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Vestapol

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I'm new to the Gibson Forum and joined as soon as I got my '96 Blueshawk [smile] . What's the best forum on this site to connect with other Blueshawk players?

 

...And for advice on a finish problem?

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

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I'm new to the Gibson Forum and joined as soon as I got my '96 Blueshawk [smile] . What's the best forum on this site to connect with other Blueshawk players?

 

...And for advice on a finish problem?

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

 

Welcome. Yes this should be the place I think but I think Blueshawks are a bit scarce here

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Thanks, Sprogie,

 

Guess my question wasn't clear...I was wondering which of the Discussion Groups within the Gibson Forum has the most BluesHawk discussion. But I hear ya, sounds like any BluesHawk discussion is scarce.

 

Doug

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Agree their is not a lot of forums-discussions on The Gibson Blueshawk, I have one and love it,

 

? wondering if the scatches were there when You got the guitar (from rough playing or non loving care)

 

or showed up without any of the above

 

? I always wondered as not too many guitars have Polar used in them (Godin being one other Notable)

 

and its light weight wood and ? could that be a factor, I bought mine used, have a good friend who manages a Music-Gear shop and was a good friend of a shop in Akron, Ohio who is a Authorized Gibson-Epiphone Repair Center (and He now builds his own Guitars as well) he looked it over, did a great set-up andf cleaned it so well it looked like brand new (it had some minor playing wear) but the finish on the Heritage Cherry and ann metal

was looking superb after and the set up helped so much (plus new strings) I have no idea how-what He used for cleaning (and is a bit "keeps his secrets to himself", thats fine) and being a friend of a friend no cost. I will gladly pay if it or any Gibson I won (its the only one) and a Epiphone 57' Goldtop Elitists Series made in Japan with Gibson USA parts and its superb as well and less than 1/2 of a USA Gibson Goldtop 57' reissue

 

no regrets other than I wish I had also bought a Epi Elistist 335 and a Byrdland (maybe) as well but $$ is not unlimited

 

and they use Cherry as well on The KingPin (the one with one P-90, 2 P-90's or acoustic version)

 

this site is one (if You have not found it)

 

http://www.blueshawk.info/intro.htm

 

and link from (Blueshawk Forum)

 

http://pub36.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=3031876173&frmid=152&msgid=0

 

(above has posts Including re: Possible Gibson Reissue of Bluehawk (there is a new dual HB 2010 Nighthawk, where the 2009 NightHawk as a P-90

 

neck

 

and HB in the Bridge and a post about Epiphone making a reissue NightHawk (I recall they made a NightHawk for a Year or Two)

 

Wou;d be great (imo) if The Gibson Blueshawk and NightHawk (in their Original Configurations) were reissued never figured out why they stopped

 

making them $$?? and a Epiphone NightHawk would be much more affordable. More=

 

http://www.blueshawk.info/history.htm

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Blueshawk

 

Stop Band Filter-Varitone

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band-stop_filter

 

and a review site

 

http://www.epinions.com/review/pr-Gibson_BluesHawk_Electric_Guitar_Black/inst-review-10B3-ADFEB4-39A76DC6-prod1

 

Hope this helps (some)

 

ambienttales :) [thumbup]:-({|=

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Agree their is not a lot of forums-discussions on The Gibson Blueshawk, I have one and love it.,..wondering if the scatches were there when You got the guitar (from rough playing or non loving care) or showed up without any of the above...I always wondered as not too many guitars have Polar used in them (Godin being one other Notable)

ambienttales :) [thumbup]:-({|=

 

Thanks for the helpful info, Ambien. Yeah, these BluesHawks are Poplar bodies, Maple tops. Poplar's light & soft, dings easily...I have an old Fender Mustang. But my issue is with miniscule pitting that won't polish out...maybe from years of sweat. I just got this guitar last week from Ebay, so I don't have any way of knowing.

 

Also there's a bit of what I'd call de-lamination of the finish at the end of an f-hole. Maybe there was an impact or pressure there that bent the wood and the finish separated...is that possible?

 

If anyone has experience with these very minor finish issues, I'm open to suggestions.

 

Cheers,

 

Doug

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  • 3 months later...

I own a 98 Gibson BluesHawk and I almost traded it + some cash for a really nice Gibson Les Paul, but instead I took the advice of other posters here and kept my guitar. I didn't pay a whole lot for this guitar ($400) but I can honestly say that I don't think I will ever part with it. It's truly one of a kind. I can only imagine how much a guitar of this quality & with this range of tones would cost from Gibson now.

 

The Blues P90s + the dummy coil + 25. 1/2 scale length + the varitone make this guitar unbelievably versatile and easy to play. Hooking this bad boy up into my Ampeg Super Rocket tube amp screams vintage 60s/70s rock like no other combination I have ever experienced.

 

Truly Tonal Valhalla and as any guitarist will admit, it is priceless finding that combination.

 

If you have this guitar, do not sell it for anything, it is hard to find another and honestly, once you own a blues hawk, what other guitar could you possibly need for blues / jazz or rock?

 

Best. Guitar. Ever.

 

edit : this guitar does attract finger prints like no other, that would be my only complaint; my black BH is very hard to keep looking new... I wish it had a pick guard.

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Hi, Ozz. Glad you like your BluesHawk so well. I love mine similarly, in fact have two, a Cherry and an Ebony. Lookin for a ChiBlue now.

 

I agree with every detail you praised about these guitars. And I've also found there can be finish problems, but hadn't noticed that they collect fingerprints easier than other guitars. I do polish my paw prints off after each use. I do that because I had to have a bit of top layer peeling repaired and now want to protect the immaculate finish from oils on my skin.

 

Sweet axes, and kinda different than what most guitarists play. I like that individuality.

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  • 5 months later...

I just paid $700 for a mint 2000 Blues Hawk in Ebony with the Gibson gig bag! So far I am really enjoying this guitar. It took some getting used to

(I've been playing a Tom Anderson Hollow Drop Top Classic and a 1983 Gibson E2) due to the longer neck. I've played the guitar through an Ampeg VT22 and a Fender Twin Reverb. Both amps made the guitar shine in the clean, jazz and blues sounds...but I couldn't get the crunch I was looking for. Then I played the guitar through my Mesa Boogie DC2 using the amps dirty channel..oh my God!! The little Blues Hawk came alive!! The saturated sounds, rhythm crunches, screaming solos, etc. that I was able to produce blew me away!! What a great guitar! I only have about 6 hours playing time so far and can't weight to see what else I'll come up with!!

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I just paid $700 for a mint 2000 Blues Hawk in Ebony with the Gibson gig bag! So far I am really enjoying this guitar...I've played the guitar through an Ampeg VT22 and a Fender Twin Reverb. Both amps made the guitar shine...but I couldn't get the crunch...Then I played the guitar through my Mesa Boogie DC2 using the amps dirty channel..oh my God!! The little Blues Hawk came alive!!...What a great guitar! I only have about 6 hours playing time so far and can't wait to see what else I'll come up with!!

 

What a great deal you got, Explorer! And I smiled when I read about your tone quest...!

 

Some day there'll be a club just for fans of the little BluesHawk.

 

Cheers,

 

Doug

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What a great deal you got, Explorer! And I smiled when I read about your tone quest...!

 

Some day there'll be a club just for fans of the little BluesHawk.

 

Cheers,

 

Doug

 

Thanks Doug! I need to spend a little time setting up the guitar. The action is a little high and I'm gonna replace the strings with some Elixir Nanoweb 11's. I believe the Blues Hawks came with 10's from the factory??

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Yes, my understanding is they came with tens. And that's what I'm using happily.

 

Would you let me know if the 11s cause any problems with staying in tune? As you probably know, different gauge strings sometimes hang up in the nut slots when you bend even a little.

 

Cheers,

 

Doug

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Yesterday I turned the nut about 1/4" clockwise to lower my action a little. I also picked up a used Gibson Les Paul case (brown with pink insides) for $65.00. It doesn't fit the Blues Hawk perfectly but it's better protection than the gig bag! Does anybody make a hardshell case for the Blues Hawk?? You would think that you could buy one new being that Epiphone started producing Night Hawks again????

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... I also picked up a used Gibson Les Paul case (brown with pink insides) for $65.00. It doesn't fit the Blues Hawk perfectly but it's better protection than the gig bag! Does anybody make a hardshell case for the Blues Hawk?? You would think that you could buy one new being that Epiphone started producing Night Hawks again????

 

Yeah, I'm usin the same LP case for mine and it works fine. But now I wonder if Epiphone's got a HSC for the reissue Nighthawk, and would that be a perfect fit?

 

"Calling our Gibson consultant!" [smile]

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Yeah, I'm usin the same LP case for mine and it works fine. But now I wonder if Epiphone's got a HSC for the reissue Nighthawk, and would that be a perfect fit?

 

"Calling our Gibson consultant!" [smile]

 

Keep me posted! I'd like to get a solid fitting case also. I'm sure I can sell the LP case for the $65 I paid!!!

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Keep me posted! I'd like to get a solid fitting case also. I'm sure I can sell the LP case for the $65 I paid!!!

 

I posted a request for information on BluesHawk cases, and Nighthawk cases, and requested the Gibson rep who cruises this forum to look into this for us.

 

BTW, have been workin on a new song these past few weeks while I was working out of town. I travel with a reissue Fender Duo-Sonic and Fender Frontman 10. Played the song for my wife this evening using my BluesHawk...what a pleasure to play! And my wife really liked the song.

 

Cheers,

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I posted a request for information on BluesHawk cases, and Nighthawk cases, and requested the Gibson rep who cruises this forum to look into this for us.

 

BTW, have been workin on a new song these past few weeks while I was working out of town. I travel with a reissue Fender Duo-Sonic and Fender Frontman 10. Played the song for my wife this evening using my BluesHawk...what a pleasure to play! And my wife really liked the song.

 

Cheers,

 

I spent 3 hours playing on friday. I actually took all my guitars for a "walk" on friday....My 1983 Gibson E2 CMT got to see daylight, My Tom Anderson got played for a 1/2 hour, but most of the time I was fiddling with my new Blueshawk!! I don't play my Explorer much anymore...it's in mint condition and I've owned it since new...but every time I pick the guitar back up it amazes me! Solid, great sustain, wonderful neck, and the guitar is so beautiful it looks like a coffee table!! The Blueshawk has so many sounds it gets confusing on which ones to use!!!!

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I spent 3 hours playing on friday. I actually took all my guitars for a "walk" on friday....My 1983 Gibson E2 CMT got to see daylight, My Tom Anderson got played for a 1/2 hour, but most of the time I was fiddling with my new Blueshawk!! I don't play my Explorer much anymore...it's in mint condition and I've owned it since new...but every time I pick the guitar back up it amazes me! Solid, great sustain, wonderful neck, and the guitar is so beautiful it looks like a coffee table!! The Blueshawk has so many sounds it gets confusing on which ones to use!!!!

 

...and another thing to love is the ergonomics. It's so light, small, and the scalloped back of the upper bout...it's a perfect guitar to play all night long.

 

I sound like I'm advertising! [thumbup]

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Great guitar if you van fond the Little Lucille case used, it will fit. The guitar fell in a mid niche, thicker neck than a fender but through body stringing, pickups that sound like a strat more than just P 90s. With the poplar body and non Gibson neck length is has a special place in may heart but not everyones. I got one of the last ones new, GC ordered it and I waited about 6 mo for it. It's my fun guitar but the bridge pickup is wimpy and I already raised the PUP.

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  • 2 weeks later...

When I had my Blues Hawk, I tried it in a SG case & it worked great. The cutaway is much smaller than a SG but the outer bout, (or whatever it's called), is the exact shape of a SG, & that's what holds the guitar firmly in the case. The extra space around the cutaways doesn't hurt a thing. It's also about the same thickness as a SG.

I dug though my old photos & found this picture...........

 

BluesHawkSGCase.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Been reading the discussion about cases for Blueshawks so thought I would add what little I know.

1st I have to say that I bought the last Blueshawk I could find at retail in June 2006. At that time there were still some Gibson BH cases available. I was not smart enough to pick 1 up and they were all gone shortly there after.My bad.

 

I did eventually get a Gibson LP case that fits pretty well but I put a rag in the bottom to fill up the empty space if I am going to be carrying it around much.

 

This year I bought a EPI Nighthawk RI. Couldn't resist at the price. Great little guitar,considering.

When I bought the NH I asked Gibson/Epiphone about hard shell cases and they gave me the stock # for the EPI SG case.They said they would not be making a case specificlly for the Nighthawk RIs

 

So I felt like I was in a good position to answer some of the questions that have been discussed in this thread.

 

Here's a link to a photo essay that shows what I have learned.

http://s1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa352/dReit/Blueshawk%20Nighthawk%20RI%20case%20comparison/

I find it best to view as slideshow.

 

And here's what the pics are.

Reference List For BH NH case_Pictures

01- Blueshawk in Gibson LP brown w/pink case. Early 2000n ??

02- Nighthawk RI in EPI SG case. 2011

03- EPI LP ES in EPI (TKL) LP case. Mid 2000 ??

03b- EPI LP ES in EPI (TKL) LP case. Mid 2000 ??

04- EPI LP ES in EPI (TKL) LP case. Mid 2000 ??

05- Blueshawk in Gibson LP brown w/pink case. With flannel pad to show empty space of LP case with BH.

06- Nighthawk RI in Gibson LP brown w/pink case.

07- Nighthawk RI in Gibson LP brown w/pink case.

08- EPI LP ES in Gibson LP brown w/pink case.

09- EPI LP ES in Gibson LP brown w/pink case. Tight fit.

10- Blueshawk in EPI SG case.

11- Blueshawk in EPI SG case.

12- Blueshawk in EPI SG case.

13- EPI LP ES in EPI SG case.

14- EPI LP ES in EPI SG case. NO GO!

15- Blueshawk in EPI (TKL) LP case.

16- Nighthawk in EPI (TKL) LP case.

17- Nighthawk in EPI (TKL) LP case.

18- 3 cases on end showing relative length EPI SG,EPI LP, Gib LP

Last 3 show the 3 guitars together to try to show length of each. BH is actually the shortest.

 

I don't know that this is definitive of anything. Just what my cases show.

I will say that the current EPI SG case as sold by Music123 is not anywhere near as nice as the older EPI LP case as made by TKL.If I had it to do over I think I would look for 1 of the SG TKL cases from a few years ago.

 

So I guess what little I think I know is that Gibson doesn't intend to make a case for the NH RI they say use the SG case. The BH will fit the SG case. So there ya go.

 

another Doug

 

Edit- After looking at the pic of my 3 cases standing on end together and thinking about it overnight,I have to ad that there is a good possibility that my brown & pink Gibson case my have been intended for a SG rather than a LP.I got it with an EPI LP Custom so I always figured it was a LP case. Now I wonder.

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