NighthawkChris

OK, so I am with you on the whole Gibson not trying to save the planet bit - they're a company that makes guitars with available materials to make profit like every other company doing business. What should be done about the guitars that they make that apparently don't use either IRW or ebony? I just don't see this as a betrayal of any sort. I haven't been sold on anything about saving the planet when I buy a guitar - from anyone... FYI, I own 13 guitars with ebony, maple, IRW, Bolivian RW (Pau Ferro), and whatever rosewood Gibson was using in the 90s (so confused now), and even the dreaded Richlite... I literally cannot tell the difference between these guitars because they use one material or another.

I am not understanding those that are not happy with the Gibson fretboards of present day. What kind of wood (or material) should Gibson use to make you happy? Literally, we were all mad at Richlite, so we are now using real WOOD, and that's an issue. Do we object to prices because we can't put unsustainable woods on a guitar? Not trying to bust balls here, but I for one don't get my panties in a bunch about fretboards. Gibson isn't the only guitar maker that is trying new materials out and neither these other companies are reducing prices because it is "unacceptable" rosewood. So explain this to an insensitive dummy - i.e. me.

My 1994 LP Standard has the binding covering the seam in question here. So yes to confirm about some years using thicker binding strip around this cap.

@Rabs I’m with you in the triburst as a personal fave! I like red guitars and red necks!

Yeah I don’t get the whole paying (a lot) extra for beat up guitars. I’ve spent some dough on some reissues and don’t regret it one bit, but they aren’t relics. Also paid used prices too where I got “better” prices. As far as Gibson going all in on selling more relics for $7k and north of that, not too sure about that...

OK, this is the second time you've posted about your TV yellow LP Special and it is not helping my GAS out 😄

Well hopefully you don't need to worry about neck angles, screws coming up too far out of the saddles, etc. My American Fenders are pretty top notch if I don't say so myself. I am more of a Gibson guy, but Fenders are awesome guitars - being that I like Strats and Teles.

I beg to differ that the glue was needed because you won't be doing this repair again next time you take out the screw. Glad you used wood glue too instead of super glue...

@kargausa you said you bought the LP in 2016. This guitar wasn’t made in 2016, correct? Just curious when it was built. The serial number should be able to give you an idea when it was made. So if it’s a bit older guitar all the more reason this is how it’s gonna age. Nitrocellulose finishes won’t last forever unfortunately. Just keep it clean with a soft cloth rag and should look good for many years to come.

Wouldn't feel bad or worry about this. It's not a defect, it's just what solid finish Gibsons do. It shouldn't get much worse so long as you continue to take care of the guitar. I highly doubt that you'll see finish start chipping off if you are taking care of it like you said. And something like this wouldn't even be a deal breaker if you ever wanted to sell it. So rest assured, nothing functionally gonna go wrong because of what you're seeing. As guitars get older, they are gonna show their age, especially if they are played.

To add, R7s and R8s also have tall skinny frets with baseball bat necks. R9s have a less fat neck profile and lower, a bit wider frets. I have an R7 GT, Black Beauty R7, and 2 R9s. R9s I have found where you can get a nice light weight guitar which I also like a ton. Don't have an R8, but they are more like an R7 regarding frets and neck profile based on what I've heard/read. R8s usually have anywhere from a plain top to somewhat flamed top. But some R8s have some real nice flames that could pass for R9s, so they are out there. But generally, R8, I'm thinking plain top. Price difference... Gibson says they put the most select woods to things like R9s - lighter, more flames, etc. Not that other Rs have crap, just that the R9 is like many holy grail guitars and Gibson knows it. I've found R9s for around $5-$5.5k on Reverb - or Mark's Guitar Loft... Bought my R9 from him back a while ago. Great guitars, great prices. His stock rotates a bit, so keep an eye out. You shouldn't have to pay ~$6.5k... unless you're going for something like a Murphy, Brazilian RW... You're gonna pay for that stuff. My opinion now - you can't go wrong with a Historic really. It's really one of those things you can know the specs and compare that way, but you have to put them in your hand to know for sure. I like the fat R7 necks and if you don't smash your fingers into the guitar when you fret - i.e. have some grace - the taller, skinnier frets don't matter. I will say that the R9 just has a comfortable feel for any LP you'll ever put in your hand. They're great guitars and a lot of fun to play. IMHO, they are the best LP Gibson has to offer. But again, Historics are all great guitars from my experiences. They are seem noticeably better crafted than the USA guitars. And USA Gibsons aren't bad at all, just that the Historics from the Custom Shop are my flavor of Gibson guitar.

I'm emo... I'm always depressed. lol 😆

I’ve seen quite a few videos about the neck tilt function, but I would only use it if I absolutely had to. My 2 Fenders have the tilt function where it is doing nothing - bolt is just snugged not applying any tilt. But some guitars have neck angles where the saddles can’t be lowered any more to get the string action low enough, so the tilt will fix this like a neck shim would of course. Another thing is the saddle height screws sometimes pop out where if you palm mute they can catch your hand. So again tilting the neck in this case would make the saddles need to be raised to get the screws out of the way. Another thing it does is to allow global string height adjustment to a guitar that is already set up for the fretboard radius. So the first 2 reasons I suggested I would use it, maybe not so much the third. Anyhow I believe that you only use this if you have to. Otherwise just back it off all the way and snug up the bolt so it doesn’t get loose and rattle around.

Fender makes some great guitars. Hope you like your new Strat. Best of luck!

Agreed, there's no f'n way that strings touching the back of the bridge cause buzzing...

You ain't kidding... A lot of iron in the water around here - that's what makes it stink from what I've read. Could get one of those reverse osmosis filters going on where those take care of it all, but in the end, I get used to the water as it comes. If I drink water, comes in a bottle from the store. I don't have a water bill, but I do have to maintain my equipment - well pump, bladder tank, softener and salts, etc. Also helps that I know how to do all the electrical and plumbing to get the system going so I don't have to call anyone up to fix my s***. Also nice that we have septic out here and don't have a sewer bill. We do have natural gas delivered - and of course electric - via utility company, but anything water-related is generally on our own to take care of out here.

The nicest part IMHO about hand-wired as opposed to the PCB - which saves Gibson time and money - is that when one thing goes wrong - a pot, cap, etc - you aren’t troubleshooting a board you have no idea what is connected to what generally speaking. It’s a b!tch to even replace a pot I’ll bet on that PCB. Now it isn’t going to sound different if the components are identical and connections are the same, but again much easier for you to maintain. Replacing pickups when you don’t have that PCB is much easier for many more people. The level of troubleshooting knowledge needed isn’t as complicated. Not that this is an extremely complicated thing, but if you know jack about electronics, it’s sort of daunting. I’m not saying to do one thing or the other, just sharing facts that that PCB is for Gibsons advantage not yours.

F’n A man this! We even have internet today with nice videos to explain how, what and why which a lot of us didn’t have for a long time when we started playing. I really not hard to learn how to set a guitar up. Definitely many more things in life that are far more complicated.

Again if it isn’t clear why people like me who were big Metallica fans once upon a time, this guy was very influential in taking the band to a sellout phase and he started to move the band away from the reasons why again guys like me like metal music. He sold out, went mainstream with garbage bag songs that have no semblance to their roots and brand it Metallica. I get it bands evolve but they became a trendy, turd licking band which is the antithesis of what metal fans want. Lars had a lot to do with the business of the band and got greedy showing his fans what they were really all about. Maybe a lot of bands are like this - I’m sure of it - but it sucked when it came out in plain sight that Metallica wasn’t that metal band anymore that made me like listening to music that got me pissed off and wanting to revolt against everything mainstream. If you don’t understand the metal culture you won’t understand why Lars is reviled then. Not saying I wish anyone death here but as far as supporting Metallica, then days be done and over with decades ago. And to add, the Napster ordeal was just another symptom of proof how flipping greedy these guys were. Fans don’t care about how much you make. We care about what you give us. Being he was a main figure in opposition to peer to peer sharing of music, he can suck a butt for that and how he influenced the direction of the band once they were world famous. Not being fanatic here nor have I lost sleep over it, but I call it out... Metallica sucks, I found better bands thereafter. If there’s a discussion about Metallica like this that goes on, I’ll join in and give my input. I love heavy metal and just don’t consider this band one I enjoy listening to no matter how popular they made metal back in the day. It all ended up here. In a marital divorce, you don’t stay together because of the good days. If you cheated let’s say, all that good washed away when you did another woman. Haha somewhat analogous. Like I said it hurt to see those Load albums and St Anger...

Looks like your wife should have paid for lessons instead of the guitar... JK man nice guitar BTW really like those Specials too. If I didn’t already have 13 guitars I’d have picked one up already 😉 Happy Birthday and congrats!

Lol apparently they thought we needed not one, but 2 album covers with loads 🤨

Metallica is a sellout story and by the time the SKOM vid came out I was done with those turds. Saw segments of it and it was depressing - for me that is. I spared myself the dignity of having to sit through that s***. For those wondering why Metallica comes up with Dave, I guess because he was an integral part of Metallica starting out - and Dave like him or not is a metal riff genius IMHO. He’s played with a lot of talented lead guitarists as well as having some pretty decent chops himself. I was under the impression that Metallica shat all over him for years (using his riffs and such) and now it’s Dave’s time. I don’t think of Dave as a sellout. He’s stayed pretty metal over the years aside from a few albums I don’t care for here and there. But Metallica turned into a bunch of vag’s over the years. Glad Jason left them and sad Cliff died years ago. anyhow it isn’t just about Lars and Napster or anything of the sort... no it’s much worse than that... Before Load I was into the band, but once that thing came out and we played it not knowing what was going to happen, I felt something shrivel up inside me. My friends and I were some metal heads and we got high AF listening to Load back then, and we were just like W.T.F... It was all over for me after that. The black album all of a sudden started to sound s***tier and yeah, there’s my gripe. It’s legit. It was like telling the courtroom where you got touched with a f’n doll. Rant over haha!

I can say 2 words about Metallica and the guy who had a lot of say in Metallica’s direction- Lars: Load Reload

@01GT eibach I am starting to get a bug for a V. They aren’t too bad to play sitting but take a bit of getting used to. I agree his sig V looks pretty nice in the pic you shared. I like all of them I’ve seen thus far TBH.

Yeah very true 😀 you don’t have to get too close to me to see I’m a flipping wreck haha!