bynapkinart Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Anyone have one? Thoughts? I'm thinking of picking up a solid body "clunker" type guitar...I can't really justify spending nearly $900 on the LP Junior (and don't really need any more P90s). The IDEA at least is to get something that can achieve glassiness and still retain some power. I don't really want a tele, and from what I hear these Gibbys are really really cool. So...thoughts? Playing through a Vox AC4TV8 running into a V112TV Cab, btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mud guy Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I tried to play one the last time I was guitar shopping and the salesman despised the new ones so much that he wouldn't even get one out of the box for me, so I'm not sure what that says about them. I ended up leaving with a PRS soapbar SE (more p90s). I would get one of those new epiphone specials with p90s (because you can never have too many p90s) How do you like the vox? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bynapkinart Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 Wow...he wouldn't get it out of the box for you? That's rather ******y... I love P90s and I had my heart set on a LP doublecut faded with 2 P90s, used, for $650...but it went before I came home from vacation. SO now I'm either waiting for one of those to come up on craigslist, waiting for a LP Jr to pop up somewhere at a more reasonable price, or try to convince myself that I really can't afford to buy any more gear.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Flick Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Anyone have one? Thoughts? I'm thinking of picking up a solid body "clunker" type guitar...I can't really justify spending nearly $900 on the LP Junior (and don't really need any more P90s). The IDEA at least is to get something that can achieve glassiness and still retain some power. I don't really want a tele' date=' and from what I hear these Gibbys are really really cool. So...thoughts? Playing through a Vox AC4TV8 running into a V112TV Cab, btw.[/quote'] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bynapkinart Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 i like that too. i kinda want a beater Gibson (haha) just cause no one in my area has one and I've been thinking they are awesome ever since I saw clips of Lennon at MSG in 72. The Wilshire is very nice though... I was kinda hoping to almost get a (gasp) Fender-y tone with the Melody Maker...but with Gibson punch and ballsiness. A wilshire would give me what a LP Jr would give me (kinda) if it had P90s. I guess my question would be...are Melody Makers glassier? I played one years ago but I don't remember what it sounded like (maybe a good thing?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I don't know what sound you're calling "glass," but I know my Melody Maker is one loud guitar. Over the past month or so, I've used it for most of my electric work. The tone knob gives it quite the range. Volume up, tone down is very smooth. Volume down, tone up is brighter, Volume up, tone up will blow the speaker out of your amp... almost. It delivers that "punk rock" sound brilliantly on that third setting, and captures the essence of a P-90 fairly well on the other two. Fender - Telecaster, that is - sounds are easily obtained. In my experience, it really shines with a Vox AC30 or Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The only thing I don't like about mine is the neck. The current model is based on the 1959 model, and has a 1959 neck. I'm considering a refinish on mine, and I might shave the neck a bit at that time. It might be cheap, but it's hardly a "beater." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed1 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I just sold an '09 MM, to get my Casino that I've had now for a month now. Can't tell you what they're like with the stock pickup. Mine came with a Lollar P90, Pigtail bridge, Gotoh tuners, etc. (previous owner). I can tell you that if you want a real made in America Gibson, you can't beat them for the price. They make a great jumping off point to build up from. I think that the "glass" is going to come from the pickup and strings. Look around for a used one (stay away from the "cedar" ones done around '03-'04, neck issues) then talk to someone about pickups like Jason Lollar or my new favorite P90 maker, Pete Biltoft. The light, resonant body (surprisingly loud for a solid body when unplugged) works well with P90'S and I'll bet one of them could help you out. As much as I loved the MM, I've realized that I'm a hollow body guy and the Casino was the next logical step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Flick Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 i like that too. i kinda want a beater Gibson (haha) just cause no one in my area has one and I've been thinking they are awesome ever since I saw clips of Lennon at MSG in 72. The Wilshire is very nice though... I was kinda hoping to almost get a (gasp) Fender-y tone with the Melody Maker...but with Gibson punch and ballsiness. A wilshire would give me what a LP Jr would give me (kinda) if it had P90s. I guess my question would be...are Melody Makers glassier? I played one years ago but I don't remember what it sounded like (maybe a good thing?) I had a single cutawy Melody Maker in the late '60s. I really don't remember what the stock pickup sounded like, and I haven't played one of the current models. On the other hand, I've always loved minis, they're twangy, crunchy when you want them to be, probably more in line with what you describe. BTW, I just bought a Wilshire, MF shipped it today. A story about my old Melody Maker. I was hanging out in this music store on 49th Street in NYC, about a block away from Manny's. My friend was the head repairman, and he introduces me to Robin Trower who brought his late '50s LP in to be repaired (this was around 1969/1970). The neck pickup was shot, and Robin was anxious to get it fixed because he had a gig that night. Well, my friend Steve checked it out, told him that there was a break and the coils needed to be rewired. That would take time, but he could just replace the pickup right then & there. Robin agreed, and half hour later he was on his way to the gig. So my friend comes up to me and asks me if I had $20, which I did and gave to him. Next thing I know, he slips something into my coat pocket and says he'll call me later. I get out of the store, immediately check my pocket, and there's Robin Trower's old humbucker!!! Steve called me that night, told me the coils were fine, the lead just broke off the pot. Says he'll put it on any guitar I want, so my little Melody Maker ended up with Robin Trower's PAF humbucker!!! I hope Robin isn't a forum member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anfontan Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I have one of the single dog-ear P-90 Melody Makers and I haven't had any issues with it in the time I've had it-a couple of years now. It has the tune-o-matic with a tailpiece so intonation is great. That single pickup really shines whether it's strummed clean or with some distortion-when I gigged with it it sounds amazing. And it was quite a bit cheaper than the new melody makers with the Fender style single coils, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bynapkinart Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 haha that's awesome, I loved the look of the Trower sig Strat they released last year...not really a huge fan of his style but that must've been a sweet humbucker. maybe out of a 59 LP?? let us know what you end up thinking about the Wilshire!! I was looking at one a while back in cherry, then I ended up getting sidetracked by amps. By the way (to hijack my own thread), anyone thinking about buying a small recording/practice/small gig amp NEEDS to check out the AC4s from Vox. I've been playing mine about 6 or 7 hours a day for about a week now (basically the hours I'm not sleeping, working, or eating). It is phenomenal. I highly recommend trying to find one of the combos for relatively cheap (I couldn't hear a massive difference between the 8" or 10", the 8" was slightly boxier). I have the 8" which is light and being blowout clearanced by many outlets...I guess it's being replaced by a 6.5" at the same price...and I ended up getting the matching cab. I can't really describe how awesome it is simply because you can't construct sentences entirely of superlatives. At least check it out. pohatu, thanks for your input! that sounds kind of like what I was going for, except I guess I was hoping it wasn't so quick to breakup. That might end up being what decides if I get the Wilshire or MM. revamp, I hope you're liking your Casino. I'm definitely a hollowbody guy, I'm just looking for something to be my workhorse, durable utility guitar. I don't really like Tele's, but imagine Springsteen's Tele mixed with Lennon's LP Jr...something that's just plain cool, durable, sounds great, and plays well. I LOVE my Casino, and I gig with it all the time...I guess I'm just looking for a different sound, feel, and look to mix it up once in a while. Basically, formless shapeless meaningless pointless senseless GAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bynapkinart Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 That's awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I would post recordings for you... but all I have is the lastest mix of the songs I recorded with the Melody Maker and I can't post those... in their entirety. I'll see if I can get a guitar track for you. [EDIT] I took two guitar tracks (acoustic and electric) from one song and did a rough mix. The timing for the solo isn't perfect, but you're not listening to it for entertainment. This is the Melody Maker, volume around 6, I believe, through a Vox AC30-esque amp. I don't use any real amps for recording, so this is a computer model. Later on in the song (which isn't in the clip, but the solo I put here belongs at the end rather than at the beginning... this one is better) it breaks up a lot more. It's a louder part of the song and I actually "overdrove" the pre-amp. Clip [EDIT 2] By the way, you're the first people outside of the recording studio to actually hear the song. With the exception of my girlfriend's dogs... her living room sound really good so I record acoustic guitars there sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bynapkinart Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 thanks pohatu! that MM sounds pretty intense. I'd be interested to A/B it with a Wilshire...jerry... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 The recording I did with a Hot Rod Deluxe isn't available at the moment, or I'd upload that. It's much thicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Flick Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 let us know what you end up thinking about the Wilshire!! I was looking at one a while back in cherry... I wanted the worn cherry, but I'm getting the worn black. Here's the scoop, they listed a used worn black in like new condition for $249. I thought that was a pretty good deal, plus there was a 10% discount on used equipment over the weekend so I got it for $225!!! I've wanted one since they were announced, and for that price I jumped on it. Just got tracking info, it should be here Thursday. I'll let you know when it arrives... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Nazarenie Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 hi all, which epiphone wilshire has the ordinary humckers? how much better balancing is it than an sg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 A story about my old Melody Maker. I was hanging out in this music store on 49th Street in NYC' date=' about a block away from Manny's. [/quote'] 49th Street was something in its day. You could go to Manny's and then cross the street to Dan Armstrong's shop and then to music store after music store. I bought my first electric at Manny's - a used Dan Electro that was hanging on their el cheapo rack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Flick Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I bought my first electric at Manny's - a used Dan Electro that was hanging on their el cheapo rack. It is a shame what Sam Ash did to that place before they finally closed the doors. Last time I was back East was July 2008' date=' I stopped in Manny's. Glad I got the chance to check it out once last time. [img']http://home.earthlink.net/~jkmcleer/Guitars/jimi_mannys.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old_Ampeg_Guy Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 . . . I'm thinking of picking up a solid body "clunker" type guitar...I can't really justify spending nearly $900 on the LP Junior (and don't really need any more P90s). The IDEA at least is to get something that can achieve glassiness and still retain some power. . . . Would you consider a "modding platform" like the Epi Les Paul Junior? The prices are still reasonable. Here's the page from Sam Ash' date=' for example: Sam Ash Ep Les Paul Jr. I used my '96 Epi Les Paul Jr. as a modding platform and it's one of my favorite guitars for noodling and indeed, recording. See the previous post in GL's "My new (used) guitar..finally here" thread (post #20). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bynapkinart Posted July 21, 2010 Author Share Posted July 21, 2010 nvm everyone, I got to play a 66 Wilshire Reissue today that I think is going to be the one. It is a fantastic guitar for the price...super lightweight, nice feel to it, good appointments. I would probably buy it and immediately replace the nut and switch, but other than that it is exactly the guitar I've been looking for. Jerry, I think you'll be very happy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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