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A second Ace F Custom


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So I was looking at the main site and they have put up a second Ace F Custom??? Huh

 

Specs of the first one are

•Four-piece "sandwich" Mahogany body with three-piece Maple top

•Ebony fingerboard with Mother-of-Pearl block inlays

•Three open-coil, double-cream DiMarzio pickups

•Chrome-plated stopbar and ABR-1 bridge

•Grover machine heads with pearloid banjo tuners

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-Custom/Ace-Frehley-Budokan-Les-Paul-Custom.aspx

 

And this new one

•Mahogany body, Maple top with Heritage Cherry Sunburst nitrocellulose finish

•Richlite® fingerboard with aged white acrylic block inlays

•Three open-coil, double-cream DiMarzio™ Super Distortion pickups

•Chrome-plated bridge and stopbar tailpiece

•Grover™ machine heads with pearloid banjo tuners

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Ace-Frehley-Budokan-Les-Paul-Custom.aspx

 

Strange huh? :-k is this cos of an Ebony shortage so they have had to release a new one?

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Strange huh? :-k is this cos of an Ebony shortage so they have had to release a new one?

That might have something to do with it, of course, but the first series you mention is a limited edition model with just 300 examples available; 50 signed and aged; 100 aged; 150 VOS.

 

The second series is an un-numbered release and costs half the price of the least expensive model in the first series. The MRP of the former (VOS) is $7,529 whereas that of the latter is $3,449 and, in the 'comments' area of the first model's page, someone mentions Sam Ash and Zzounds advertising the regular 'Budokan' at a very reasonable $2,299.

 

Perhaps someone at Gibson is taking notice of all the people who complain about the very high price of Custom Shop Signature models and has released a more affordable version of this Ace LP?

 

:-k

 

P.

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The new one is from Gibson USA, previous versions were from Gibson Custom and Epiphone. All versions were developed at the same time and shown at Winter NAMM, the release for the USA version was just scheduled a bit later.

Right you are [thumbup] I didnt notice that at first.

 

It was the same for the Classic Custom it took a while for people to realise its actually made by Gibson USA rather than the Custom shop.. Does get confusing sometimes ;)

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It is the economy version, so to speak. Even so, neither this nor the CS version is exact to his original. To anyone here who likes Ace or is interested in his guitars, go to AceFrehleyLesPaul.com. The original was a 74' Custom, with the obvious modifications. But, in all earnest, they could have picked a better name than the "Budokan" guitar. It should have been the "No Dickheads guitar". In the late 80s/early 90s he had a sticker on the pickguard that was a No Dickheads symbol. But that is not appropriate, so I think it should have simply been just the Ace Frehley Les Paul Custom!

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I also noticed that, like the Epi version, all three of the pickups work on this one. On the customs, only the bridge pickup works.

 

Interestingly, there doesn't seem to be any Ace branding on this one at all. The TRC is plain, and so is the case. Hmm.

 

I ordered the Epi too, and am just waiting patiently. If I had known about this one, I would have been sorely tempted, but I think I'll be happy enough.

 

Fred

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