LP / Single Cut Options

[Mot90DaD]

I have yet to find Gibsons that are worse than epiphones, maybe Im just lucky

Yeah maybe it's just me - but this is what the whole fretboard looked like. They just told me its difficult at the moment to get good Rosewood, so its not the best, but no issue at all... we are talking about a 2.7k 50s Standard... I dont dislike Gibson and love my new Slash Standard - but that 50s was really worse than any Epi.

 

[budda]

wood is a natural product, it has variation. That board looks dry but it does not look bad. This reminds me of “if ebony isnt jet black its no good!”

 

[Mot90DaD]

You sound like Gibson The wood was not simply dry - I know this only too well from Gibson, it has crumbled out so that the inlays have partially loosened. I don't even want to start with the glue residues that were smeared over the entire fingerboard... But anyway - all I wanted to say is that the TO should not stop immediately after his first bad Gibson experience, but it may need several attempts.

 

[rowsi]

Yeah maybe it's just me - but this is what the whole fretboard looked like. They just told me its difficult at the moment to get good Rosewood, so its not the best, but no issue at all... we are talking about a 2.7k 50s Standard... I dont dislike Gibson and love my new Slash Standard - but that 50s was really worse than any Epi.

View attachment 118980

Eew. You wouldn't accept any other brands guitar with that fretboard for this price and disregard any sob stories about the inability (of one of the biggest guitar manufacturers!) to source raw material of sufficient quality and quantity.

 

[soliloquy]

For what it's worth, epiphones, over the last 2-3 years or so, has really started releasing awesome stuff with great fret work.

And Gibson is a hard brand to compare as it's not apples to oranges. Its more like apples to chairs or something. Hard to compare as Gibson does do things differently.

As such, it maybe easier to find epiphones being more consistent than Gibson. You know what you're getting with epiphones, but Gibson is a crap shoot. Even if the Gibson guitar is great, it may not be great for you.

I'm also noticing that for those who are seeking the minutia in guitars may more likely fall for Gibson than other brands.

Wood doesn't make a difference?
Weight doesn't make a difference?
But doesn't make a difference?
Neck thickness doesn't make a difference?
Maple cap doesn't make a difference?
Chambered body doesn't make a difference?
Etc

Though there are people who want a good guitar, and don't really care about the material, for them, Gibson may not be the brand. A good guitar is a good guitar. For others who are more sensitive, Gibson may just be the one of the only brands that caters to them.

 

[dmlinger]

I own five Gibson LPs and they all sound a little different. Only one of them still has the stock pickups and it’s the R0/G0 Historic that I keep in standard tuning. The others are tuned to C with the Bill Kelliher sit tuned to G. The Gibson pickups were all pulled out and replaced with Duncan Distortions, Customs, and one has some killer Mojotone 44 Magnums in them. If I want my tone to be crushing, I reach for any of the LPs.

If I want a something different, I’ll reach for one of my builds or my Warmoth Strat (also with a humbuckers bridge).

If you aren’t into Gibson, I’d vote for an Eclipse. If one pops up in the US in good condition in that butter cream vintage alpine white color, it’s mine.

I had a bunch of Eastmans this year, too. Don’t sleep on those. You’ll want different pickups in those as well though.

 

[marke]

Surprisingly when trying to find a good Gibson or a good Jackson, the solution is the same -buy ESP.

 

[Ross82]

I'd be looking at ESP or PRS first and foremost, maybe a Patrick Eggle Macon if i was really spending. Ironically a Gibson would not even be a consideration for a SC style guitar.

 

[Kosthrash]

I dig the Solar singlecut GC2.6c carbon matte black...

GC2.6C - Carbon Black Matte - Solar Guitars- Website

Unique with its modern, stealthy looks and 6 inline reversed headstock, this affordable and feature-loaded single cutaway guitar belongs to the Solar Type G2 range, offering outstanding elegance and performance.n

www.solar-guitars.com

 

[dmlinger]

I don’t get all of the current Gibson hate. We all know they had some years of shit QC and poor leadership decisions (play authentic and destroying those Firebird Xs), which I won’t defend bc those were cringy moments.

I’ve played dozens of their 2021/2022 models recently and they were all spectacular. Granted they were in shops and had less than great setups, but I can see past that.

My hot sports opinion is that guitarists 1) can’t see past a bad setup in a shop or when they receive a guitar in the mail, and 2) guitarists, in general, need to seriously up their game when it comes to being able to do basic setups and maintenance on their guitars.

 

[budda]

The thing is this: either you want a singlecut, or you want a gibson les paul.

The correct answer is “both”.

 

[dmlinger]

The thing is this: either you want a singlecut, or you want a gibson les paul.

The correct answer is “both”.

I want allllll of the guitars. Gibson, ESP, Ibanez, Jackson, Schecter, Fender, Suhr, PepperFox (), Warmoth, Mayones, and on and on. I don’t really discriminate.

Put me in a room, preferably in my house, surrounded by dozens of guitars and amps. I just want that, OK.

 

[Ross82]

I don’t get all of the current Gibson hate. We all know they had some years of shit QC and poor leadership decisions (play authentic and destroying those Firebird Xs), which I won’t defend bc those were cringy moments.

I’ve played dozens of their 2021/2022 models recently and they were all spectacular. Granted they were in shops and had less than great setups, but I can see past that.

My hot sports opinion is that guitarists 1) can’t see past a bad setup in a shop or when they receive a guitar in the mail, and 2) guitarists, in general, need to seriously up their game when it comes to being able to do basic setups and maintenance on their guitars.

Counter to that, I've played dozens of Gibsons that were hot garbage considering the price they were asking. I've owned a few Gibsons, played plenty more and have never been impressed with them. For 30 years I've wanted to own one but the competition just does it way better, usually for less. Though in fairness inter-brand pricing at the higher end seems to be evening out more these days so I think that viewpoint is becoming less prominent, so then it comes down to fit/finish and feel which Gibson lacks/lacked behind sorely IMO

Admittedly the last time I was considering buying a Gibson was about 3 years ago, had the money in my pocket and was hoping to buy a Hummingbird, went to the store to try one and it was an embarrassment of an instrument for the $4300 they wanted, maybe they're better now but after so many years of wanting and trying I've come to my conclusion. Blaming poor store setups is a cop-out, why are they even leaving the factory in poor set up and why on earth should a consumer accept that they would need to basic re-set up an instrument with a Gibson price tag?

Ultimately, like others have said, buy what you like best. For some people it will be a Gibson, for others it wont.

 

[dmlinger]

Counter to that, I've played dozens of Gibsons that were hot garbage considering the price they were asking. I've owned a few Gibsons, played plenty more and have never been impressed with them. For 30 years I've wanted to own one but the competition just does it way better, usually for less. Though in fairness inter-brand pricing at the higher end seems to be evening out more these days so I think that viewpoint is becoming less prominent, so then it comes down to fit/finish and feel which Gibson lacks/lacked behind sorely IMO

Admittedly the last time I was considering buying a Gibson was about 3 years ago, had the money in my pocket and was hoping to buy a Hummingbird, went to the store to try one and it was an embarrassment of an instrument for the $4300 they wanted, maybe they're better now but after so many years of wanting and trying I've come to my conclusion. Blaming poor store setups is a cop-out, why are they even leaving the factory in poor set up and why on earth should a consumer accept that they would need to basic re-set up an instrument with a Gibson price tag?

Ultimately, like others have said, buy what you like best. For some people it will be a Gibson, for others it wont.

Fair play and I agree. If you’re buying a guitar from a shop, either in person or online, it should come setup to your spec - I 100% agree.

I’d just counter that expecting a guitar to be in optimal setup from the factory after shipping, sitting in a shop, getting fucked with by casual shop browsers for weeks or months, and acclimating to a new environment isn’t realistic. It just got cold here last week and all of my guitars were out of adjustment.

I had a similar experience earlier this month in Nashville. Went to visit friends and family and had full intentions on buying an Explorer. Had my eyes set on one from a popular shop and it was a total let down. Not a bad guitar by any stretch, but if I’m spending the money it needs to be “the one.”

We are all saying the same things and we agree on them. It’s been a thing to shit on Gibson for years now, and a lot of it was deserved. You just don’t see the blanket criticism of other brands.

Oh shit, sorry I just realized I’m on SSO and no MyLesPaul

 

[soliloquy]

Counter to that, I've played dozens of Gibsons that were hot garbage considering the price they were asking. I've owned a few Gibsons, played plenty more and have never been impressed with them. For 30 years I've wanted to own one but the competition just does it way better, usually for less. Though in fairness inter-brand pricing at the higher end seems to be evening out more these days so I think that viewpoint is becoming less prominent, so then it comes down to fit/finish and feel which Gibson lacks/lacked behind sorely IMO

Admittedly the last time I was considering buying a Gibson was about 3 years ago, had the money in my pocket and was hoping to buy a Hummingbird, went to the store to try one and it was an embarrassment of an instrument for the $4300 they wanted, maybe they're better now but after so many years of wanting and trying I've come to my conclusion. Blaming poor store setups is a cop-out, why are they even leaving the factory in poor set up and why on earth should a consumer accept that they would need to basic re-set up an instrument with a Gibson price tag?

Ultimately, like others have said, buy what you like best. For some people it will be a Gibson, for others it wont.

I would challenge your view here in regards to price.

say price was NOT an option. you're looking for a guitar that speaks to you. has nothing to do with quality. Has nothing to do with finish, or QC. Just how the guitar itself speaks to you.
at that point, would gibson be a good guitar, for you?

What I'm getting at is that because of the poly finish, to me, most guitars kind of feel/play the same. Gibson, on the other hand, (I also assume the same is true for Eastman, Heritage, Navigator, and Maybach), by default, feel much different.

because of that difference, they by default, will come with other side effects. finish swirls? finish eating away wherever it sits on a stand? random wear and tear even though you're babying it? heavy? etc etc etc....


at that point, say the Gibson Les Paul Custom was $1500 CAD (around the same price as PRS s2, or Higher end Epiphone, or LTD, Schecter, Ibanez, Jackson, etc) would you then pick a gibson, despite it having quirky issues? if the answer is 'no' then Gibson isn't what you're looking for. Even if its a 'perfect' guitar, it just wont be a guitar you'll ever really be happy with.



Its kind of like paying for a Lamborghini made in Korea. Could Koreans make a Lambo? If they wanted, probably. Would you want it? If its 1/4th the price, you may consider why get the original? cost is vastly different, depending on where its made. But that has nothing really to do with a 'good' or 'bad' guitar. Just different. Likewise, a Ford car may cost the same as a Toyota or Honda, but chances are that Toyota or Honda may last longer, with fewer issues to a Ford. They aren't made in the same place, thus does that mean that import cars are better than domestic? Its just different.

 

[budda]

I generally only try gibsons at the retailer that is also their distro, who do not make sure all setups are perfect on every guitar on the wall, and I havent found these shatteringly atrocious multiples of bad guitars. Im not in a huge city and I dont go there all the time, but a sample size of 5+ years I gotta wonder why im not seeing these shitboxes like everyone else? Obviously more guitars go through more dealers in the US but im still surprised .

Speaking of S2, if you can find a satin SC they are a blast.

 

[soliloquy]

I generally only try gibsons at the retailer that is also their distro, who do not make sure all setups are perfect on every guitar on the wall, and I havent found these shatteringly atrocious multiples of bad guitars. Im not in a huge city and I dont go there all the time, but a sample size of 5+ years I gotta wonder why im not seeing these shitboxes like everyone else? Obviously more guitars go through more dealers in the US but im still surprised .

Speaking of S2, if you can find a satin SC they are a blast.

Think it's related to your tolerance or sensitivity to things.

You maybe fine to see some tool marks in the fret board, or at the edge, while another would say that's not acceptable.

You maybe fine with some color bleed at the headstock biding, where you have to see it between 85 and 90 degree angle...while others may not.

I usually don't bother with judging how the guitar is set up, as I can set it up myself just fine. I do pay extra attention to how the frets are; how the guitar resonates; how wide the fret board is; etc...

 

[Ross82]

I would challenge your view here in regards to price.

say price was NOT an option. you're looking for a guitar that speaks to you. has nothing to do with quality. Has nothing to do with finish, or QC. Just how the guitar itself speaks to you.
at that point, would gibson be a good guitar, for you?

What I'm getting at is that because of the poly finish, to me, most guitars kind of feel/play the same. Gibson, on the other hand, (I also assume the same is true for Eastman, Heritage, Navigator, and Maybach), by default, feel much different.

because of that difference, they by default, will come with other side effects. finish swirls? finish eating away wherever it sits on a stand? random wear and tear even though you're babying it? heavy? etc etc etc....


at that point, say the Gibson Les Paul Custom was $1500 CAD (around the same price as PRS s2, or Higher end Epiphone, or LTD, Schecter, Ibanez, Jackson, etc) would you then pick a gibson, despite it having quirky issues? if the answer is 'no' then Gibson isn't what you're looking for. Even if its a 'perfect' guitar, it just wont be a guitar you'll ever really be happy with.



Its kind of like paying for a Lamborghini made in Korea. Could Koreans make a Lambo? If they wanted, probably. Would you want it? If its 1/4th the price, you may consider why get the original? cost is vastly different, depending on where its made. But that has nothing really to do with a 'good' or 'bad' guitar. Just different. Likewise, a Ford car may cost the same as a Toyota or Honda, but chances are that Toyota or Honda may last longer, with fewer issues to a Ford. They aren't made in the same place, thus does that mean that import cars are better than domestic? Its just different.

In fairness, no I dont think it would. As much I would like a Gibson (would love an Explorer) I just dont think Gibson's are right for me. The necks feel horribly chunky, the 2 LP's I had felt like baseball bats. Now I'm not sure if I've tried the 60's Slim Taper neck but I think the 2018/19 LP a friend had was a 60's slim that felt horrible too and not 'slim' in any way to my perception. Country of origin alone doesn't matter to me IF the quality and playability is there and from my experiences Gibson have been outshined by several other brands consistently. Maybe one day I'll find a Gibson that is right for me but after 30 years I think I've accepted that I wont, even though I continue to try.

As long as there's an option out there that I can fill the SC sized hole with, like PRS SC's and ESP Eclipses, then that's where I go and recommend to people looking for alternatives. I just find it annoyingly ironic that the SC's (and guitars generally) I like have never been Gibbo's.

Lets also not forget the "Rose Tint" that can cause people to overlook genuine poor quality "because its a Gibson", denial forms in both directions. My friend with the previously mentioned LP would constantly laud it to me as being so great and would frequently get me to play it, only to trade it down the line for a Suhr Modern because he eventually got fed up of those horrible Robo-tuners, didn't like the weight and basically felt burnt at the price/expectation/reality.

It's different strokes for different folks, I'm certainly not going to tell anyone that a Gibson can't be the guitar for them any more than I accept people telling me there's nothing wrong with Gibson's.

 

[Kosthrash]

In Gibson site Mark Agnesi demos an lp standard 50s through a... Marshall (1974x I think) or am I wrong?!?
Same for the flying v...

https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Electric-Guitar/USAUBC849/Heritage-Cherry-Sunburst

https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Electric-Guitar/USAM1U838/Antique-Natural

 

[dmlinger]

...he eventually got fed up of those horrible Robo-tuners..

OK now we know why your experience was poor That era of Gibson is the absolute worst, and it wasn't that long ago. What JC/Caesar have done with the company in a short amount of time has been great.

I have 2 of their guitars that have an actual 60s slim...the Lzzy Hale Dark Explorer and a Bill Kelliher Halcyon Les Paul. Both are awesome feeling necks. Believe they measure around .78-.80 at the 1st. The Explorer is the thinner of the two.

But I hear you loud and clear...I've bought several "not cheap" guitars over the years that I desperately wanted to love and ended up hating them.

Here are some single cuts that have been on my radar:
- ESP Eclipse
- LTD EC1000
- Maybach Lester
- PRS Singlecut 594
- LTD Westfall Signature...single humbucker with 25.5" scale
- Tokai
- Navigator