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New LG2 Review from Acoustic Guitar Magazine


BluesKing777

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13 hours ago, BluesKing777 said:

... Strange that Bill Collings nailed the Kalamazoo KG-14 sounds but in a modern playability setup, but doesn't seem to have attempted a Banner LG2. Maybe it was on his long list of to do guitars? ...

Bill and I talked about it. He was definitely interested. Sadly, he ran our of time.

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4 hours ago, BluesKing777 said:

Close but no cigar, eh? ...

Oh, I don't know.  We talked about it a couple of times when we met. He really like my LG-1.  But then Bill got sick and I simply wished him well when we spoke.

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Back to the new LG2 in the review posted.....

In the summing up:

"My enthusiasm for the LG series makes the 50s LG-2 easy to love, and Gibson did a great job re-creating the feel and sound of the original. My one complaint is that Gibson chose to include an L.R. Baggs VTC undersaddle pickup as a standard feature. I’d rather the electronics be optional, as I don’t think they really capture the quality of sound the guitar is capable of and I’d appreciate the opportunity to choose my own pickup instead."

I don't like the Element much either, but it does give you some 'electricity' straight out of your new box. Your nice new Gibson LG2 can then sound like someone ripping the speaker up....... If you remove the undersaddle to put a different pickup in, you will probably need a new saddle or the old one will be too low. (Element pickup sits under the saddle).

Help for the sound is at hand though! Buy a Tonedexter, learn how to do it, make the soundfile and you then get the sound of your guitar being mic'd. Another is the Fishman Aura Spectrum, but the soundfile for a new LG2 probably doesn't exist. Still way better than the straight Element.

Next option could be buying and installing a Baggs Anthem - it has the Element part under the saddle as well as a mic type pickup, so you may not need a new saddle?

Or rip it all out and get a K&K and preamp, and a new saddle.... I love the K&K Trinity but I use in ears/headphones to prevent the mic feeding back.

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Edited by BluesKing777
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1 hour ago, BluesKing777 said:

 

Back to the new LG2 in the review posted.....

In the summing up:

"My enthusiasm for the LG series makes the 50s LG-2 easy to love, and Gibson did a great job re-creating the feel and sound of the original. My one complaint is that Gibson chose to include an L.R. Baggs VTC undersaddle pickup as a standard feature. I’d rather the electronics be optional, as I don’t think they really capture the quality of sound the guitar is capable of and I’d appreciate the opportunity to choose my own pickup instead."

I don't like the Element much either, but it does give you some 'electricity' straight out of your new box. Your nice new Gibson LG2 can then sound like someone ripping the speaker up....... If you remove the undersaddle to put a different pickup in, you will probably need a new saddle or the old one will be too low. (Element pickup sits under the saddle).

Help for the sound is at hand though! Buy a Tonedexter, learn how to do it, make the soundfile and you then get the sound of your guitar being mic'd. Another is the Fishman Aura Spectrum, but the soundfile for a new LG2 probably doesn't exist. Still way better than the straight Element.

Next option could be buying and installing a Baggs Anthem - it has the Element part under the saddle as well as a mic type pickup, so you may not need a new saddle?

Or rip it all out and get a K&K and preamp, and a new saddle.... I love the K&K Trinity but I use in ears/headphones to prevent the mic feeding back.

BluesKing777.

 

 

Or better yet, use no pickup at all. I have only one acoustic with a pickup--a carbon fiber Composite Acoustics Cargo.

It you don't play out in a situation where you cannot direct-mic your guitar, why would you need a pickup? How many buyers of "stage-ready" acoustics actually use them that way?

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1 hour ago, j45nick said:

Or better yet, use no pickup at all. I have only one acoustic with a pickup--a carbon fiber Composite Acoustics Cargo.

It you don't play out in a situation where you cannot direct-mic your guitar, why would you need a pickup? How many buyers of "stage-ready" acoustics actually use them that way?

 

Well, you wouldn't probably buy this guitar with a pickup if you didn't intend to plug it into something... but Gibson and Taylor put pickups in most of their guitars so they also must expect people to plug them in.

Then there are a couple of stages of content/discontent. The blurb with a J50 Original series: 

This Original Collection J-50 features nickel Grover Strap Cream button tuners and an LR Baggs VTC pickup for effortless plug and play and natural-sounding amplification anywhere you perform.

Ha ha ha ha ha ....

So they do plug it in and then think...PFFFFT, and they are off to the forum to 'what is the best pickup for X?' And there are 450 million different replies from 'don't do it', 'get a mic', get a.....xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and Ha ha ha ah: "Don't go on after the Maton player!" 😝😝😜

Etc>>>>>

It is an artform in itself, really! Once a good sound is found, you can record it direct instead of a mic, very handy in a noisy house and surrounds like mine. And I post them. But you sure wouldn't like the Baggs VTC plugged direct to an iMac, I can tell you - it stinks. (Of course, someone will pop their head up and say they love the sound.....

 

BluesKing777.

 

Edited by BluesKing777
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Well, thanks to the encouragement from this thread and a visit to the local store, I talked with my friends at Sweetwater and worked out a deal for a new slightly demo’d LG2. Arriving Monday. 
I’ll update ASAP. 

 

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12 hours ago, CJB said:

Well, thanks to the encouragement from this thread and a visit to the local store, I talked with my friends at Sweetwater and worked out a deal for a new slightly demo’d LG2. Arriving Monday. 
I’ll update ASAP. 

Fine looking LG- Gibson sunburst-✔️, nice piece of rosewood for the proper rectangle bridge, mucho string break, and the finer grain Sitka I'd be looking for, from a trusted seller. Looking forward to hearing it. ; ). 

You'd said up-thread that you'd like to find a  good little guitar to complement to your 0-17, and if you had both at home for a visit, you'd have most likely found the LG-2 to be a bit more versatile than the L-00. . . an approximate halfway place between the L00 and a J-45; the neck shape/body size favors comfy picking yet is still a strummer too. Congrats.

BK7^3- see what you started?

Edited by 62burst
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@QuestionMarkWill definitely post an update.  I'm quite excited and watching the tracking info a little obsessively.  The hard part is that it's within city limits but won't be delivered until Monday.  

@62burst Thanks for the encouragement!  Even if not discounted because of a little scratch on the back I would have probably chosen this one for the reasons you say.   I have had a few Waterloo L-00 variations and while I really enjoyed them (and know that they're going to be different than the Gibson version) I felt that there was too much overlap with my keeper 017.  The other day I also played a J45 that I loved but just wasn't comfortable with the body size (I had a 2016 J35 for a while and enjoyed it but found the size not quite to my liking but loved the tone).  The neck was very comfortably for my finicky fretting hand.  I sort of figured that the LG2 would be just right if made properly, and if I could find one.  So later in the day when I took my son to a doc appointment and saw a new guitar shop across the street.  They just so happened to have a new LG2 (well shop worn - and an admitted favorite of the shop employees).  When I picked up the LG2 I discovered that the neck/fretboard combo was even more comfortable than the Waterloos I've owned, my 017 and the J45 I played a few hours prior as well as including the comfort of the body size I concluded, in technical terms, 'boy howdy, this might be what I've been looking for!' Then I picked 'Freight Train' and strummed some chord progressions and I could tell through the dead strings and high action that this is indeed what I've been looking for.   So I went home, thought about it some more and talked to my trusted friend/sales engineer at Sweetwater and he worked it out in a most satisfying way (3 years 0% is hard to beat).  

And yes, @BluesKing777, see what you did?  And thank you.  😄

Is it Monday yet?

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Hey everyone, just wanted to check in with a brief report.  She landed  yesterday afternoon and after letting her rest a bit I was able to play for about 5 hours.  I don't think I could be happier with it.  The fretboard and neck playability  were more comfortable than anything else I've played that was modern.  And the tone surpassed the one I played in the store and is a great compliment to my little 017.  Thanks again y'all!

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27 minutes ago, CJB said:

Hey everyone, just wanted to check in with a brief report.  She landed  yesterday afternoon and after letting her rest a bit I was able to play for about 5 hours.  I don't think I could be happier with it.  The fretboard and neck playability  were more comfortable than anything else I've played that was modern.  And the tone surpassed the one I played in the store and is a great compliment to my little 017.  Thanks again y'all!

 

Congratulations!

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Yes, congratulations!

I didn't do anything except put up the link to the review on Acoustic Guitar Magazine.

The shops here have no intention of getting LG2 size as they don't think they sell. So I will be updating my Blues King L-00 pickup system and buying some....chocolate? (if and when my old car comes back from the mechanic). Most people would probably think my BK and the LG2 were the same guitar, same paint! Someone has to barrack for the small guitar!!!!!

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Edited by BluesKing777
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