Leaderboard

One way to tell if it's UV discoloration (from sitting in the sun in a shop window for 3 years) is to peek under the pickguard.

So ask your rep at Sweetwater if they can help out at all about setup. You will want to ask if they have anyone available to regulate the nut (A fancy term for filing the nut slots to the correct depth, they always leave the factory too shallow.) This will be one of the biggest factors to how the guitar feels out of the box. Setting that requires the proper files (and of course, the know how). This will set the distance of the strings over the first few frets. If it's too high, open chords will be hard to play, Barre chords on the frist two frets very difficult, and could impact intonation. The action (the distance of the strings to the top of the frets) will need to be set which typically means taking a small amount of material off the bottom saddle. A pretty general comfortable setting is Low E 5/64s, High E 4/64s (This is measured from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string at the 12th fret.) Most of the Gibson's I've seen from the factory are closer to 7/64s ~ 6/64s which is actually a bit on the high side. IMHO Gibson doesn't do a good job with this. Factory setups are just about useless for most players. I recently bought a Taylor 814CE DLX.. the setup out of the box was amazing. All I've had to do so far is tune it once and a while anyway I would ask they should know what you are asking of them. I'm not really sure how deep their setup guys can go.

Yeah mess with the pole and height. You can always go back if it gets worse. Lindey Fralin makes nice pups.

If you pay for what is advertised as the best there is you are right to expect nothing less.. For those who defend Flaws & Imperfections in Expensive New Guitars, where are you coming from? Have you looked at a new Heritage? They're flawless, sound & play beautifully.. As do Gretsch Pro Series, Deusenberg & many other Pro Maker Guitars. Nothing less should be exceptible from Gibson as well.. In my experience I know Gibson wants us to have perfect Guitars.. They go the extra mile to see that we do.. They stand behind their Guitars & will make them perfect or replace them.. But, you gotta Call Customer Service & file a Warranty Claim... In my experience Gibson has been Great resolving Issues I've had on 2 of my Guitars...

I am not sure what is in there, but classic 57 / 57+ are good sounding pickups. and yea, the first place to check is the pickup height. you can also turn the pole screws to match the neck radius. Some say it doesn't matter, some say it does... I set all my buckers that way after reading a setup article about 20 years ago I bevel in guitar player. Does it matter No idea.. I like the sound of my LPs tho.. one of them has 490T / 498R which many don't like. (I Think they're fine) I have a set of Duncans in my other LP, I think it's a SH1 in the neck and I know for sure, an SH4 (Jeff Beck) in the bridge.

I think ALD323's detailed description of what he did, which worked - is sustainable. And, if you take one of your 2 2017s to a Gibson authorized repair person (not just someone who says' they're a 'luthier') you would have some assurance they'd do the job right. Call and ask what they'll do and how long it's guaranteed not to curl. I'm guessing they'd do what ALD did.

Call Wildwood Guitars! They’ve got several J200s. Very knowledgeable people. I bought mine there and it’s arriving tomorrow. Find a guitar you’re interested in, call them and ask them for their best price. You might be pleasantly surprised.

I’ve spent many hours ( as many here have) listening to Some of my favorite songs and wondering who was using what particular instrument. This is one of those times when we’ll never likely know all the details, but we still enjoy wondering about the “ifs and buts.” Good song and good discussion.

You can give Sweetwater a call. They’ll be happy to hear from you. Especially if you’re buying an SJ-200. I believe they will handle any set up needs you might want also.

Yup, that's what I have. The existing wiring was different than the pic tho. I wired it up accordingly and everything works fine.

No experience with Kluson Revolution. I (reluctantly) replaced mine with Grover Rotomatics.

I dont think you can avoid minor marking of the finish. Regular playing will eventually show up marks where hand & fingers dwell on the body. You can clean it of course. For more stubborn marks you can use naptha. Getting wild? er... dunno! Yer on yer own there 😉

Any update? Good news?