thanks guys,

Beerad

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As an example.. Heres the nut on my 2010 Standard.. The strings should be like half in and half out of the nut. Not all the way down. If you are not afraid to do so, you could file the top of the nut down a bit.. But you shouldn't really have too on a new guitar like that.

 

Sz1ng4O.jpg

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Thanks guys. Yeah the nut is really my only concern with this guitar. In the limited time I've had and played the guitar I haven't felt or heard any binding issues with the strings. I wouldnt mind filing the string slots as / if needed if that were an issue, no big deal there as some fine tuning is uderstandable. I think I'm more concerned with what may just be a sub par cutting of the nut. I don't need guitars to be 100% perfect straight out of the box but this nut seems a bit off. I'll try to get some more up close and clearer pictures up a little later.

 

Thanks fellas.

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So, just to be clear, the new guitar sounds and plays great, but still you may be dissatisfied due because the nut looks funny to you?

 

Not at all. And to be honest I have never been dissatisfied with this guitar or any of my other gibsons. I was simply asking more experienced Gibson players / owners if the pictures I posted showed something I should be concerned with beyond the information / knowledge I have about the issue. In general I dont get let cosmetic issues overide if the playability of a guitar is good. I did however go back and look at a few of my other gibsons and it seems the that their......uhm, nuts look similar so I have put my concerns to rest.

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I did however go back and look at a few of my other gibsons and it seems the that their......uhm, nuts look similar so I have put my concerns to rest.

 

[thumbup] Nut looks fine to me. That's a beauty of a guitar! [love] That said, I'd knock the nut off and put in a bone one if it were mine.

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[thumbup] Nut looks fine to me. That's a beauty of a guitar! [love] That said, I'd knock the nut off and put in a bone one if it were mine.

Yeah that's the direction I was leaning. It's understandable that handcrafted items like guitars will vary from one to the other but as long as you can tinker with them you can get them the way you ultimately want them.

 

Thanks.

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It looks a little odd but if it stays in tune, doesn't bind and the action is good, it shouldn't matter much. Those new Goldtop Classics look amazing. The picture of the wood just looks like a spot in the wood grain.

 

For some people, little things like that would drive them crazy but I'm of the mindset that if it plays well, sounds good and it's a great guitar, little imperfections give it character as long as it's not impacting performance.

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  • 1 month later...

It drives me crazy when guitars show up like this. I have one where the slots in the nut were cut too deep. I’m taking it to get a bone replacement put in. It’s starting to look like most new guitars now need some kind of work done to them to be right or even playable. Anybody who gets one perfect out the box considers themselves lucky, that shouldn’t be the case. It’s just the way it is these days.

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The only thing I can scratch my head on is the side shot of the nut that has what looks like a slot in it where the TRC comes to it, but it's hard to tell in the picture.

 

"Over spray". Well it's the nature of paint and binding scrapping, no issues..

 

 

Nut slots seem to be cut at a strange angle but should be an easy fix with a nut file

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If that were my purchase, I'd return it promptly. Any kind of overspray on such an instrument is unacceptable. This isn't some kind of inexpensive Asia-made Epiphone we're talking about. While the Tektoid nut doesn't look beautifully cut, it should work properly as Gibson's PLEK machine automatically cuts the nut slots for optimal spacing and height for each string.

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I got my 2018 Classic and everything seems great so far. The nut action is high, as it always is. Gibson leaves them a bit high so they can be adjusted for personal preference. It a $25 expense to have it cut to my liking by a professional luthier.

Awesome. Hopefully we'll see some pictures of your new addition. I just finished playing mine for a few hours. I am really liking the p90's. This guitar has far exceeded my expectations. Glad I got it when I did, 20 percent off and prior to the price hike. To good to pass up!

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  • 4 weeks later...

If that were my purchase, I'd return it promptly. Any kind of overspray on such an instrument is unacceptable. This isn't some kind of inexpensive Asia-made Epiphone we're talking about. While the Tektoid nut doesn't look beautifully cut, it should work properly as Gibson's PLEK machine automatically cuts the nut slots for optimal spacing and height for each string.

 

+1 This doesn't look like decades of guitar building experience. Looks rather like some trainee fiddled around with the nut to get it running :P

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I can't think of how many Gibson's I have seen with overspray on the binding. It doesn't bother me one bit though... At least it's clear. I think nearly every one of my guitars have this on them, and these have been around since the 90's the ones I am thinking of.

 

With regards to the nut... That's irritating a bit if it causes some tuning issues etc. You just have to make sure that the fulcrum of the string is as close as possible to the edge of the fretboard, plain and simple. Nut's good then. If not, adjustment is necessary. If the strings aren't swaying down to direction of the bridge, you're ok (this is hard to describe what I am thinking of, so pardon this - can clarify if you want, but I will bet you don't have this issue). These are the most major issues with the nut. If you get plinks, get a graphite pencil and start drawing! That's my input about the nut :-) But yes, the nick on the side of it isn't all that impressive... Either way, nuts on guitars are like tires on a car. No harm in replacing it if it's done right.

 

Overall, sweet guitar! I'd take it no doubt. But in all reality, you are the judge on this. Go with your gut. If you plan on keeping, congratulations and happy playing!

 

Oh, that "mark" on the side of the headstock wouldn't even touch my radar. I think it looks like the natural grain of the wood just that they were cutting through some tough part when the saw severed the plank. Gives it character. Rip it up man!

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Guest Farnsbarns

IT IS NOT OVER SPRAY ON BINDING.

 

There are two factors at play here...

 

One is that the guitars are built in a traditional manner so the stain or paint (depending on finish) is sprayed over the binding and then scraped off. Leaving the edge of the binding covered is deliberate.

 

The second is that the stains bleed across the binding through the nitrocellulose finish and, to some extent, through the binding itself. These are "features" of a guitar built a certain way.

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After having this guitar a few months now I can say this thing is a beast. I love the guitar and dig the sound of the P90's. No tuning issues so far so the nut is fine, it just looks a little "messy". All the other issues which were aesthetic issues anyway have been long forgotten. I encourage any of you who are thinking about picking up one of the 2018 classic LP to do so. I'm glad I jumped on mine when I did, got 15% of the list and before the price increase,so $1699.00 out the digital door! Bottom line: excellent guitar! And like many here have said it's rare you find a hand built instrument without some "individuality" or "variations" or even flaws. The bottom line is playability and sound is paramount. This LP has both. Thanks for the replies fellas.

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  • 3 weeks later...

So I pre-ordered a 2018 Les Paul Classic and it finally showed up yesterday after about three weeks of waiting for the orders to come in. The night before the guitar arrived some tubes in my amp hit the fritz so I have yet to run it through an amp yet but in the meantime I have been giving the guitar a once over and spotted a few things I wanted to get some of your opinions on. Some of the things I noticed are simply cosmetic and I don't necessarily mind them but the nut on this guitar looks a bit weird to me (see image below) On the low e side there is a notch cut into the nut. It also looks irregular in shape with a little arch like cut on between the high e and b string. Is this something I should be concerned with over the long haul or is it just a little sloppy work on the cut, but other than that not a big deal functionall or should I consider returning the guitar for another. Acoustically I don't hear anything weird, no buzz or binding in the nut so my gut reaction is its just a little off on the cut but I'll defer to some of the more experienced here on the forum.

20170916_120727.jpg

20170916_120805.jpg

The other things I noticed aren't deal breakers as they don't effect the sound or playability of the guitar but are noticable. The natural stain on the headstock looks like it smeared or dripped maybe and has two waves in the stain. It's either that or just some weird grain spots on that portion of the guitar and no where else. Not a big deal just curious.

20170916_114416.jpg

Lastly and probably the least noticeable is the overspray on the binding. Once again not a big deal and doesn't effect sound, or playability so I don't mind.

20170916_120925.jpg

Overall as of now I like the guitar. The rolled binding feels nice and at a little over ten pounds she is a chunky thang!! Now im just waiting to get my amp back so i can plug up and hear those P90's.

So really my only concern is the nut so any advice on that is most appreciated.

 

Thanks guys,

Beerad

Hey man I think I saw this exact same guitar at GC today. The D string slot was a horror as it was WAY too wide and cut like sh1t and to top it off if had that weird slice in the side. Bottom line wouldn't buy it because of this. I know it was said to simply replace he nut but for the price of $1800 on sale today for quite possibly this exact same guitar is a deal breaker to me. Bottom line, your photos are uncanny to me as I would bet Money I saw this exact guitar today.

 

EDIT: I just was reading the latest posts in here, and seems like you kept your 18 Classic. Anyhow, the nut on the one I saw looked like the photos you shared and I thought it was pretty lame for a couple thousand that the nut - which has to be sliced out there and all that crap - can't be good from the factory or by the time it hits the shelves... Whatever with this, my opinion has shifted as the price goes down for shoddy quality to pay for the work I need to fund to get the guitar this is supposed to be.I simply remembered that I had contributed to this posting, and clearly remember that side slice on the nut because once I saw this, the memories triggered. And my opinion of this guitar is that it is a good Les Paul, just a pain in the A to deal with a nut that is cut like crap.

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