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The Traditional Club


Big Bill

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Man I have too make some good pic's of my Trad too.....

 

Nice Traditional. Pesh, love that finish.

 

One question, are that the stock plastics on your Honey?

They look pretty dark, even more copared with those from the Trad.

 

Yeah the pickup rings and pickguard are stock on guitars like the 2014 Studio and SG Special; it's sort of some weird off-cream, almost-butterscotch colour. According to a Gibson spokesperson that demo'd the 2014 line; they're to give the impression the guitar has been played in a smoky jazz club for years or something, even though the rest of it doesn't show the ageing that would accompany that sort of life...ah well.

 

The control knobs have been returned to the original black speed knobs, now, too; the push/pulls were hard to grab with the tapered top hats. The picture in my signature is how it looks now.

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About my 2013 Traditional Pro II in the above post, I have some questions. I bought the guitar used, so I didn't get all the details one might when buying it new. For instance, I was told that the Pro II model was built specifically for Guitar Center. Is this true? My Trad Pro II has active circuitry, requiring a battery. 10 dB of boost is available by pulling out the neck pickup's tone control. Was this a typical feature of the Pro models? I'm assuming all Pro IIs have this feature. I've also read that the Trad Pro II was available with a 50s style neck and the Slim-60s profile. Mine has the Slim-60s profile, and I'm glad it does. I wonder how common the ones with the 50s style neck are? I've played other Pro IIs and all of the ones I've played had the slim profile.

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Yes, the "Trad Pro" is a Guitar Center-only product (I think it was also offered through MF, but I am not sure of that). The original Trad Pro had the official name "Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro" and was also unofficially referred to by Guitar Center as the "Les Paul Traditional Pro Exclusive". It was a plain-top model with slim neck and no active electronics. This original offering was available as a 2009-2011 model (I have a 2010). The model was unchanged throughout that period except that very early on, it came with a TR cover that said "Classic", but was very soon replaced with a blank TR cover. This initial model came in four finishes with the Gold Top being made in small quantities, with a Wine Red being added in 2010. Then in 2012 (and subsequent years), Guitar Center replaced that initial offering with the "Trad Pro II" with the word "Standard" officially removed from the model name. Then in subsequent years added the "Trad Pro III" and "Trad Pro IV" were added, such that in 2018, all three models were available. The Trad Pro II/III/IV all had active electronics. As for how the the Trad Pro II/III/IV models varied over the years, I am not sure. It appears that the Trad Pro line has been removed with now only the "Trad Pro IV" being available (as of last week, anyway) from Guitar Center, and that was as a clearance model.

 

That is to the best of my knowledge...

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Yes, the "Trad Pro" is a Guitar Center-only product (I think it was also offered through MF, but I am not sure of that). The original Trad Pro had the official name "Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro" and was also unofficially referred to by Guitar Center as the "Les Paul Traditional Pro Exclusive". It was a plain-top model with slim neck and no active electronics. This original offering was available as a 2009-2011 model (I have a 2010). The model was unchanged throughout that period except that very early on, it came with a TR cover that said "Classic", but was very soon replaced with a blank TR cover. This initial model came in four finishes with the Gold Top being made in small quantities, with a Wine Red being added in 2010. Then in 2012 (and subsequent years), Guitar Center replaced that initial offering with the "Trad Pro II" with the word "Standard" officially removed from the model name. Then in subsequent years added the "Trad Pro III" and "Trad Pro IV" were added, such that in 2018, all three models were available. The Trad Pro II/III/IV all had active electronics. As for how the the Trad Pro II/III/IV models varied over the years, I am not sure. It appears that the Trad Pro line has been removed with now only the "Trad Pro IV" being available (as of last week, anyway) from Guitar Center, and that was as a clearance model.

 

That is to the best of my knowledge...

 

Yes, Trad Pros were dealer ordered, most if not all were GC/MF. The offerings were a real mess. I mean what specs were with what models, not the guitars themselves. Seems most were really great Gibsons. But trying to figure out the specs is almost impossible. Besides the II, III, and IV, there were others like the 3T, which I have and like a lot. To make matters even worse, the GC/MF ads were not 100% accurate. When questioned, GC/MF said all the ad print/specs come directly from from Gibson. But wait, there's more! There were variations that came of exactly the same model with the same specs. Especially in 2015. And Gibson is no help sorting that all out. Not that it really matter a whole lot, they were still mostly the same.

My bought new 2015 Heritage Cherry Trad Pro 3T came with a flame top, Classic '57 A3s, locking Grovers, blank TRC, exceptionally smooth satin sides, back, and neck, push/push coil splits, coil select, and adjustable up to 10db boost. Long story, but it took 3 times to get a good one, and it is really great. Bonus that the "A" top was pretty exceptional too.

My TP 3T

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Wmachine, that's a very pretty Traditional. I almost bought one at GC that was marked down to $2k when I was shopping around. It looked just like yours, and as I recall, it was a Trad Pro II. That same day, as I was driving home, mulling over whether I should spend the $2k (plus sales tax, of course) on that LP, on impulse, I decided to drop in at a pawn shop on my way home. In the past I've found and bought some cool stuff from that pawn shop, so I thought I'd just stop by and have a look around, since I had some cash burning a hole in my pocket, and all. Well, I walk into the shop and the first thing my eyes light on is a Les Paul hanging on the wall. So, I go over there and check it out, and the guitar looks brand new. The pawn shop owner tells me it comes with a case and the case has all the tags inside. So I'm deeply interested at this point, and I check out the tags, ascertaining that it's a Trad Pro II, same as I was just looking at over at GC just a few minutes before. At that point I'm thinking that something like destiny convinced me to stop in at that moment. So I asked the owner what his best out-the-door price was if I paid for it in Benjamins right then and there. He told me $1,100. I didn't even bargain with him. I just whipped out my envelope of cash and started counting out hundred dollar bills. It was destiny is what it was, and I saved more than $1,000!

 

Yes, I would have rather had a cherry burst model, but for the money I saved, I can live with the burgundy finish (or whatever it's called) just fine.

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Wmachine, that's a very pretty Traditional. I almost bought one at GC that was marked down to $2k when I was shopping around. It looked just like yours, and as I recall, it was a Trad Pro II. That same day, as I was driving home, mulling over whether I should spend the $2k (plus sales tax, of course) on that LP, on impulse, I decided to drop in at a pawn shop on my way home. In the past I've found and bought some cool stuff from that pawn shop, so I thought I'd just stop by and have a look around, since I had some cash burning a hole in my pocket, and all. Well, I walk into the shop and the first thing my eyes light on is a Les Paul hanging on the wall. So, I go over there and check it out, and the guitar looks brand new. The pawn shop owner tells me it comes with a case and the case has all the tags inside. So I'm deeply interested at this point, and I check out the tags, ascertaining that it's a Trad Pro II, same as I was just looking at over at GC just a few minutes before. At that point I'm thinking that something like destiny convinced me to stop in at that moment. So I asked the owner what his best out-the-door price was if I paid for it in Benjamins right then and there. He told me $1,100. I didn't even bargain with him. I just whipped out my envelope of cash and started counting out hundred dollar bills. It was destiny is what it was, and I saved more than $1,000!

 

Yes, I would have rather had a cherry burst model, but for the money I saved, I can live with the burgundy finish (or whatever it's called) just fine.

Great story! Really a "meant to be". Very little difference between the Pro II and my Pro 3T. Interesting that the Pro II came 2 ways, one with a "'60s" neck and one with a "'50s" neck. Gibson should have done that more often! The Pro 3T used '57 A3 pups, and they added "coil selection" to use with the coil split.

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  • 4 years later...

Hi guys,

The Traditional Club embodies timeless elegance and a sense of camaraderie that transcends generations. Stepping into this haven feels like a journey through history, where rituals and customs are cherished. It's a place where the clinking of glasses echoes stories of camaraderie, and the polished wood and dim lighting create an atmosphere of refined charm. Here, traditions aren't just preserved; they're celebrated with an unwavering dedication. The Traditional Club is a sanctuary for those who appreciate the grace of the past, finding solace in the enduring rituals that bind its members together.

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