GIBSON SG STANDARD LTD. ED.
I have wanted an SG Standard for years I did have a used mint Special in 1966 that was probably a '64. I got it at a pawn shop for $140.00 USD. I sold it for a late 50's Gold Top with P 90's. I paid $275.00 USD.
Yes my goal was a classic SG Standard in sunburst with the small pickguard.
I found this one in mint condition with a mint case incl. It was $800.00 USD incl a (CAL high end) case. The going price is $2000.00 USD incl. a case.
The guy who owned it is a dealer who sells antique fine china and porcelain. I think he is simply a well off amateur guitarist. It looks like it was never played. He is out of touch with the market. I think because he bought it new 2017. He sees it as if it is a used car that looses value every year. He was selling it on his fine china site. Who the f_ck goes there for a guitar. lol (don't ask :-)
Even the details make it killer for me. I love the look of Grover tuners and it not only has them but they are locking tuners as well. Even the damn Top Hat knobs with the inserts have always been my favorites.
The wood grain is hardy triple 'A' hand select but it looks good so there is nothing to complain about. Finally the binding on the neck is something only found on a Custom is bonus.
A bit of research on this guitar claims it is Ltd. Ed reissue of a Ltd. Ed from '74. which was the first SG to get the vintage sunburst color and the first Gibson to have a new PU the 57 classic. In 75 virtually all Gibsons with a HB had the 57. To this day Gibson never ever does a clone of the original guitar they reissue. In large part because they do not own one.lol It is also because they have incorrect written info and always ...a bit on purpose. If for example if the correct knobs for the guitar are late arriving during the manufacturing they will use the closest to what they have or can get immediately. Go figure many incorrect models are now collectors guitars worth more for the year or the famous guy that used the original or because models with an incorrect color are more rare. You gotta love it! For example if my guitar were correct it would have speed knobs and a 'harmonica' bridge. Both are ugly to the modern buyer ...so by by!
When it comes to PU's everyone has an opinion. I have always like a standard medium gain Duncan PAF. Gibson's answer to their PAF was the 57 Classics that came out in '75 when the PAF was discontinued.
Many new ones came and went but they still had the Classics. The ES 335 and many of the full body Jazz guitars have used them and still do. They are full rich and warm with lots of mids. The lows are not well defined nor are the highs much more than minimum. No ...not a modern pickup. LOL
BUT ..put them through a cranked Plexi and ...LOOK OUT!!!
Yes ...that is EXACTLY what I do anyway :-)
One thing worth considering are the great numbers of bands that killer records made during the the late 70's thru the 80's that had these PU's in the guitars they used. It is really funny because guys now are often spending big bucks on handwired PU's to get the sound of a proverbial massed produced classic 57. LOL ...I should know I am one of them. LOL
To be fair many of these new PU's sound excellent. But not better! do
I like chocolate ice cream I like other flavours. But is chocolate better?
Thank the gods that Rock came into being because some players decided
"If it sounds good it is good." Another thing ...in '59 a Les Paul was not cool! Gibson did not discontinue because of fake news on the web. lol
So what was so different about this short lived Ltd. Ed. The color!!!
In 2017 you had black, cherry red, and cherry sunburst. I never liked any of them. Cherry sunburst looks great over maple but on mahogany? Yuck!
I liked the classic brown hued vintage sunburst and white. Oddly enough the same guitar also came in white. Either would be fine.
The only other thing was a thicker piece of rosewood for the fret board.
The purpose of 99% of Ltd. Ed. are to get free reviews. Even really stupid things pay off because a guy will go down to the local dealer just for a look but leave with a different Gibson. In short a guitar and a hit on their credit card that they never planned on. LOL
HANDS ON
OK ...I got it ...for a start it coaneticially flawless. With all the bad press about Gibson it is either exaggerated or I got lucky. LOL To be brutally honest ...I think I got lucky.
The set up is beyond perfect as far as low action with not so much as tiny string buzz of a dead note.
I was expectsponse. The notes just leap out. Anything past a half not starts to swell and sustain until you stop it. A tiny bit of feedback and the harmonics will leap an octave.
If you waked into a storing a fairly decent tone but to be honest only about one guitar in ten has exceptional ree and told them give me guitar that automatically does what this one does and I will pay double. You would be leaving the store without a guitar.
No comments:
Post a Comment