NGD 2013 50's Tribute Goldtop

[grovesnor]

Took advantage of the DV247 offer and bagged a Goldtop for £470. It arrived damaged so they gave me £50 back. It had been dropped and had some deep dinks around the jack.

 

 

NB: I have changed some plastics and the strings already so it isn't stock.

 

 

Issues:

 

1. Nitro overspray on fretboard (can be fixed). The fingerboard also has some tooling marks in places near the neck and has some really off semi scalloping going on. Not sure if thats a thing with some Gibsons. I have only been buying them for a year or two..

 

 

2. Poor finish along the neck joints (common gripe). Look at the edges there though. Very roughly done.

 

 

3. High e saddle has been cut too deep leaving the high e string a cm lower than all the others, even taking in to account neck radius this is annoying. I will have to replace the saddle as it makes chording hard and dead notes more prevalent if finger positioning isn't perfect. Which it often isn't.

 

4. The Minetune just plain doesn't work properly! It always tunes quarter of a step flat. I have reset, re-calibrated and even removed and re-installed. Intonation is set right. Nut is high but acceptable. I simply can't see any way to make this device useful with this in mind. Hopefully Gibson customer services can offer me some advice or just bro up and send me some manual tuners.

 

5. High frets (17, 18) causing buzz on all but the highest action (fixable). This means I have to have my bridge higher than I'd like if I want to use 11's. Or do a fret job. Outta the box.

 

6. Jack plate has not been screwed on straight (is it hard to do this bit right?).

 

 

7. Plastics scratched out the the box. I have yet to get a Gibson guitar with clean plastics. Again can't understand this. The grade of plastic they use is very soft and I suspect they are using parts bins etc or they are using dirty rags to finish the guitar before boxing it up. Frustrating but not major.

 

Positives:

 

1. Lovely tone plugged and unplugged. The back is either 2 or 3 piece its hard to tell. The grade of mahogany is probably low but its very light (8lbs strung) and has lovely grain swirls in it. I am very happy with the tone. Its incredibly resonant and woody. Not at all like the 2015 models I have which range from muddy to unbearably sparkly.

2. Top wrapping makes 11's play like 10s. It really does.

3. Truss rod works real nice. Lots of relief available.

4. Love the neck profile. Very chunky. Very resonant.

5. Price was right. Although I think the quality of the finish is more deserving of a £200 instrument to be fair, since I intend to gig this thing until it turns to dust, I wasn't too fussed. That and it didn't cost me silly money.

 

 

So overall? 6/10 for how the instrument met my expectations of the brand. 8/10 for practical utility. It sounds great so its a keeper. But definitely not a good example of QC.

 

 

Now the down side is the day after I bought this one Amazon reduced their 2016 tributes to £550. So, after I had finished buying a (rather overpriced) pickguard and some p90 covers and some tuners I will have spent more than a 2016 one with all those extras and sans the silly robotuner. That does indeed sting a bit. But hey ho!

 

Next up I am going to change the plastics to 'flesh pink' and wet sand the top with some 600 grit and then buff it out. I'll fix all the other issues as I go.

 

I have emailed Gibson customer services with a request for help with the saddle (asking them to sell/give me one) and querying the odd flat tuning issue. Hopefully they will accept it returned to them as a duffer and pony up some manual tuners and save me £40. I won't hold my breath though.

 

Side note: Compared to the finish on my 2015 Classic the tribute is best described as 'agricultural'. Its not even in the same universe. So I guess you can expect a lot more for your money at the higher end of the Gibson range.

 

[merciful-evans]

Well it looks the part if nothing else.

 

Yes its a shocking catalog of errors, but the sound determines everything, I agree.

 

Good luck with the remedial work!

[Eracer_Team]

Amazon is a clearing house not a guitar store.. nor are they Gibson..

 

when you go to buy something they tell you who the supplier is..

 

this looks like it was probably a return and the original seller dumped it onto Amazon

 

 

 

[stein]

That is a REALLY nice looking guitar, especially considering the price you got it for.

 

I agree the QC issues are fixable, and I would be inclined to keep it as well. But I wouldn't call these "usual QC issues". I read/hear on places about Gibson QC being bad, but it's more rare than not they are legitimate as yours seem to be. Don't know what the explanation for the fingerboard is- I don't see "tool marks", but I see damage/skuffs or some sort.

 

I suppose if it were me, and I didn't have the skills or the time, I would take it in for a full set-up and just get the frets and bridge saddles addressed and be done with it. Then have the luthier/tech see about fixing the tuners or send it in for warranty service.

 

Might add as well, when these first came out, the gold versions sold a LOT more quickly than the other color options and also sold for more money, mainly because it sorta represents the very first ones made that didn't have binding, and also the lack of binding doesn't stand out as much. And, you WON'T find any 200 (pounds?) guitar with a nitro finish.

[AlanH]

Congrats, Grosvenor.

 

Hope you get your issues sorted soon.

 

I know what you mean about the difference between the stripped down versus full gloss, full bling look. When I put my new LP signature next to my 50s Tribute I was quite shocked at how plain Jane the tribute looked.

 

What's the body route on yours? My tribute is chambered. It makes for a very resonant but brighter tone with SGesque attack....

[grovesnor]

Amazon is a clearing house not a guitar store.. nor are they Gibson..

 

when you go to buy something they tell you who the supplier is..

 

this looks like it was probably a return and the original seller dumped it onto Amazon

 

This wasn't bought from Amazon mate. It was DV247. Amazon have never sent me a bad guitar fwiw. They don't fib about stuff like return re-sales (if supplied by them) in my experience and they don't have the time or the inclination to open boxes before shipping them. So you generally get direct from factory instruments. Their returns policy is second to none too. I really recommend them if you have to buy online and can find the right instrument at the right price.

 

That is a REALLY nice looking guitar, especially considering the price you got it for.

 

I agree the QC issues are fixable, and I would be inclined to keep it as well. But I wouldn't call these "usual QC issues". I read/hear on places about Gibson QC being bad, but it's more rare than not they are legitimate as yours seem to be. Don't know what the explanation for the fingerboard is- I don't see "tool marks", but I see damage/skuffs or some sort.

 

I suppose if it were me, and I didn't have the skills or the time, I would take it in for a full set-up and just get the frets and bridge saddles addressed and be done with it. Then have the luthier/tech see about fixing the tuners or send it in for warranty service.

 

Might add as well, when these first came out, the gold versions sold a LOT more quickly than the other color options and also sold for more money, mainly because it sorta represents the very first ones made that didn't have binding, and also the lack of binding doesn't stand out as much. And, you WON'T find any 200 (pounds?) guitar with a nitro finish.

 

All fixable. Its not the fixing that bothers me its the extra expense. Gibson parts are scandalously priced and you can't buy a chrome abr saddle in the UK (that I could find) for a decent price either. You have to buy an entire tuneomatic at a cost of around £30. Likewise the tuners. £40-60 for tuners. Suddenly I have a £600 guitar that isn't worth £600 to anyone else. There you see why I get a bit annoyed when they come with some many 'quirks'.

 

I took it over to my old man's so he could check it out compared to the Less+ and he had one in each hand and said 'damn this weighs so much more!' and promptly hefted the goldtop in to the light fixture and took a chunk out the headstock. That was day 1. He was real upset hehe. I just laughed and said every time I saw that ding I'd remember this moment. He's 80 so ..

 

Sometimes you just know a guitar is destined to be a keeper... :lol:

[stein]

T

 

 

All fixable. Its not the fixing that bothers me its the extra expense. Gibson parts are scandalously priced and you can't buy a chrome abr saddle in the UK (that I could find) for a decent price either. You have to buy an entire tuneomatic at a cost of around £30. Likewise the tuners. £40-60 for tuners. Suddenly I have a £600 guitar that isn't worth £600 to anyone else. There you see why I get a bit annoyed when they come with some many 'quirks'.

 

 

True, and also, a lot of folks do "expenditures" that are basically upgrades to them, and expect they guitar is worth more because it works better for them. Things like pickups and bridges and tuners "upgrades" do NOT make a guitar worth more.

 

Doesn't mean they aren't worth doing, though.

 

I wonder though...you mention needing a chrome abr saddle. Your bridge isn't an abr, it's a Nashville. Also, no reason why you couldn't "fine tune" all the saddles on the existing bridge if you truly want perfection. And I wouldn't feel stuck with using a "genuine" factory Gibson bridge either. There are lots of options that would fit the post on that guitar. Same goes for the plastics.

 

Going the other direction, you might look into warranty service. Might even get a set-up and fret dress for free, which also, is something always worth spending money on, but again, doesn't make the guitar worth more.

[Rabs]

Yeah it seems odd.. I bought most of my guitars through DV247 cos they have a shop that's local to me and ive ALWAYS been happy with their service.. Ive never once got a bad guitar from them and I think they actually check over all their guitars before they go on sale..

 

Still a keeper is a keeper, anything that doesn't effect sound or playability is just extra mojo :D

[jp89]

Yeah it seems odd.. I bought most of my guitars through DV247 cos they have a shop that's local to me and ive ALWAYS been happy with their service.. Ive never once got a bad guitar from them and I think they actually check over all their guitars before they go on sale..

 

Still a keeper is a keeper, anything that doesn't effect sound or playability is just extra mojo :D

 

I saw an ad from ZZ SOUNDS Music today for the same 2013 guitars in Cherry ,Gold , & Ebony for the 749$ or there about . Comes wit a gig bag .

They also got a Gibson Derek Trucks Signature SG Electric Guitar $1,299.95 or 108 a month these are the best deals I have seen all century.

they got a website to order & easy credit.

[grovesnor]

So I figured out what the weird marks on the neck end of the fingerboard are.

 

Its gold paint.

 

Should come off nice with the Nitro on the other side!

 

Operation - 2016 60's Tribute conversion begins.

 

 

Plastics look good. Pickguard in the post.

 

I'm going to cut the top with some 600 grit then rubbing compound to gloss it up.

 

Also going to scrape the binding to expose it.

 

End result should resemble this:

 

 

Want to change the nut but I heard they were epoxied in this particular year? I don't fancy having to cut it out. Anyone know for sure?

[grovesnor]

What's the body route on yours? My tribute is chambered. It makes for a very resonant but brighter tone with SGesque attack....

 

Trad swiss cheese. Which makes me wonder what they made it out of cos its only 8lbs lol.

[merciful-evans]

With the 1st pic you said you changed some plastics. I assumed it was pickup covers. Now you have cream? Or did you change them after the pic was taken?

 

I like the cream much more.

[grovesnor]

Comes black. Changing it to Gibson flesh pink (cream). Would like to go full vintage ivory but you can't get p90 covers that will fit Gibson p90s. So this will have to wait until I get some aftermarket alnico 2 pups. No rush as the stock Gibson alnico v pups sound alright to my ears through the blues junior 3.

 

I have given up waiting for Gibson to reply to my email. A week seems like a long time to wait..

 

Ordered some vintage style tuners.

[Rabs]

 

 

End result should resemble this:

 

 

 

Want to change the nut but I heard they were epoxied in this particular year? I don't fancy having to cut it out. Anyone know for sure?

I have a 60s tribute like that... Love it to bits

[norcalpiper]

I picked up the exact same model for 699$. Spent another 75$ on tuners and plastics. Mine seems to have been a bit better as far as complaints go. Here it is now....The sound and now the look cant be beat! Now if i could figure out how to add a pic.....

[norcalpiper]

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i279/sitarpyar/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_2016-01-19-19-16-38_zpsrqj0o0vk.png

[JasonG]

Lindy Frailin's cream p90 covers fit the Gibson pickups perfectly. Here is my 2013 50s tribute with the plastics changed using Gibson Historic plastics and Lindy Fralin p90 covers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comes black. Changing it to Gibson flesh pink (cream). Would like to go full vintage ivory but you can't get p90 covers that will fit Gibson p90s. So this will have to wait until I get some aftermarket alnico 2 pups. No rush as the stock Gibson alnico v pups sound alright to my ears through the blues junior 3.

 

I have given up waiting for Gibson to reply to my email. A week seems like a long time to wait..

 

Ordered some vintage style tuners.

 

 

 

[grovesnor]

Cheers guys! Jason that is gorgeous mate. Just how I imagine it should look.

 

What I love about the P90's is the sheer range of tones. Damn. Adjusting the pups can make it sound like a true historic 54 or a really nice telecaster. Or somewhere in between. Its so versatile.

 

 

Getting there. I 'fixed' the issue of the high e saddle being cut too low by flipping the bridge. Much better. Also much prefer having the adjuster screws for intonation on the back not the inside.

 

Also grabbed some amber top hats and spikes. Then realized why you don't want amber knobs - you can't read them in low light lol.

 

I tried out lighter strings tonight and I really, really, really, really cannot recommend Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky 2222 enough. I got a silky smooth low action, bends like a dream and still plenty of meat on the bottom 3 strings.

 

I much prefer them to the 10's or even 11's I tried.

 

Next job is change the nut out for a bone one and the tuners to vintage style. The electronics in these is really bad. The tone knobs do next to nothing (the caps are loltastic) and the volume is pretty much all or nothing.

 

So last thing to do will be to hand rewire it.

 

Then polish it and strip the cap for a faux binding.

[AlanH]

It's looking good, Grosvenor.

[grovesnor]

It's looking good, Grosvenor.

 

Getting there. So hey, err, Nashville bridges are supposed to have the screws facing the tailpiece.

 

Which explains why my high e was too low.

 

It was the wrong way round.

 

Spend a few hrs messing with the setup this morning. It now absolutely screams. I am so so pleased with the tone.

 

I setup the guitar to these specs:

 

To check neck relief: fret the low E at the first and 15th fret (not 12th) reach to the 7th fret and tap string. There should be a small space between string and fret - no thicker than a piece of paper. Do the same with the high E.

ACTION: fret low E at first fret and measure the distance from the bottom of the to the top of the 15th fret. It should be 5/64". Do the same with the high E, measurement should be 3/64". Now measure the string height at the nut; underside of the string to the top of the fret. Low E and A should measure 2/64", D and G =1.5/64" and B and high E = 1/64". If string height at nut is correct, recheck string height at 12th fret with strings open. Measurement for low and high E's should be the same as measurement taken at the 15th.

 

Then tweaked the pup height/tilt and pole pieces..

 

Both P90's have a very narrow field of operation. You can't go more than a cm below the strings and expect anything from the bridge and the neck likes to be flush with the fingerboard on mine. Teaking the poles lets you bias bass or treble. My strings are pretty light so I find the top 3 don't really chime as much as I'd like if I don't bring the poles up snug. With the pup real close its overpoweringly tinny and shrill so this is a nice compromise. Great crunch overdriven tone for classic rock power chords and total cream from the neck pup.

 

 

 

Love it. It makes my cruddy little practice amp sound like a VOX 30.

 

Note: I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. This is all just trial and error. [biggrin]

 

Can't wait to get my hands on that Blues Junior .. !

[merciful-evans]

Getting there. So hey, err, Nashville bridges are supposed to have the screws facing the tailpiece.

 

Which explains why my high e was too low.

 

It was the wrong way round.

 

Spend a few hrs messing with the setup this morning. It now absolutely screams. I am so so pleased with the tone.

 

I setup the guitar to these specs:

 

 

 

Then tweaked the pup height/tilt and pole pieces..

 

Both P90's have a very narrow field of operation. You can't go more than a cm below the strings and expect anything from the bridge and the neck likes to be flush with the fingerboard on mine. Teaking the poles lets you bias bass or treble. My strings are pretty light so I find the top 3 don't really chime as much as I'd like if I don't bring the poles up snug. With the pup real close its overpoweringly tinny and shrill so this is a nice compromise. Great crunch overdriven tone for classic rock power chords and total cream from the neck pup.

 

 

 

Love it. It makes my cruddy little practice amp sound like a VOX 30.

 

Note: I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. This is all just trial and error. [biggrin]

 

Can't wait to get my hands on that Blues Junior .. !

 

Nice work! Its a shame that you had so much to do, but well done

[grovesnor]

Heh yeah. Its been a lot of fun so far. Still plenty to do and learn doing.

 

I was just looking at these vintage goldtops with p90's and I'm pleased to see they came to the same conclusions I did re: the pole pieces and pup height.

 

{smug}

[grovesnor]

Another problem arises. The Switchcraft pup selector switch has failed after only a couple of weeks.. :unsure:

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j54K_klEXxg

 

I was OK with that until I looked up how much a replacement is ..

[Johnny 6 String]

Another problem arises. The Switchcraft pup selector switch has failed after only a couple of weeks.. :unsure:

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j54K_klEXxg

 

I was OK with that until I looked up how much a replacement is ..

 

 

I'd try pinching the contacts tighter and squirting some contact cleaner in there before I replaced it. You never know.....I've seen plenty of dirty switches in guitars.

[grovesnor]

I'd try pinching the contacts tighter and squirting some contact cleaner in there before I replaced it. You never know.....I've seen plenty of dirty switches in guitars.

 

Contact cleaner sorted it. Must have got some chutney in there or summat.

 

Guess that happens.