NGW: New Gibson Week

[JSutter]

Nice collection. I really like the color of the Les Paul.

How's the quality of the Tokai?

[Maggieo]

Nice collection. I really like the color of the Les Paul.

How's the quality of the Tokai?

It's really good, aside from the thick coat of poly. But that was expected, as it's one of Tokai's MIK guitars. It's good enough it was worth the electronics swap, that's for sure.

[Maggieo]

Lovely!!

Thanks!

I like that the Tokai looks so much like the LP I had in art school, with the Zebras and all.

[HNB]

I really like how those zebras look.

[Maggieo]

I really like how those zebras look.

Thanks! To me, that's classic 70s Les Paul, right there.

[Maggieo]

The Lesters are back home!!

Duncan Antiquities and an Emerson wiring harness later:


Les Paul Studio Gibson Guitar, June 24, 2019 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr


Les Paul Studio Gibson Guitar, June 24, 2019 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr

Swapped out the electronics from the LP Studio into the Tokai- 490 pups, CTS push/pull pots, coil splitting.


Tokai Love Rock Guitar, June 24, 2019 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr


Tokai Love Rock Guitar, June 24, 2019 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr

Both of them sound great, if not amazing, and are surprisingly snappy sounding. Frankly, I'm kind of shocked at how Fender-y they sound. Maybe it's just me and everything I pick up will sound like a Fender!

They're easy to play and both necks are close to my Johnny Marr Jag's neck shape. Worthy investment.

[Despot]

Nice Maggie!

Re: pickup sounds ... in my experience the 'better' sounding humbuckers are the ones voiced to be more vintage sounding, which usually sound like slightly beefier single coils (rather than the thick/dark/muddy sound that we often associate with humbuckers). The bridge pickup in my ES335 sounds an awful lot like a slightly higher output telecaster pickup - or at least that's my closest point of reference.

[Maggieo]

Nice Maggie!

Re: pickup sounds ... in my experience the 'better' sounding humbuckers are the ones voiced to be more vintage sounding, which usually sound like slightly beefier single coils (rather than the thick/dark/muddy sound that we often associate with humbuckers). The bridge pickup in my ES335 sounds an awful lot like a slightly higher output telecaster pickup - or at least that's my closest point of reference.

Thanks!

That is a spot-on description of the Duncans, and the 490s, though they have a bit more midrange bite than the Antiquities. The Tokai has an Ash body, with a Maple cap and neck, which is probably why the 490s have more snap and clarity than they did in the Gibson, which is the trad Mahogany with Maple cap.

You know, it's funny; I have more SGs and LP-type guitars than I have Jazzmasters or Jags. I think that's because Nelvis and Green Arrow are so perfect for me, I don't need to look for more. Though I'd love to get my hands on a JM and a Jag from 1964, my birth year.

[Maggieo]

Larry, looks like you're right and I'm going to add the Faber ABR bridges to my Studio, and my SG Special.

Nashville vs. Faber

So, imagine this with a Faber:


Gibson SG Body, July, 2009 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr

It already has the Emerson harness and Lollar P-90s.