Pinch Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Okay, so I pulled the trigger/sold gear/rented out a kidney. Here's my review. Burst: unburst. I'm borrowing this pic: Something like that (the vertical stripes you see are likely a reflection). It looks like that with good lighting. Crappier lighting, and it looks a little more orange/cherry burst-esque. Def. looks the part. Binding is pretty much flawless. I think I found one mark or hair that got laquered over, but it's nothing I'm at all concerned about. Neck is straight. If you put a microscope to it, you'd find a gap at fret 7. That straight. Came set up with low medium action. No fret buzz anywhere - plays like butter. No dead spots. There's a slight sympathetic overtone/harmony thingy on one open string. It's also present on the first fret fretted on that string but pretty much inaudible unless you're as OCD as me about these things - I put all that down to the fact that it's very VERY resonant and alive-sounding. It's "musical" enough that I'm not gonna think about it again after this review. All part of a guitar with this kind of resonance and sustain, I suppose - you get things like that. The `61 Burstbuckers came set up very high and initially sounded... Not good. Lowered them a full turn - better, but there's something I just don't like about them, same as with Burstbucker Pros (also AlNiCo V). The treble sounds shrill rather than crisp and clear. These are much better clean than overdriven, though. Still not really my cuppa Joe. I'm putting in APH-2s - with wood this lively-sounding, I think this will be one hell of a rock 'n' roll guitar. It feels right to go in that direction with this one, rather than down PAF Highway. I haven't changed strings yet, but from the feel of it, the nut is cut just right. I've heard a lot of people say their guitars came with dry fretboards, but this one looks normal. It will get a drink when I change strings, but just a small one. Grovers are 18:1, which is a first for me. A little more turn. I guess it's a "premium feature". Doesn't really matter to me. They do what they're supposed to. Intonation came a little off, but not by much. 60s slim taper neck is just right for me. It's a little thicker (and wider?) than on the Tributes. I like both. No weight relief, which was important to me. It's heavy but not too heavy. It's... rocking. Like I said, now that I've spent some time with it, I feel it's destined for hard rock rather than more PAFy cleans. And, again, it's CRAZY resonant. It's next level resonance and sustain. You get what you pay for, I guess. Also hoping the cryo frets will last longer than regular frets. That too helped sell me on this one. Feels like I've come full circle. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 I think your review is spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 20, 2021 Author Share Posted January 20, 2021 1 minute ago, SteveFord said: I think your review is spot on. Thanks. Very happy with it. I expect to be ecstatic when I put new pups in it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 (edited) Oh Pinch that thing is AWSOME!!!!! Edited January 20, 2021 by Big Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 20, 2021 Author Share Posted January 20, 2021 9 minutes ago, Big Bill said: Oh Pinch that thing is AWSOME!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Congrats on a nice looking 60s LP. I am surprised you didn't care for the pickups. I had a LP Classic with those 61s in it and I really thought they gave a vintage LP tone, meaty mid range and not glassy highs at all. I also have a LP Standard with BB Pros, and those are very bright and clean, but the 61s were not that way. But to each his own, sounds like you have some pickups lined up that will do the trick for you. I'd just suggest you play around with them a little more before replacing as they really should sound great in that guitar. Enjoy👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 20, 2021 Author Share Posted January 20, 2021 5 minutes ago, Twang Gang said: Congrats on a nice looking 60s LP. I am surprised you didn't care for the pickups. I had a LP Classic with those 61s in it and I really thought they gave a vintage LP tone, meaty mid range and not glassy highs at all. I also have a LP Standard with BB Pros, and those are very bright and clean, but the 61s were not that way. But to each his own, sounds like you have some pickups lined up that will do the trick for you. I'd just suggest you play around with them a little more before replacing as they really should sound great in that guitar. Enjoy👍 Oh, I'll be to-ing and fro-ing on the pickups, then install the new ones, change my mind, shell out more $, and most importantly: drive everyone around me crazy. It's my "new guitar" routine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Very Nice! rct 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Yup.. Sweet looking guitar.. Happy playing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Looking good from here!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 21, 2021 Author Share Posted January 21, 2021 Really happy. Can't wait to try the Duncans. Then I think I'll marry the keyboard chick on the Guns tour. That'll get me a green card so I can visit y'all and you can share in my joy. I have a vivid imagination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryNimda Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Great review, the clean sustain is the magical part, I agree. And if it's even half as beautiful as the one on the pic, you've got a great guitar here! 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Congratulations on the new guitar Pinch, it certainly looks the part and thanks for the review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 21, 2021 Author Share Posted January 21, 2021 1 hour ago, OrdinaryNimda said: Great review, the clean sustain is the magical part, I agree. And if it's even half as beautiful as the one on the pic, you've got a great guitar here! 😎 It's not that light in color IRL, but it does look great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 I like the finish on that. In that photo, it almost looks like a Natural Finish, only with binding. As opposed to the usual, more colorful 'bursts. I like natural. 😗 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 I dig that light colored finish on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Very nice! Love the natural color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 21, 2021 Author Share Posted January 21, 2021 (edited) Actually it looks darker, more amber in real life... But it's cool. Or, if I didn't know better, I'd just say it was a faded honeyburst. Something like that. Oh man, I think this thing with Alnico IIs in it is gonna be just insane. Edited January 21, 2021 by Pinch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Good review Pinch. Yes I would love one like that. Another 'natural' fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 21, 2021 Author Share Posted January 21, 2021 (edited) I think AlNiCo II pickups will take care of the ever so slight G string warble and a slight bit of choking out up high on the high E string, too. I think the AlNiCo Vs are exerting too much magnetic pull, especially since they're relatively near the strings. Hey, it's a new guitar, you go look for flaws. It's all stuff I would ONLY notice on a brand new guitar anyway. If I looked for it. Hard. It's guitar OCD. So far, I'm impressed with the QC. My experience is a lot like YouTuber Dogshark's - I could only justify this if it was a particularly good year to buy a Gibson, and I wanted a single Les Paul that would be "it" and had everything the way I wanted it. I'm positive I made the right decision. Thank you all for your kind comments! Edited January 21, 2021 by Pinch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 I noticed a bit of a dead spot on a rarely played note - only it's masked by that frequency ringning out on another, open, string! I worried about it for a bit, then I figured it won't impede my playing at all and I really have to realize that resonant wooden instruments aren't synthezisers, and so they're gonna have idiosyncracies. Fighting OCD one guitar at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 (edited) Okay, a lot less pronounced sympathetic vibration without distortion. Damn, this thing is hyper resonant. Guess it's the nature of the beast. Guess I'm not used to it. Epi LPs I've played have been resonant, but this is next level s**t Edited January 24, 2021 by Pinch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 It's par for the course. I find a guitar, give it the all clear, and then spend a lot of time looking for flaws/uneven sustain/this, that and the other, find it, obsess over it, get over it and never think about it again. I should spend that time playing instead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 Well, the APH-2s are in. Pretty mid-heavy. I think their bass response will be better through a tube amp. Have been diddling with pickup height and amp settings. I run everything, including cleans, through an MXR overdrive set on "flavor" and I think I'll use an EQ to fine tune it. I wouldn't say they're Slash in a box, they're APH-1s with pushed mids. A LOT of wood tone. Maybe even a bit much, but for now, they're staying in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 (edited) Honeymoon still, but with some tweaking... *No life + quarantine = this Edited January 30, 2021 by Pinch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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