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Gibson Midtown Custom

Duende

By Duende
in The Gibson Lounge

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pippy

pippy

Posted
Posted
...the fretboard looks better than baked maple...

The fretboard is listed as being made of 'Richlite®' and so, Google being my friend, did a search.

 

Here's a little bit of what the manufacturers themselves say about the product;

 

"...Richlite® Industrial Composites combine many of the positive aspects of wood, metal, and plastic. Originally designed for use in the production of the Boeing 747, Richlite® industrial material is hard, yet easy to machine, has a high strength to weight ratio, and is chemically and thermally stable...."

 

I don't have a problem with that. I've played some (fairly) recent Hagstroms with 'boards made from a man-made material and they played exactly like ebony.

 

P.

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pippy

pippy

Posted
Posted
Don't those have plastic fretboards? If so, that's a major turn off. They look awesome though.

LOL!

 

I was typing my reply at the same time as you...

 

As a matter of interest, Dub, (and definitely not trying to start a bun-fight!) why would a non-wood 'board put you off? Have you tried one out?

 

If not then you might be in for a pleasant surprise.

 

As I've just posted I tried out three recently and If I had been blindfolded and told the 'board was a plank of dense-grained ebony then I would have believed it.

I don't know what effect - if any - it has on the end-result tone-wise, but as far as the tactile aspect goes then it was very nice indeed. Not as 'warm' to the touch as rosewood maybe? But perhaps that's just my imagination...

 

P.

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sellen

sellen

Posted
Posted

Wow the black on is just a beauty. What the fretboard is made of, i don't care as long as it feels and sound good. At least at this prize. I might save up for this one as i more and more like to practice unplugged, at least in the evening and night(don't wanna bother my neigh boards) . Guess it's a Gibson USA custom, not a Gibson custom shop guitar. Not that it matter.

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pippy

pippy

Posted
Posted
... Their mainly solid body aren't they?

I've just checked the specs on the Gibson site and they're chambered rather than the normal ES practice of having a 'centre-block'.

 

Here are a couple of quotes;

 

"... With a trimmed-down and more player-friendly body size that still emulates the lines of the ES models, but built with the chambered solid-wood construction (rather than a laminated top and back with solid center block), the Midtown Custom truly embodies the optimum marriage of solidbody and archtop..."

 

...using Grade-A timbers beneath the three translucent finish options. A solid mahogany body is strategically chambered for optimum resonance and capped with a solid carved maple top with traditional f-holes, which is finished in your choice of high-gloss Heritage Sunburst, Vintage Sunburst, Antique Natural or Ebony Black..."

 

Having now seen all four finishes I'd be hard-pressed to choose between the Ebony and the Vintage Sunburst...

 

[drool] [drool] [drool] [drool] [drool]

 

PairofDowntowns.jpg

 

P.

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saturn

saturn

Posted
Posted

The fretboard is listed as being made of 'Richlite®' and so, Google being my friend, did a search.

 

Here's a little bit of what the manufacturers themselves say about the product;

 

"...Richlite® Industrial Composites combine many of the positive aspects of wood, metal, and plastic. Originally designed for use in the production of the Boeing 747, Richlite® industrial material is hard, yet easy to machine, has a high strength to weight ratio, and is chemically and thermally stable...."

 

I don't have a problem with that. I've played some (fairly) recent Hagstroms with 'boards made from a man-made material and they played exactly like ebony.

 

P.

 

I wonder if that's the same stuff this guy was telling me about? One of the customers our machine shop does work for, said his company is working on some new composite material for PRS to use in their nuts. :-k

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Guest farnsbarns

Guest farnsbarns

Posted
Posted

I want one! At least, I want to try one. I have no problem with a paper/resin composite fingerboard as long as it sounds good. Strangely, I've virtually designed that body construction and shape in my head recently.

 

I'd defo go for black though.

 

Thanks Matt.

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HarpBoy

HarpBoy

Posted
Posted

Plastic made from formaldehyde. I'll pass on that for now. I think I'll stick with rosewood or ebony, like normal guitar makers use.

 

I see these guitars becoming the laughingstock of the Gibson line.

 

:rolleyes:

 

You are aware that Martin (fairly normal) uses Richlite for the fingerboard of many of their guitars, right?

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anotherguyplayingguitar

anotherguyplayingguitar

Posted
Posted

Let's see here.....

 

PROS:

The vintage sunburst finish is beautiful, I guess it is technically a Gibson 'custom'..like it matters, The inlays are nice on the headstock and fretboard, I like the fact that they shrunk the typical body design for the ES series, bet it sounds cleaner than most due to the chambered body, probably relatively light on the shoulder due to decreased body mass and flat-top design.

 

CONS:

After doing thorough research on this synthetic fingerboard, I've come to the conclusion: People gasped at the SG at first...Les Paul himself demanded his name was removed...and now I wouldn't call any other guitar my main SOO..inginuity...why not?

 

Oh..because it's not for me, that's why not. I like rosewood the best, someone above me said it best about it having a "warm" feeling. Au naturale..

 

 

 

On another note, flat-top probably noticabley cuts the sustain compared to the contour of the original ES line. Not neccessarily a con, but I mean come on, who doesn't love sustain?

 

 

 

 

Well there you have it.. my 2 cents

 

-Anotherguy

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charlie brown

charlie brown

Posted
Posted

"Cuts the Sustain???" Why, because the ES line will feedback, faster than a solidbody, therefore adding sustain, by it's feedback?? Solid body Les Paul's and SG's have plenty of sustain. I doubt the f holes, and chambering will have that much negative effect, on sustain. I've played a number of Epiphone "Kat" series guitars, and they seems to have plenty of sustain, if/when needed. They too, are chambered, with f holes. So...??? But, until we can play one, I guess we won't really know for sure, huh?

 

CB

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Dub-T-123

Dub-T-123

Posted
Posted

LOL!

 

I was typing my reply at the same time as you...

 

As a matter of interest, Dub, (and definitely not trying to start a bun-fight!) why would a non-wood 'board put you off? Have you tried one out?

 

If not then you might be in for a pleasant surprise.

 

As I've just posted I tried out three recently and If I had been blindfolded and told the 'board was a plank of dense-grained ebony then I would have believed it.

I don't know what effect - if any - it has on the end-result tone-wise, but as far as the tactile aspect goes then it was very nice indeed. Not as 'warm' to the touch as rosewood maybe? But perhaps that's just my imagination...

 

P.

I haven't tried one out but the thought of a plastic fretboard is scary haha. I guess the thought of dropping $1500 on a guitar with a plastic fretboard just sounds really stupid to me.

 

I don't really understand why Gibson would put the custom shop name on this. I mean I do.. Obviously so it sounds "fancier" or whatever.. But if you really think about the specs for a minute, this is a pretty watered down guitar (compared to custom shop Gibsons). To me the custom shop just means they don't cut corners on the guitars. This seems like they cut corners to some degree on just about everything to make it cheaper.

 

Not saying that they aren't good.. I haven't even tried one(I'm honestly sure they're great). But saying it's the cheapest custom shop Gibson ever doesn't mean much to me, as it seems like they did the regular routine that they do to the cheaper models and then slapped the custom shop name on them.

 

With all that being said, I'm really interested in trying one and feeling the fretboard. I want it to be good. I really do haha

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rct

rct

Posted
Posted

I don't think anyone has called it a Custom Shoppe guitar. It's a Midtown Custom. Like there's a Les Paul, and then there's a Les Paul Custom with block at first fret, multiple bound body neck and headstock, sometimes three pickups, teenie weenie frets that nobody likes. Like that.

 

Until The New World Order declares a shortage of precious rosewood, I find this stuff just trickery to cut costs. I'm sure that just like baked, roasted, and saute'd maple, it will become an articulation enhancer or some sort of tone frequency combobulator or some other such garbage. It's cheap, and they still charge me for a rosewood board. That in itself is a cheap way to run a business.

 

rct

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