Silverbursted Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 This afternoon I stopped in to Guitar Center to pick up some stocking stuffers and was wandering around in the Gibson room. Well they had a pretty descent sale going and had a couple of new Traditionals and Standards. Some of you may remember I had one of the very first Traditionals Gibson produced. So I plug a Traditional in and could not help but notice how blah it was, so I tried another and another. None of them had the punch or pizzaz mine had. So I plugged in a "New" Standard (thats just what I call the post 08 Standards), and it felt and sounded terrific. When I bought my Trad back when, the circumstances were exactly opposite. So I'm wondering to myself if Gibson realized how much of the Standard market they were losing to the Traditional, since they were introduced nearly the same time, and decided to take a step back and manufacture them for the market for which they were intended, a replacement for the Classic, and keep the Standard as there regular production flagship. I realize this was GC, but this actually took me by surprise. I have also noted several members make quality comments on their new Traditionals. Is it me, or did Gibson really take a step back??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Possible, but doubtful that they cut back on Trad quality whilst boosting the quality of Standards. Is it possible the Trads had old strings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverbursted Posted December 19, 2009 Author Share Posted December 19, 2009 It could be, but 3??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 It could be' date=' but 3??? [/quote'] Right on. But you played them. Were the strings fresh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 The current run of Traditionals are no different than your old one. Are you comparing these new Trads to yours in stock form or yours with SD pickups. That might be it, you're remembering how yours sounded with the upgrades. Did you play Traditionals or Traditional Pros? If the pickups were exposed, they were Pros..which have a different pickup configuration and coil taps. My Trad was made in January '09. It feels & sounds better than a few historics I've tried recently. Maybe you just played a few bad ones...or maybe I just got really lucky with this one, I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdntac Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I think there are many factors that can come into play in regards to a guitar sounding good in a store. Dead strings could be one but it also may have been set up perfect (or at least well) at the factory but after all the travel and temp changes --- there's a pretty good chance that the guitar is going to need another set up. I've found (like many others here) that with my guitars a bit of tweaking of the neck and action can greatly improve playability and tone. So if a guitar hanging on the wall of a guitar shop hasn't been set up again before being hung... there's a good chance it's not going to sound or play to its optimum ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverbursted Posted December 19, 2009 Author Share Posted December 19, 2009 The current run of Traditionals are no different than your old one. Are you comparing these new Trads to yours in stock form or yours with SD pickups. That might be it' date=' you're remembering how yours sounded with the upgrades. Did you play Traditionals or Traditional Pros? If the pickups were exposed, they were Pros..which have a different pickup configuration and coil taps. My Trad was made in January '09. It feels & sounds better than a few historics I've tried recently. Maybe you just played a few bad ones...or maybe I just got really lucky with this one, I don't know.[/quote'] I'll bet that was it. Probably a combination of GC Teenage boogers, dead strings, and my last thoughts were with the SD's. I played both (2) Pro's and a Standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Yeah, GC? Dead strings for sure. Beyond that, I dunno. Which GC were you in, Tempe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackie Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I have nothing against first impressions of a guitar but.........I am going to say Gibson's are built with a consistant quality that when adjusted a little ( bridge-action....pickup height ) re-tune and should be good with no neck tweake in store, if these LP's are that finicky man glad I'm an SG man......ah ....ha.ha ha, ..........oh yeah I want a nice LP Standard , but yall scarrin me now with all this talk of guitars being duds an such.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverbursted Posted December 20, 2009 Author Share Posted December 20, 2009 Yeah' date=' GC?Dead strings for sure. Beyond that, I dunno. Which GC were you in, Tempe?[/quote'] Scottsdale There were no finish flaws that I could see on any of these guitars, but I drew the quality conclusion based on 3 guitars in a row. I figured 1 maybe, 2 possible but not likely, but 3 in a row was shocking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Robot Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I am with AreNine on this one. If anything, I have detected that the Traditionals are better than the Standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thin_Lizzy Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Nothing wrong with my Trad. Plays like a dream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowdown Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I am with AreNine on this one. If anything' date=' I have detected that the Traditionals are better than the Standards. [/quote'] Funny. I also noticed you didn't have a Standard...but you did have a Trad .. Compromised! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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