EddieNYC

I’m still leaning against this, but I have a cost question. The guy who apparently is the guy to go to near me ball parked the cost at $550-600 before tax. Is that the norm? I was expecting $300-400. The guitar cost me $1100 new when I got it in 2019, and I love the neck and think of it as a keeper. Is that cost kind of nuts?

Yeah it has binding! I had it setup in D Standard and have gotten hooked on learning some more songs in that tuning and just haven’t noticed it as much lately. I’m definitely kicking the can down the road on a refret right now. Still May do it at some point but I’m having fun playing it again!

Thanks everyone. I just dropped it off for a normal 6 month setup (I really do need to learn to do that myself) and I’m going to hold off and just play all 3 for the next 6 months or so to see if I feel any differently when the Explorer isn’t quite so new and a focal point for me. If I do it down the road I’ve already found out who the best guy is in my area. He’s more expensive but he’s worked on guitars for Ace Frehley and a bunch of other well known players so i’’d imagine the referrals are on target..

Thanks - I could really care less about tradition or what was used in the 50s etc. for me I just noticed feeling the fret board more with the low frets since I’ve been playing more with the higher frets where it hasn’t been the case. I hear you though!

I love straight answers. Thanks.

I have a few Gibson electrics and most seem to have a fret height that is 4.5, and one is slightly taller - maybe 5.0-5.5. My question is my 2019 - by design - came with “low profile” frets that I think are 3.5 tall. I used to not notice the smaller height at first but am noticing it more now. I’m debating about a re-fret even though it’s expensive and they are perfect. I’m not a lead player by any stretch, does this seem like overkill? I’m assuming that if there were more advantages to shorter vs taller frets Gibson would be using them all over the place, just not one time 3-4 years ago. any thoughts? Thank you. Eddie

So far I recently bought a 2019 Standard, and unlike recent years, this one has a rounded neck. To me it seems pretty fat around the 12th fret but I haven’t measured it precisely yet. I also have a 2017 LP Standard that has a slim taper neck that - to me - plays really easy. I am still getting used to the SG’s next, but it does seem more cumbersome than the LP, and I think my hand muscles are still getting used to the shape. It’s not that big of a deal up close to the neck, but down around the 12th fret it feels odd and bulky. I guess the question is it common to play guitars with a bunch of different neck profiles like this......so just suck it up and adapt, or look for an alternative with a thinner profile? I do kind of like the feel higher up around the neck but it just seems to negative having the better fret board access closer to the body (at least to me). I have a J45 that has a slim taper and a Hummingbird that has a rounded neck, but those two are so close in terms of shape and feel. The SG feels like a very different ballgame than my LP’s neck. I’d love any thoughts. Mike

I have 2017s. I called Gibson and asked if they were plastic or TUSQ and they checked the spec sheet (not listed on the website) and they said TUSQ. My bad for not trying the drop test before when changing strings. Mike

I have recently really gotten into the TUSQ picks and ordered a set of bridge pins for both my J45 and Hummingbird but have gotten cold feet about replacing the stock plastic pins. Do people usually swap out the stock pins and does it alter in any way what each guitar is known for sounding like?

I have recently really gotten into the TUSQ picks and ordered a set of bridge pins for both my J45 and Hummingbird but have gotten cold feet about replacing the stock plastic pins. Do people usually swap out the stock pins and does it alter in any way what each guitar is known for sounding like?

Thanks - I just read your reply and realized that my post was a little unclear. I have and use the tortoise cells from Gibson but was debating about trying the black cells. I edited my post to make that more clear. Thanks for the offer though. I’m not sure if there was anything different with the black cells in terms of flex, feel, sound, grip, or durability. I can buy 12 packs of the tortoise shell cell, but for some reason Gibson doesn’ Sell the black cells in a smaller quantity than 50 and 72. Kind of ridiculous. Mike

I’ve mostly been playing Blue Chip, Prime Tone, and the Gibson Tortoise mediums that are the same as the ones that came with my two Gibson acoustics. Even though the Blue Chips are ridiculously awesome i’ve been playing more and more with the Gibson tortoise celluloid picks as I learn songs. My question is are the Gibson medium tortoise shell celluloid picks going to be identical to the Gibson medium black and white pearl celluloid picks in terms of how they feel, play, sound, and how long they last? I know they are all celluloids but I really like how the tortoise feels and sounds, and they seem to last for a long time. Thanks, Mike

Hello from Connecticut! I recently made the jump from electric (Fender Strat) to acoustic and absolutely love it. I couldn't stop at the J-45 given how incredible it was, and now have a Hummingbird as well. These Gibson acoustics are works of art that I'll have for the long haul and I love playing them and continuing to learn/progress. This forum looks great as well and I hope to be in position to be helpful over time. Mike