GIBSON INVADER

[ILIED4U]

Hello Forum,

 

This is my very first topic in this great forum, so Hello Everyone!

 

I live in Bilbao, in Northern Spain I study at uni and I love guitars. I like almost every kinds of rock music but I especially like bands like Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam...

 

Well, after this brief presentation...

 

I own six guitars (Fender cntemporary strat, fender MIM strat very upgraded, Gibson LP Studio w/PRS Dragon II pickups, B.c Rich StIII, California Ce-204, Stagg r-500) and I am thinking of selling my B.C rich St-III MIJ to buy a Gibson Invader.

 

But the fact is that there's no much reliable information out there about this model, so I have many doubts about its features and quality. For example:

 

1. What wood is the body of the invaders made of? is it walnut?

 

2. Is there just one model of the invader? The specs among these guitars are pretty different.

 

3. What tone should I expect out of these guitars?

 

4. Is it a good guitar?

 

Here's a pic of the one I've been offered:

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[BigKahune]

Welcome.

 

My recollection =

 

Manufactured 1983 - 1989

 

Mahogany body

 

Bolt-on neck - some maple with rosewood F/B, some mahogany with ebony F/B (I think yours looks like ebony F/B )

 

Grover tuners.

 

There's some different finishes, including solid color and burst.

 

Some with Sonex Deluxe 180 pickups, some with Dirty Fingers pups.

 

Yours looks like the nice version - ebony F/B and dirty fingers.

 

Should be a very decent guitar for the money - if you like bolt-on necks (not a knock).

[dem00n]

Id keep the B.C. Rich MIJ, those are kinda rare dude.

But still get the Invader they are great guitars even with the bolt on neck.

[ILIED4U]

Welcome.

 

My recollection =

 

Manufactured 1983 - 1989

 

Mahogany body

 

Bolt-on neck - some maple with rosewood F/B, some mahogany with ebony F/B (I think yours looks like ebony F/B)

 

Grover tuners.

 

There's some different finishes, including solid color and burst.

 

Some with Sonex Deluxe 180 pickups, some with Dirty Fingers pups.

 

Yours looks like the nice version - ebony F/B and dirty fingers.

 

Should be a very decent guitar for the money - if you like bolt-on necks (not a knock).

 

 

Thanks for the answer. I still got some doubts. I know that the body wood should be mohagony but in the pictures does not seem like mohagony, does it?

 

And about the pickups, dirty fingers? Is the first time I've heard so!

 

It seems a rare and nice guitar.

 

Any other opinions?

 

Thanks!

[btoth76]

Hello! I seems to be mahogany, but the texture of this wood can be very different, depending on what kind of treatment it has got. For example: my Ibanez RGA32 has an oiled mahogany body, which looks very dark, kind of burgundy shade. The back of my 50's Tribute GT is very light, closer to the shade of natural limba.

The ebony fingerboard is a winner! Best wood for that! I am really curious how does the bolt-on neck affects the sound of an otherwise Les Paul Studio-like guitar.

About the tone: I never heard a bad sounding Gibson, whichever model I've tried.

Depending on the price I would surely buy it. Best regards... Bence

[StijnV]

Hi IlieD4U,

 

Not necessarily mahogany, please see files specs from our archive attached which specify 'selected tone woods" and "high output humbucking pickups"- not specified that they are Dirty Finger pickups.

 

Specs from the Gruhns Guide to Vintage Guitars are as follows:

 

Invader: Les Paul-type single cutaway, mahogany body, beveled bass-side edge, 2 ceramic magnet humbucking pickups with exposed zebra coils, 4 knobs, 3-way selector switch mounted with control knobs, tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece, bolt-on maple neck, ebony fingerboard, dot inlay, standard Gibson peghead shape, decal logo, chrome-plated hardware

 

Introduced: 1983

 

Alpine white, ebony or Ferrari red finish: by 1986

 

Discontinued: 1988

[ILIED4U]

Hi IlieD4U,

 

Not necessarily mahogany, please see files specs from our archive attached which specify 'selected tone woods" and "high output humbucking pickups"- not specified that they are Dirty Finger pickups.

 

Specs from the Gruhns Guide to Vintage Guitars are as follows:

 

Invader: Les Paul-type single cutaway, mahogany body, beveled bass-side edge, 2 ceramic magnet humbucking pickups with exposed zebra coils, 4 knobs, 3-way selector switch mounted with control knobs, tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece, bolt-on maple neck, ebony fingerboard, dot inlay, standard Gibson peghead shape, decal logo, chrome-plated hardware

 

Introduced: 1983

 

Alpine white, ebony or Ferrari red finish: by 1986

 

Discontinued: 1988

 

 

Thanks very much for that info!!

 

So what kind of wood can be apart from Mohagony? I suppose Gibson back in the 80's used quite nice woods even in their lower guitars, I mean this is a Gibson USA from the 80's so a minimum quality should be expected ,right?

 

I think I'm finally getting one. But would you buy one of these?

[Santiago]

Hi, I have a Gibson Invader from 1983, with ebony fretboard and Sonex Deluxe 180 pickups (also zebra pattern but not Dirty Fingers), which I believe were also called "Velvet Brick" pickups. I have also heard that the body is mahogany, but I have not checked, and you cannot see it through the finish. Perhaps I should unscrew the neck to have a look at the colour of the wood...

 

I cannot talk about your BC Rich MIJ (it sounds nice, though), but I like my Invader a lot. The action is really low without buzzes, with low frets that make playing really easy. I bought it from a heavy metal shredder, so he may have set it up like that himself, but on the other hand I played a friend's Gibson Challenger II (that is fairly similar and from the same era) and the action and playability was the same, so it may be a feature of these types of guitars.

 

I personally like the Sonex Deluxe 180 "Velvet brick" pickups very much, they have a good trebley bite for humbuckers which to my mind makes them very versatile for clean or distorted styles. I do not have experience with Dirty Fingers, but I've heard great things about them.

 

So if you can get it at a good price it can be a very good buy. The fact that it is bolt-on may make them less collectable than other Gibson's, but for those with an open mind these guitars can be a real bargain. The Challenger II from the same era is another under-rated but in practice great guitar from the same era (although with a very different sound - extremely dark Bill Lawrence pickups on that one).

 

Good luck in any case...

 

Agur

 

Santiago

[ILIED4U]

Hi, I have a Gibson Invader from 1983, with ebony fretboard and Sonex Deluxe 180 pickups (also zebra pattern but not Dirty Fingers), which I believe were also called "Velvet Brick" pickups. I have also heard that the body is mahogany, but I have not checked, and you cannot see it through the finish. Perhaps I should unscrew the neck to have a look at the colour of the wood...

 

I cannot talk about your BC Rich MIJ (it sounds nice, though), but I like my Invader a lot. The action is really low without buzzes, with low frets that make playing really easy. I bought it from a heavy metal shredder, so he may have set it up like that himself, but on the other hand I played a friend's Gibson Challenger II (that is fairly similar and from the same era) and the action and playability was the same, so it may be a feature of these types of guitars.

 

I personally like the Sonex Deluxe 180 "Velvet brick" pickups very much, they have a good trebley bite for humbuckers which to my mind makes them very versatile for clean or distorted styles. I do not have experience with Dirty Fingers, but I've heard great things about them.

 

So if you can get it at a good price it can be a very good buy. The fact that it is bolt-on may make them less collectable than other Gibson's, but for those with an open mind these guitars can be a real bargain. The Challenger II from the same era is another under-rated but in practice great guitar from the same era (although with a very different sound - extremely dark Bill Lawrence pickups on that one).

 

Good luck in any case...

 

Agur

 

Santiago

 

Aupa Santiago!

 

Cheers for your comments on the guitar.

 

As I told you before to get the Invader the B.C Rich St_III must go, I have no other choice. So tacking this into account, would you guys change one for the other?

 

Thanks guys!! you are helping me a lot.

 

P.S: BTW, This is the B.C Rich St.III :

 

[ILIED4U]

I have a new baby!!! The invader is at home now. I promise to post my impressions and try to throw some light on this guitars.

 

I haven't connected it to my amp yet but even playing unplugged seems to be a very special guitar, and that's awesome.

 

Thanks so much!

[ILIED4U]

Here's my new axe:

 

[btoth76]

Hello! It was a great choice. Very nice guitar. It's simplicity makes it divine! Have fun!

[Santiago]

Nice guitar, the sunburst does look very well on it (better than the finish of mine, I must admit). The pickups do look like the classic Dirty Finger pickups.

 

Congratulations!

 

Santiago

[ILIED4U]

Nice guitar, the sunburst does look very well on it (better than the finish of mine, I must admit). The pickups do look like the classic Dirty Finger pickups.

 

Congratulations!

 

Santiago

 

 

Cheers mate!

 

BTW,Does anyone know wether these guitars are nitro finished?

[BigKahune]

Very nice.

 

Tell us what she sounds like.

 

Congrats. B)

[ILIED4U]

Very nice.

 

Tell us what she sounds like.

 

Congrats. B)

 

Wow man!!! i just can't stop playing it!! it sounds so F**** awesome! to describe it in two words: it sounds VINTAGE & CRISPY!

 

Veeeeeery crispy. The only guitar I own that gives me that response in clean.

[ILIED4U]

Well, some time has passed and my impressions about the invader have improved.

 

 

The ceramic pickups (dirty fingers I think) are impressive, the neck pickup lacks a bit of definition but with this pickups the guitar sounds tight! I mean, whatever you play it has great dynamics, it's like a vintage sounding guitar with ceramic magnets, awesome.

 

One more doubt, Is it the finish on the invaders nitro? I guess so but... not sure.

 

Take care dudes!

[GodofWar]

Mine is an '85 black, mahogany body, neck may be maple, ebony fretboard PUs are Sonex 180 Deluxe. They appear to be exactly the same w/ the neck mounted the reverse of the bridge. One difference is the PU selector is on the neck side of the knobs, where The Paul selector is located. This has become my primary gig axe, has better sustain & hotter PUs than the LPs of the same era.

[hogdaddee]

Here's the 1985 Invader I have.

[GodofWar]

I've owned a black Invader for a few years, & although I didn't care for the bolt on neck @ first, it's now my primary gig guitar. Mahogany body & neck w/ ebony fingerboard, zebra looking Sonex 180 PUs, Grovers. Has great sustain, plays like a dream & for some reason the PUs are hotter than the other velvet bricks I've heard. I played this along w/ a $2500 LP w/ PAFs from the same year & gave the LP back. They played the same, but the Invader had better tone & gain.

[GodofWar]

Here's the 1985 Invader I have.

Nice!

[deeman]

What I like is where they place the pick up selector. I have a tendency to flick mine on my LP studio while strumming. I tend to play in a very animated style with long down and up strums and the pick up selector lies right in the path. Seems like this guitar was made for me. If I ever see one come up for sale around here i may just have to check it out.

[lowb5str]

What I like is where they place the pick up selector. I have a tendency to flick mine on my LP studio while strumming. I tend to play in a very animated style with long down and up strums and the pick up selector lies right in the path. Seems like this guitar was made for me. If I ever see one come up for sale around here i may just have to check it out.

I have the same switch position preference. I noticed that "The Paul" and certain Firebrand issues had the same placement. I'm sharing so you can widen your search, as I am a year away from being able to shop. Good Luck!

[sa278]

Hi guys,

I recently found a '84 Gibson Invader (silverburst). I was hoping for yall's input since Gibson was rather useless on the phone.

 

1. I would like to install locking tuners (grovers, schallers, doesn’t matter)….are any of you aware of a drop in part/model number? I don't want to drill into the headstock.

 

2. What kind of pickups are in it? I can’t find much info other than some people saying Dirty fingers and others saying Sonex 180.....i bought some Gibson '57s, do yall think these would work well?

 

Thanks a lot and hopefully someone can help me out.

[Flatty]

I have an invader. I bought it in Dublin for 400 old Irish punts in 1987, which was a sale price new, and an absolute bucket of money at the time (well my dad bought it for me)

It's been an absolutely brilliant guitar. I've played it, gigged it, loaned it out, got it back, and it's as good as anything you'll get when it's set up correctly. It's just had a fifty quid service and I love it as much as ever. I just keep going back to it. The neck has stayed true for over 30 years. The guitar has never let me don, and has brought me untold pleasure. I've been through other guitars in that time, and moved all over.  The invader is the guitar I've always brought with me. 

The most recent service was by guitar tech in Manchester, an absolute wizard. I dropped it in along with a a Patrick eggle strat, and when I picked them up, he said "that Gibson is an absolutely lovely guitar". 

It's not the fastest or the flashiest, but it's a friendly ,reliable lovely beast that would be the one you'd pull out of a burning building.

Also, there's very few about.