Leaderboard

Congrats the retirement and new fly fishing abode! As to guitars I would say you deserve a 335. But if you start leaning that way also consider a 336. I like the tone from the mahogany back/sides/center block with maple top so much better than a 335s maple/poplar/maple sandwich and they are way more comfortable to play (just slightly bigger than a LP, but much lighter). The range and quality of tones is just amazing. Everyone that has one will never give it up. I'm not sure if they are currently in production, but look for a used one. If you find one and buy it you'll never regret it.

Folks, Check out this amazing sounding 1965 Dove: As much as I respect the prewar Martin dreads ... This Dove is a maple lovers dream as far as dreads go. I had a big grin on my face the whole time this guy was playing. JC

I learned a few Xmas tunes to get in the spirit.... Here 's one I played on the old 1937 Gibson L-0 (halfway through I thought Santa was coming down the chimney but it was in fact the little dog going out the doggy door.....): BluesKing777.

"Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt" - Pharoah Sanders.

YaY! Retirement is good. Get the Tele. Yer welcome. rct

I think a lot depends on whether you want to look at it or play it. Ultimately, I think we gravitate to the guitar that plays the best, so body style and fit, neck, fretboard, scale length, balance, weight, etc. are big factors. But, you gotta look at it, too, and that can be important. One thing to consider, though, is that with all of the pickups available today, they can always be an aftermarket choice. Lots of decisions that only you can make. Congratulations on retirement. You're gonna love it. My wife and I are considering a last move to the NC mountains. That part of TN is beautiful... maybe the prettiest in three or four states.

If it's electric, does it come with an amp... it should 🙂

Yea, I'm getting predictable. Hell, I swapped my ES-339 for my J-15. With the mandolin, resonator and other acoustics I simply never play the electrics anymore. I'm gonna sell the Boogie and buy an ETL mic and a round neck......

That's why your the King. Happy Christmas

A J-45...

Looks to me like a modified L50. The cutaway is pretty well done, but it doesn't quite match the shape of the cutaway on a vintage L4C. It's too wide, whereas the L4C has a narrower "U" shape with more vertical sides. Also, look at the "ledge" between the treble side of the neck and the inner edge of the cutaway. Gibson didn't do that. The neck should be flush with the cutaway. Here is a photo of a '54 L4C. Note the smooth junction of the neck and the cutaway. Also, the binding in the cutaway is not what you'd find on a 50's L4C (cutaway binding wasn't tapered like that in 1953). And as ksdaddy mentioned, there's something odd going on with that cutaway binding (paint chipping? color fading?). It makes it more obvious that the cutaway is not original. Also, I agree that the sunburst is wrong for the era. My guess is that the top was refinished when the other mods were done, probably in the late 60's or into the 70's. Obviously the fingerboard is rosewood, and not ebony. This is a "player's" guitar, and hopefully it plays and sounds good (I suspect it does). And hopefully you didn't pay too much for it, because its value has been severely affected by all of the modifications. If you bought this from a dealer, how did they describe it, other than stating that it dates to 1953?

I'm still holding out for you getting that Firebird. I only have the cheapest US made Firebird ever, the Zero. But I love it dearly.

Congrats on your retirement. I have been retired for nearly 8 years to the day and I highly recommend it to everyone. As far as my 2 cents worth about a guitar, they are all good choices, but when in doubt, I always seems to lean toward an ES-335. Very versatile. Can’t go wrong.

If you can manage it, a 335 all the way, No way in He11 you can make a mistake with that choice. you can always shlep a Tele later on, the MIM would be just the ticket. This one, as a matter of fact, has be on the top of my drool list for a few weeks now. Ever since Capmaster mentioned he got one,, so it's basically all his fault.. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TeleV70TVB--fender-vintera-70s-telecaster-thinline-vintage-blonde

Used 335 and used telecaster thin line... nah it's retirement - new 335 and new telecaster thin line.

Congratulations on your forthcoming retirement, may it be long and happy. Regarding guitar choice , this is a very personal thing, but if it was my money I'd go for the ES335, everyone should have a 335👍

Congrats, Navy Vet. I would go for the Firebird, but that's just me. Re; Johnson City. I spent quite a bit of time up there just a few years ago, working on a helicopter project that had us flying aircraft in and out of the Bell Helicopters facility there in Piney Flats. I always saw fellows out fly-fishing in the broad streams just east-northeast of there. The mountains nearby, and the lakes, were just gorgeous. :)

Used Firebird, used 335, used Flying V. Shop around and you can do it.

My 2016 SG standard with P90's has a chunkier neck, which i dislike, but sounds awesome

ES-335 😜

After reading each post I must say, Wow! That's all I got, seeing the suffering and challenges of other is humbling for my little *****andmoans! I've been dealing with vertigo and hearing issues , I remember when as a young lady I'd pay money to feel lightheaded, it isn't nearly as much fun when it won't stop! I am grateful for my wife, I would be a useless lump of decaying flesh without her, it still amazes me that I have such a woman in my life for 35 years, we have a home that's paid for, few bills, she had surgery this past July and is finally getting back to being my Judy again. Thank you God!

often a truss rod adjustment has given a better string feel to me...

Gibson was always symbolic and dreamlike to me...my first great guitar, when I was 19 and mostly working with bands as a lead player, was a Les Paul Standard in cherry sunburst. It was the most expensive guitar in my local guitar shop and seemed to shine like an amber and cherry hued jewel. I fantasised about it for a long time, saved and saved, sold most of my other kit and finally bought it just after the turn of the millennium. I slept with it in my bed for the first week of owning it as I was so worried about one of my housemates (or the people that hung around with them) stealing it. That guitar represented a dream realised for me, and soon I started thinking that adding a Gibson acoustic would be a fine idea, especially when I started to do more and more solo work. I had always seen the SJ200 as the pinnacle of acoustic guitar, as a kid I had marvelled at my parents' album sleeves with the likes of Emmylou, Waylon, Johnny Cash and so on holding these big, curvaceous and beautiful guitars, and in my mind an SJ200 represented the absolute zenith of guitar craftsmanship, and was a totemic symbol of artistic success. In early 2004, I walked into the same guitar shop that my Les Paul had come from, and the manager said to me "You have to see this..." and pulled out a pristine 2003 SJ200 Historic Collection in stunning vintage sunburst, which had just come in as a PX (the previous owner traded it for a Taylor as the SJ200 was too big for him!). They cut me a killer deal on it and after a few more weeks of scrimping and saving I took it home. I felt more emotional about the SJ200 than I had about the Les Paul, I adored that guitar and after my solo work gained momentum it became my travelling companion for eight years and around 1200 shows...I took it all over the world with me on tour. By late 2012, after several refrets, two headstock repairs and a huge amount of playwear/travel damage, I relented and retired it, but replaced it with my current SJ200, a 2015 in Antique Natural, as soon as I could afford to. The SJ200 has always been a big part of the Gibson mystique for me. I now deeply appreciate the whole range, but my go-to guitars tend to be either my SJ200, my Dove (which I've always regarded as an SJ200 in square shoulder dread form), or my Maple AJ, all of which have the "Maple 'n' Bling" DNA to a greater or lesser extent.

Hi all, sorry for the late update. I just wanted to say thanks to all of you for the valuable input. Steve Ford gave me a few suggestions and was very helpful in narrowing down which year might be best for what I was looking for without having to take out a second mortgage. I ended up with a 2016 Firebird tribute. It is used, has a nick on the headstock, and a few scratches, but it is overall a beautiful guitar. I am attaching a few pics. The po had swapped out the pick guard for a black one (white pick guard was included as well) but left the toggle switch cap white. I have ordered the black cap as I think the guitar looks better with all black. Anyways thanks again guys, I truly appreciate all the advice, I am glad I waited for the mini humbuckers.

Nice dinner with pop and my younger brother who has come out this side of some serious AML/FLT3/ITD, bone marrow transplant in April, and now back at work trying to make life again. It's been tough, dicey, and good all at once. I was glad to give him my stuff and Mrs and I are ecstatic that he is moving along nicely now. A great Thanksgiving dinner tonight. rct

Jimi, your music lives on, Fly on brother

In all this time I never knew that you were Scottish! P.

You're easy to please. 😏

Tell that to John, Paul & George, Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochran, Keith Richards & a whole bunch of other Cats who did all right with them.... That said, a proper Firebird with Mini Humbuckers are, well, Firebirds... Anything else is a Franken-Guitar....

p90s are not for everyone.. but for those of us they like em they are great options. as long as you're willing to accept the noise, they are very cool pickups.

P-90's are for girls...