Les Paul Axcess

[Staxman]

Wow' date=' that looks great! Nuthin wrong with jamming Rush either,

I'm a big fan too. Thanks for the pix & report. What amp are you

running? (nice floorboard there) [/quote']Thanks Douglee, I'm using a Hughes & Kettner Switchblade, which I absolutely love. The modulation efects on the amp, unfortunately, are not very good so I still use a lot of outboard gear, but the fact you can program 128 different midi-accesible presets into the Switchblade is what sold me and the tone is very similar to the Triamps. I just re-tubed it with Groove Tubes, and it's a big improvement, much quieter now.

[Wondo]

Nice job Staxman. You dirty dog, you beat me to the punch. It looks like you will have many good times with that axe. I just hope I like the neck. I used to have a Les Paul Custom and I was fine with the neck. The Les Paul Custom that I have now is a Frampton and that has a slimmer neck.

 

By the way I love the Switchblade as well. One awesome amp. But, I will say that the Triamp is a fantastic amp. True tube all the way and very, very organic. Best amp I have ever played. The Switchblade comes second in that department and that is coming from someone who has owned Marshalls, Mesa, Randall, Rocktron, Bogner, Rivera, VHT, and on. So, for me the Switchblade and Triamp rule. If I had to choose one, it would be the Triamp.

[hemply]

I just played the same Iced Tea and Gunmetal at my local GC. I didn't get the serials though.

 

Personally I liked them!

 

It was good to feel a floyd under my palm for the first time in like 20 years! After getting used to it again I took both Axess' out for a ride. They stayed in tune no problems at all there, as mentioned in previous reply's no one seems to know what PuPs are in the Axess but they sound good. I didn't notice a terrible loss of sustain in the Axess from the extra routing, they even made some changes to the body contour that made playing up around the 22nd fret very comfortable! I did note however there was a noticeable difference in tones from each guitar. The Teaburst had a meaty full tone with a soft touch...while the Gunmetal finish had a tighter more thinner sound to her, both sounded good to me IMO. Just have to play a few too find that right tone since they all seem to be different!

 

I've been thinking of adding something with a Tremelo to my current collection and was thinking about a PRS at first, then turned my attention to Ibanez since I had an Ibanez Saber w/ Floyd back in the 1980's and always dug that axe!

 

With the introduction of the Axess I may have to reconsider my thoughts on a Floyd equiped axe once again!

 

Overall I like the Axess and I am planning on purchasing one in the future. I would jump on it sooner but that Custom Shop tag pushes this baby up enough to put it off until after the holiday season!

 

Another thing I did notice was on the top of the Gunmetal finish, where they routed out the tail for the Floyd they missed spraying some of the wood... I looked under the fine tuners and saw raw wood! NOT GOOD QC!!

[quilttop1]

Very sweet! I hoofed it on down to GC and they didn't have the Axcess yet, so the wait continues....I'm anxious to see if they've used the same heel countour as my NS (very comfy), and to hear the "mystery" pups. By the way, if someone happens to snag a flametop, could you post a pic or two?

[Staxman]

Nice job Staxman. You dirty dog' date=' you beat me to the punch. It looks like you will have many good times with that axe. I just hope I like the neck. I used to have a Les Paul Custom and I was fine with the neck. The Les Paul Custom that I have now is a Frampton and that has a slimmer neck.

 

By the way I love the Switchblade as well. One awesome amp. But, I will say that the Triamp is a fantastic amp. True tube all the way and very, very organic. Best amp I have ever played. The Switchblade comes second in that department and that is coming from someone who has owned Marshalls, Mesa, Randall, Rocktron, Bogner, Rivera, VHT, and on. So, for me the Switchblade and Triamp rule. If I had to choose one, it would be the Triamp.[/quote']I had a Triamp for a while and I agree it has slightly better tone than the Switchblade. Ultimately I liked the versatility of the Switchblade better since my setup is all midi. It allows me to have all my "Rush" presets programmed in as well as dozens of other tones for different styles. Would love to have had both a Triamp and Switchblade in the rig but too much gear to haul around so settled for the one that was most versatile.

 

Been playing on the gunmetal Axcess for a few days now and it just gets better as it breaks in. I've listened back to tracks I've recorded and the tone is just sweet, very ballsy and thick lows but the highs really come through the mix well with a nice chimey ring. That big metal bridge and the metal nut just sustain forever. And it stays in tune through numerous songs without needing adjustment, never had that on a Gibson before.

 

BTW I messed up on the serial #, I thought this was #88 but it is #80, #88 was the iced-tea one at GC that I passed on for this one.

[Deftone]

I love this guitar.

 

I just finished rebuilding/restoring my '89 Studio Lite with a factory Floyd. I replaced the Gibson "Licesned By Floyd Rose" trem with a brand new original Floyd Rose. The original Floyd has a hardened base and is genrally considered to be superior to any of the "licensed" models. After setting it up properly, I'm not encountering any tuning issues at all and it sustaines as well as my other LP's. In fact, I am extremely impressed with the tremelo and the guitar overall. I've used Kahlers and "licensed Floyds" in the past and had tuning issues. I'm very happy to have an LP with the option of a locking tremelo.

 

I didn't realize the Axcess was a thinner body style, like my LP Custom lites and Studio lite. And I love the contoured neck joint...now I want one!

[Mety]

...and to hear the "mystery" pups...

 

The pickups are BurstBucker 1 and 2 as stated by the Admin on the first page of this topic.

Unless the specification has changed since his original post...?

[Staxman]

 

The pickups are BurstBucker 1 and 2 as stated by the Admin on the first page of this topic.

Unless the specification has changed since his original post...?

They could very well still be Burkbusters, the mystery is why the nickel covers are no longer on as were on the prototypes. I think the black coils look awesome on the gunmetal, but not so great on the iced-tea. I'd rather have the covers on the flame-top. Do coils off make a difference in tone?

 

BTW I just noticed there is a little bare-wood spot under my tremolo in the cavity as well, so there's the first flaw I have noticed. Looks like there is a consistent little problem there since another post mentioned it already. How can QC miss it? It had to be pretty obvious before the tremolo was installed. Everything else is pretty spot on for fit & finish so I'll just sneer at that and move on, you don't even notice it unless you look very close under the brifge. Lovin' this guitar more and more as I play it.

[Custom Admin]

 

The pickups are BurstBucker 1 and 2 as stated by the Admin on the first page of this topic.

Unless the specification has changed since his original post...?

 

yes, they are BB 1 and 2

[Staxman]

 

yes' date=' they are BB 1 and 2[/quote']Can you enlighten us as to why the covers were removed for the production models?

 

BTW please pass on my congrats to CS, this guitar is everything it promised to be and is a big home-run for Gibson IMO. It is overall the most fun to play Gibson I have ever owned. I for one would love to hear the history behind the Axcess, who's idea was it, how it came to be etc... Thanks!

[Custom Admin]

Can you enlighten us as to why the covers were removed for the production models?

 

BTW please pass on my congrats to CS' date=' this guitar is everything it promised to be and is a big home-run for Gibson IMO. It is overall the most fun to play Gibson I have ever owned. I for one would love to hear the history behind the Axcess, who's idea was it, how it came to be etc... Thanks![/quote']

 

just an arbitrary production decision as far as i know...no special reasoning involved.

[Skip]

Guitar Center told me the product is not available and MF told me only by special order...

 

I'd rather see a factory installed kahler les paul custom, like the 80's customs... still going to get an Axcess though!

[Superdick2112]

Admin - when will there be a spec sheet posted for the L.P. Axcess? My local Guiter Center already has one in stock, and I would like to do some reading before I buy. Guitar Center has no idea what colors and options are available - big suprise there...

 

Thanks.

[Custom Admin]

my guess is around the end of this month.

[Mety]

http://www.musicalbox.com/img/news/Namm2008/LP%20Axcess%20Standard%20FloydRose_salessheet.pdf

[Superdick2112]

http://www.musicalbox.com/img/news/Namm2008/LP%20Axcess%20Standard%20FloydRose_salessheet.pdf

 

Thanks, Mety - much appreciated.

[RRU]

Help a brother out....

 

What stores have actually been shipped guitars? Just Guitar Center or others? Is it availbe NOW to smaller dealers that are NOT Guitar Center? My dealer mentioned to me that the inital run is only available to Guitar Center.

[canon_mutant]

Help a brother out....

 

What stores have actually been shipped guitars? Just Guitar Center or others? Is it availbe NOW to smaller dealers that are NOT Guitar Center? My dealer mentioned to me that the inital run is only available to Guitar Center.

 

Guitar center just emailed me that at least guitarcenter.com may not be getting any of the early guitars at all. I simply asked why I couldn't put in an order being that guitars are apparently starting to ship finally and that's the answer they gave me.

 

So, how do we know where to go to get one?

[Staxman]

 

Guitar center just emailed me that at least guitarcenter.com may not be getting any of the early guitars at all. I simply asked why I couldn't put in an order being that guitars are apparently starting to ship finally and that's the answer they gave me.

 

So' date=' how do we know where to go to get one?[/quote']The GC where I got #80 also told me that the first run is very limited and that GC was getting the first shipments exclusively (just hear-say, only Gibson knows what's really happenning). I have also been told by another dealer that the first run is limited but they should be getting some in in a few weeks, which are spoken for. Admin has said the Axcess is not going to be limited, so I suspect it will just be a matter of time before you will have multiple options on where to get one, it's just going to be a slow trickle at first on the early ones.

 

If you love Les Pauls and Floyds, the wait will be worth it, this guitar is so cool. I got very lucky to get one so soon, as my guy at GC called me the day they came in and totally caught me by surprise. Maybe they are hard to find now but it seems the wheels are turning and hopefully soon all who want one will be whammying away and soloing on the 22nd fret without hand cramps!

[Staxman]

Hey everyone, there's an added bonus on the Axcess that I missed before!!! I was playing it this morning thinking that I might have it rewired for coil-tap capabilities, and thinking how cool it would have been if Gibson had done this already. So I casually started pulling up gently on the knobs and.....are you sitting down?....The bridge pickup tone knob clicked up into a new position!!! Holy &%$#@#!!! I quickly plugged in and there it was, a variety of beautiful single-coil tones on both pups in all three selector positions!! That might explain why they went without pup covers. The tonal variety of this axe is now even more amazing. Thanks for the icing on the cake Gibson!

[JDouglee]

Yeah I read about that on the LPF, that's very cool! All 3 positions? Nice.

[canon_mutant]

Ya, now if I can just figure out who I have to XXXX to get one ordered? XXXX = Call!

[Crappy]

Just asking

On the sales sheet it's has no rear cover for the springs.

Were are the springs? are they under the bridge pickup?

 

On Staxman LP, I see the rear cover for the springs.

 

And on Alex Lifeson's LP's I see the rear cover.

[Superdick2112]

Just asking

On the sales sheet it's has no rear cover for the springs.

Were are the springs? are they under the bridge pickup?

 

On Staxman LP' date=' I see the rear cover for the springs.

 

And on Alex Lifeson's LP's I see the rear cover.

[img']http://floydupgrades.com/images/artists/al_bbu_lrg.jpg[/img]

 

I believe Lifeson's is a prototype - his also has abalone trapazoids instead of the acrylic ones, a much more figured top than the ones I have seen, more red in the finish as well as covered pickups. It would be cool if Gibson offered his refinements on an Alex Lifeson Signature Les Paul Model. As far as the spring cover goes, it looks like the guitar back pictured on the Gibson sheet could be a drawing, & not an actual photo.

[Staxman]

Just asking

On the sales sheet it's has no rear cover for the springs.

Were are the springs? are they under the bridge pickup?

 

On Staxman LP' date=' I see the rear cover for the springs.

 

And on Alex Lifeson's LP's I see the rear cover.

[img']http://floydupgrades.com/images/artists/al_bbu_lrg.jpg[/img]

I think the photo pn the sales sheet is of a model without the tremolo, which at one time Gibson said was also coming out. On my Axcess the springs are inside a body cavity right down the middle of the back as any Floyd equipped axe would have, with a recessed cover over the cavity.

 

Agree that I would like to see the flame-top Axcess look more like Alex Lifeson's prototype. The iced-tea model I saw up close at GC was nice looking, but not as nice as Al's, the iced tea finish is a little bland for such a cool guitar. Personally I prefer the deeper, darker bursts with dark red backs.