Not-Too-Late Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Well, to each his/her own. But, I've only changed pickups, once! In my 2000 LP Classic, I changed out the Ceramic's for Classic '57 (neck), and '57+ (bridge). "I" much prefer the '57's to the much hotter Ceramic's. But, that's just me. CB I'm sure that one day down the road I might end up doing a swap, but before I do so I will refer to this guide I found on the Internet a few days ago: http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/tone-hunting-0309-2011.aspx I'm sure it will come in handy when the time comes. Cheers Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacealf Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Yes, depends on how big your fingers dingers are perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Just for Fun! And, maybe(?) to answer the "can't it do 'Jazz?'" question. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not-Too-Late Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Just for Fun! And, maybe(?) to answer the "can't it do 'Jazz?'" question. CB How SWEET it is. That really is a nice sounding guitar. I mean, why buy a Gibson. Hey, was this guy smokin' hash or something. Nothing like an older guy trying to act cool to fit in with the younger generation. NOT cool. His juvenile outbursts gave me the willeys. Hey, but he's not a bad thumper. Thanks for that CB. Cheers Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 How SWEET it is. That really is a nice sounding guitar. I mean, why buy a Gibson. Hey, was this guy smokin' hash or something. Nothing like an older guy trying to act cool to fit in with the younger generation. NOT cool. His juvenile outbursts gave me the willeys. Hey, but he's not a bad thumper. Thanks for that CB. Cheers Wayne Yeah, Greg is a pretty serious player. I too, find his "schtick" a bit too much, at times. But, at least you could see how nicely the Sheri sounded, in his more "jazz" sounding part of the demo. He was using a Korean "generic body" version, and "I" still prefer the current Chinese body style as it's nicer looking (to me), and more like Gibson's! But, that's really cosmetic. My buddy has a black (Korean) Sheraton, like the one he demo'd, and it's Great! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 you said it Wayne. A wise man once said "Shut up 'n play yer guitar" - think I now have an idea who he was talking to. Sweet guitar though and very nicely played... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 For what it's worth... RE: jazz picking... My "go to" guitar for jazz picking has varied a bit, but... it's included my old Guild S100c SG clone, any of my classical guitars in those days, my early '70s Ovation nylon AE Country Artist and ... in the late '70s, a cupla archtops that began a group I have now. I got my first semis a cupla years ago. I've done a jazz-chord Misty "out" on a little Epi PR5e flattop and... There's a recording of a young Joe Pass on a Fender Jaguar on Youtube. I think "we" have this predisposition - I've been as guilty as anyone - to determine that Guitar A is for one sorta music and Guitar B is for another. Seriously, the SG can give you sweeeet jazz tones. One of my favorite "listen to again" pieces on Youtube is Roy Buchanan playing Misty on his Tele and it's a gorgeous sound. Perhaps the comment above is what makes me deaf to complaints - not music - that a guitar needs this or that "tone." Buchanan's Misty is a masterpiece on that old vid with Mundell Lowe who's another master of his own disposition, and tends to have used archtops on public performances but... one never knows about studio gigs. I think that unless you're bound and determined to get a general sort of "sound," the idea to me is to play music that pleases you and ... to me again, the "tone" will be appropriate if it's "you" playing the music. Should we assail Charlie Byrd for lousy tone because he was using a classical guitar for "jazz?" Oh - and that Reinhardt guy ... did he play jazz on an electric archtop or an odd flattop and... had he "sold out" because he worked with the "new" electrics that became common only really after WWII? Was his "tone" better on that Sel/Mac or on an archtop electric through an amp? <grin> Well, at least now more folks might guess there's a reason I have about the same sorts of strings on all my six-string guitars, electric or AE, except the nylon strung ones. I figure I ain't all that good, but I'm me and a fingerstylist of sorts, and I tend to play like I play regardless - if I can get the guitar set up to where I'm reeeally comfortable. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not-Too-Late Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 you said it Wayne. A wise man once said "Shut up 'n play yer guitar" - think I now have an idea who he was talking to. Sweet guitar though and very nicely played... Haha! I've said that a few times - but with a slight twist "Shut up so I can play my guitar". There's nothing that I hate more is when I'm have way through a song and someone starts talking to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not-Too-Late Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Yeah, Greg is a pretty serious player. I too, find his "schtick" a bit too much, at times. But, at least you could see how nicely the Sheri sounded, in his more "jazz" sounding part of the demo. He was using a Korean "generic body" version, and "I" still prefer the current Chinese body style as it's nicer looking (to me), and more like Gibson's! But, that's really cosmetic. My buddy has a black (Korean) Sheraton, like the one he demo'd, and it's Great! CB I certainly won't take that away from him - but his "schtick", as you say, oh yeah! I really like the tone, especially when he played it clean. I was wondering, for the time being, if I just swapped out the pups on mine for the same ones that are used on the Sheraton - 11. I'm sure I could come very close to the same tone. Just a thought - as I mentioned for the time being. I would still like to get an archtop like the Lucille or Sherri one day soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not-Too-Late Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 For what it's worth... RE: jazz picking... Oh - and that Reinhardt guy ... did he play jazz on an electric archtop or an odd flattop and... had he "sold out" because he worked with the "new" electrics that became common only really after WWII? Was his "tone" better on that Sel/Mac or on an archtop electric through an amp? <grin> Well, at least now more folks might guess there's a reason I have about the same sorts of strings on all my six-string guitars, electric or AE, except the nylon strung ones. I figure I ain't all that good, but I'm me and a fingerstylist of sorts, and I tend to play like I play regardless - if I can get the guitar set up to where I'm reeeally comfortable. m Yeah, and that Reinhardt guy played one beautifully toned guitar. Even LP, who had one of Reinhardt's guitars, admitted how great the tone was that comes from it. Since I'm not a Reinhardt, and never will be, I'll have to rely on other means than my meager talent to accomplish my goal, so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Thing is, Les (and obviously Django) had the skill and talent to make a Selmer/Mac sound good too. He wasn't raised with electrics per se... but adopted the concept enthusiastically. Problem with a pure acoustic guitar is that it has marvelous potential for a range of "tone," but IMHO most folks only get one kind of sound from theirs. Many then spend bundles on various guitar body parts to improve what a bit of technique could change as well. Not that a better bridge/nut will not make a difference, but rather that there's IMHO too little effort into using technique to influence "tone" first. It's my observation and personal experience that one need not touch a control on guitar or amp to get similarly a wide range of tone from an electric guitar, either. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Zeplin Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Reminds of the fact that every time I play test guitars at GC, the used ones play better than the new ones. They're always better setup, no matter if it's a Gibson, Fender, Epi, PRS etc etc. The used ones had someone do something on them and most the time that something made them play better. My MiM Jazz bass was setup beautifully when I bought it and it was half the price of a new MiM Jazz bass. I just can't see buying new if a good used guitar of the same brand and model is sitting there for half the price, and likely better setup anyway. It is rare that any guitar, regardless of make, is going to be set up to everyone's liking. Once that guitar gest dialed in it should play great. Sometimes the magic isn't there and you move on. These days I almost always buy used. Not only do they save dough they will have the bugs worked out and will be better set up. Just my take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Zep's absolutely correct in terms of setup. I almost guarantee that 90 percent of the guys here wouldn't care much for some of my setups on certain guitars of my stable. It's a matter of personal preference and technique. That said, I've seen some nasty twisted necks, too. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Marlowe Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 But it's not JUST taste. I recently bought a used amp at GC, having it shipped store to store (saves a ton on shipping btw) and wanted to make sure it worked. Took it into their little sound booth, where all the guitars are $1500 to $3000 or so. Grabbed a nice looking tele off the wall. The strings were literally a 1/4" off the fretboard. The setup wasn't a little high for some people's taste, it was insane. And I tried a couple other guitars and they were all way high. The lowest action was around 3/16". I don't know who sets up these things from the factory but they're just terrible. I'm sure someone out there likes their strings that high, but it seemed a little crazy to me. There were a couple older vintage guitars on the wall. They all played like silk, with much more reasonable action. That was just one afternoon in one GC tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Zeplin Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 But it's not JUST taste. I recently bought a used amp at GC, having it shipped store to store (saves a ton on shipping btw) and wanted to make sure it worked. Took it into their little sound booth, where all the guitars are $1500 to $3000 or so. Grabbed a nice looking tele off the wall. The strings were literally a 1/4" off the fretboard. The setup wasn't a little high for some people's taste, it was insane. And I tried a couple other guitars and they were all way high. The lowest action was around 3/16". I don't know who sets up these things from the factory but they're just terrible. I'm sure someone out there likes their strings that high, but it seemed a little crazy to me. There were a couple older vintage guitars on the wall. They all played like silk, with much more reasonable action. That was just one afternoon in one GC tho. Surely someone could at least give them a once over and a tweak before they wind up on the sales floor. Baffles me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dell D Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I think it's all a mater of personal tastes and how the guitar is set up I have 3 Epiphones and one Gibson I've played both brands in stores and have run across un-playable guitars in both brands, the set is very important ! Now that I have all my guitars set up it's just a matter of what tone I want at the time but I must say to me I use my Epiphones more, my 335 Dot is my go to guitar ( and I've played 335 Gibson's that don't play or sound as good as my Dot & some better ) I also have an Epiphone Special with P-90s in it and once I got it set up it sounds and plays great, it really has one of the best clean sounds I've heard ( I like it better than Gibson's LP jr.)Don't get me wrong I love my Gibson LP Studio and yes I could have gotten more costly LP but I chose the Studio over the LP Standard and Traditional because of the tone, the 50's style neck and the weight !So it all boils down to what you like and want in a guitar ! Just because you pay a bunch of money for a guitar doesn't mean it's a good guitar, try before you buy is what I go by ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Bob Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I played my Gibson 335 dot for 10 years. I had a guitar tech. do the set-up for me and I really liked it. I've always liked thin line semi hollow guitars. Now I'm playing epiphone 339 pro that I have set-up myself. I liked the first one so much I bought two more and set them up the same way. When there set-up right there all great guitars. Fit and finish will be better on a Gibson but for what they charge for it, is just more than I'm willing to pay now days and on a fixed income. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Never judge guitars until they are properly set up. I've owned about 10-12 Gibsons and about 15 Epiphones over the years. I usually buy second-hand, so any set up issues have usually been fixed by the time I get them. Every single Gibson I've played (about 20 when including those owned by friends)has played better than every single Epiphone. Most of the Epis have been perfectly ok, but none have been as good.(All of the Epis have been Korean, Chinese or Indonesian). I've never had to pay a luthier to sort out any neck issues on a Gibson, they have only needed tweaking a bit to get the action how I like it. I've had to get minor fret work done on 3 Epis (including a brand new ES339)to get them playable without a lot of buzz and rattle when the action is low. The best-playing Epi I ever had was a G400 made by Samick in the early 2000s; the neck/frets were close to Gibson standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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