Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hey everyone, I want to preface by apologizing in advance if I have posted this in the wrong place. I don't usually post on forums. I was hoping for some advice. My birthday is coming up, (March 6th), and my mom was going to get me a Dark Fire, which was purely awesome. It would be my first Gibson. Tonight, we went to the local Guitar Center, to order one. While we were waiting, I decided to look at some other guitars, and found a Gibson Les Paul Supreme. I ended up leaving with the Supreme. I chose it because: 1. The finish was FANTASTIC! 2. It sounded really good. 3. The quality of workmanship seemed to surpass everything there. 4. The sales guy said it was nicer. I'm wondering if I made a mistake. Should I have gotten the Dark Fire? I'm 14, and I just started playing guitar. I've played bass for a year. I want a guitar that is going to last me forever. I also couldn't decide if the Dark Fire was too gimmicky. I mean, I LOVE computers, and am a total geek, but does it take some of the feeling out of playing the guitar? How is the workmanship on the Dark Fire, compared to, say the Supreme? Did I make the right choice? What about a Les Paul Custom? AHHH! So many questions... Any advice would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I want a guitar that is going to last me forever I think you made an excellent choice - and you are very lucky to have a Les Paul Supreme at your age - It will last a lifetime. And yes - the Les Paul Supreme is a much higher quality guitar than the gimmicky Dark Fire. As you advance you may find you enjoy augmenting your sonic palette with additional guitars. I've been playing 40 years - i own 30 guitars. I still own the guitar I had at age 14 - my 1961 Gibson SG Special I bought used in 1969. Today, 48 years after it was built - It still delivers the same qualities it always had and no doubt with care will still be playable 40 years from now. Your Les Paul Supreme has similar or better characteristics and components as my 1961 SG Special, and will last a lifetime. Regarding the Dark Fire - it is indeed very finicky, and I already know it will not be functional 40 years from now, without needing electronic service - this is due to the nature of the micro electronics inside its CPU PC board - they match the same type used in a typical Camcorder. Ask your family how long the typical camcorder has lasted. Most fail after 12 years, due to small electrolytic capacitors drying out - The Dark Fires will surely fail within 15-20 years, and require service to function - this is part of the reason it has a mode which bypasses all the active electronics and allows it to act like a normal Les Paul with passive electrical path - just like your Les Paul Supreme. I'm unique as I'm an electronics engineer so I'm capable of replacing / servicing my gear, and I needed a guitar that could instantly go from one alternate tuning to another, and I do a bit of recording sound tracks and I have much experience - the Dark Fire is just another "club in my golf bag" to use an analogy. Instead of RIP - you could achieve a similar recording / guitar amp modeling feature set by obtaining this : http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TonePortUX1/ It will not have ALL the bells and whistles as the Dark Fire and RIP - but it will work very well with your Les Paul and open doors with online lessons using the Gearbox application. Congratulations. and go to bed young man! :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Thanks for the advice, it definitely helped clear things up. I guess it was just a temporary case of buyer's remorse. If I decide I want a DF later in the future, there is always craigslist. Thanks for the reality-check about the lifespan of the Dark Fire. And yes, I realize how supremely (excuse the horrible pun) awesome my mom is. The lure of robotic tuning had me though. On a slightly off topic, do you know if the Les Paul Supreme is supposed to come in a Gibson Custom case? Also, by any chance, do you know what is supposed to come in the case? I think the guy at Guitar Center screwed up. All it came with was a key for the case, and a truss rod adjuster. It doesn't even come with a certificate of authenticity, like a tag on the case said it would. Should I call them tomorrow, or is this nothing to worry about? Thanks again for the advice... and I just realized we're practically neighbors. San Luis Obispo is pretty close to Santa Barbara. Oh, and this 'young man' gets the week off, for president's day or something. I think I might pull an all-nighter... Finally, as far as your replacement for the RIP goes, is it the same as the Motu UltraLite audio interface, combined with Logic Studio? I highly recommend it, by the way. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UltraLitemk3/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Review the Les Paul Supreme Product page. You were supposed to get a Owners Manual - a Warranty Card, and a final check list. You may want to wait a day before calling Gibson to register the guitar - just in case you reconsider getting on the list for a Dark Fire. B TW - Guitar Center can get you a Dark Fire in a week - from another Guitar Center Store. They do that all the time and can check on their computer, ask the Manager if you get flack or a sales guy that says "no way'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 In your opinion, if you could only have one, would you go Dark Fire, or Supreme? Not to be repetitive or anything.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Extremely tough decision I do love my Dark Fire - I can get acoustic type tones out of it and a vast range of tones. and the RIP is shipping! but the Dark Fire paint finish on the back , sides, neck are not as good as your supreme - its more like a worn brown Les Paul Studio - a bit rough and not gloss lacquer like your Supreme. It has an egg shape neck profile that takes getting used to. i buy these to play , not as a bank commodity - i already own a 72 Les Paul Standard ( see my avatar). There is a lot to wrap your brain around with the Dark Fire - and its the type of guitar you will never want your friends/ peers to touch - they would surely break it. and you need patience to know its a 50/50% chance the Dark Fire you get will require a RMA trip to Gibson and 4 weeks without your guitar. The MCK has been that bad. But yes - we are only 90 minutes away from each other, and I'm becoming very familiar with all the electronics to service my own. Ultimately you need to find the guitar that fires your imagination, inspires you to play beyond your capabilities, and never lets you down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 http://www.lespaulforum.com/slubarticle/supreme/supreme.html Very nice indeed! I am very impressed with the no back-plate feature as well as the overall choices of finish and quality... I wish Dark Fire was built with similar specs and care... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 We do not have that! Wow! I think in 5 years if you had to trade up - your LP Supreme is going to bring top dollar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I might be afraid to play a guitar that pretty - the 1st ding from a belt buckle will cost $200 to fix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Yeah, but as an owner of Apple products, I am already familiar with the crushing pain of scratching and dinging pretty items. It comes with the territory. On the plus side, most of the time, you can buff it out... I think this guitar, in the [likely] event that I keep it, will have a no belt rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 http://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1403.0;attach=1508 See if you can download that PDF - it has full pics of my Dark Fire - and the problems i had that required an RMA. If you get a Dark Fire - budget a case - the White one supplied is really a joke - it gets scruffed up instantly, and it screams "steal me" when anyone sees you put in the car. I got this one and it works well http://www.music123.com/Gator-GW-LPS-Traditional-LP-Guitar-Case-545852-i1152380.Music123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Ouch, that was one of the reasons I rethought the Dark Fire... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Ouch, that was one of the reasons I rethought the Dark Fire... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 It was so funny... I thought about that the first time I saw the Dark Fire case. 'Gibson Dark Fire | First Run Special Edition' baisically translates into 'Steal me. I'm worth a ton of money on Ebay.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I sent it to Gibson - and they: * repaired the paint scratches from the broken knob rolling around in the case * replaced the MCK with a smooth operating one * Remounted the PU selector switch * fixed the sharp fret edges. I have played it for several gigs the past month, it has acquired a few dings in the back - this is normal wear/ tear. I had to glue the PU selector Cap - as it tends to fly off during normal operation at gigs. the instant tuning is a joy - and the RIP into my Mackbook Pro with GR3 and Ableton and Craig Anderton hex processing presets - that was worth 1/2 the price to me - I never could get Guitar Rig to work before - but with RIP it works extremely well! Now you can be totally confused choosing the right guitar for someone else is like picking out the right halloween costume , a bike, or a girlfriend. ;0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 On an off topic, you should definitely post a video on the DF on youtube, sort of showing what it looks like all over, and some features. There is like no info on it except for Gibson PR, and Gibson's stylized shots. Notice how they don't cover the back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Yeah, the instant tuning and stringing is really sweet. As is the cool design on the front, and the amazing pickups. It seems like QC needs a little work though. BTW, does it come with the full vertsion of Abelton Live 7? That would be awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 http://www.musicradar.com/gear/all/guitars/electric/6-string-solid-body/dark-fire-196497/review they have a video there and check out the links here: http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=12665 Its only the entry version Live Lite - but full version of Guitar Rig. The RIP works with Bass or other guitars too. and you can use it as an audio interface with Garageband and Logic 8 and Reaper Audio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 thnx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 can't find the vid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Next year, I turn 16, which can justify pretty much any purchase, short of a house. Do you think they will have a better robot by then? One that could kick the crap out of a Dark Fire? ** kidding about the house thing, but a guitar would probabily be in the limits of a sweet 16... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Indeed! They are on a roll - a new "improved" Robot model will arrive every other year - it will be just as frequent as updates to iLife. . By comparison - Your Les Paul Supreme is timeless - like a '59 Les Paul. both will function and hold their value in 50 years - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 What do you expect on the new robot, besides some badass finish? **wow, i just went from newbie to member in a single thread. thats a personal record *** new robot every year, or every other year? And yes, I totally agree about the timelessness of a non robotic les paul. That was one of my biggest reasons for not getting the robot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Footswitch control, better side mounted LCD/OLED display, more than 8 chameleon tones, WiFi, and I anticipate future versions may have certain features that get unlocked after a monthly subscription to Gibson to use specific features - rather like Line 6 does with Guitarport $7.98 / month. Your right - keep the Lp Supreme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liystalander Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Really, i'm not sure i like that. gibson seems to be taking too many ideas from apple. first the website, then the restrictions... its all coming together... pay to play, really???? bummer. and wifi sounds like too much. is it a guitar, or a computer. r u for real, or are you just guessing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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