NGW: New Gibson Week

[Maggieo]

I got bit my the Kalamazoo/Nashville bug.

After months of dithering over a Les Paul, I found a sweet, sweet LP Studio for a great price and took the dive. Of course, being me, I'm kitting it out with an Emerson vintage wiring harness and Seymour Duncan Antiquities pickups. Oh, and putting a pickguard on it, because LPs just look wrong to me without one.

Here it is, on the day it arrived:




Then, after playing a Gary Clark Jr. SG at a shop in Omaha, I kind of became obsessed with them, especially the heritage cherry color. It reminds me of the 2013 SG "Orignal" I had for a while, but everything about it suits me better: the neck is bigger, the slug-pole P-90s are more "my sound," and you have to love locking Grover Rotomatic tuners. Hell, even the wiring harness is handwired with orange drop caps!

I had to trade away my Bilt Zaftig and my trusty old modded Esquire, but after an hour of playing, I'm well chuffed! Here it is!

[zhivago]

Wow Maggie!! Talk about a dynamic duo!!! Congrats!!!

[HNB]

Sweet!

[Maggieo]

Wow Maggie!! Talk about a dynamic duo!!! Congrats!!!

Thanks, Yannis!!

[Maggieo]

Close up on the pickups and controls:



The switch is the usual bridge/both/neck. But, there are three volume knobs, one for each pickup; so, you can blend in the middle PUP as much or as little as you like.

The single tone knob is a master tone, like on a Tele, which I like and grok.



Gary Clark Jr. SG. The three pickups are a variation on Gibson's venerable P-90; but instead of a bar magnet across the bottom, these use slug magnets, much like a Fender Telecaster's.

[Bert Camenbert]

Noice! I love how they configured the volumes and the one tone pot: quite smart and it seems very useable. How does the midddle pickup sound in combination with the others? Does it quack? And does the middle pickup get in the way? I mean, I have trouble finger picking (or hybrid picking) if I'm playing my strat!

[Maggieo]

Noice! I love how they configured the volumes and the one tone pot: quite smart and it seems very useable. How does the midddle pickup sound in combination with the others? Does it quack? And does the middle pickup get in the way? I mean, I have trouble finger picking (or hybrid picking) if I'm playing my strat!

It doesn't really quack at all. More like...haunting mids? I need to play it more to really get a handle on it.

I could see where the middle pickup could definitely get in the way of some players- the three pickup SG Customs with the humbuckers are pretty much unplayable for me. This one reminds me more of a Strat, where if you're used to it, no prob, and probably not much of an impediment as you get used to it being there.

[Larry Mal]

That's what I'm talking about right there. Good show.

[Larry Mal]

I like that switching system better than what I have on my three P90 equipped Gibson, my non-reverse Firebird. I do have three volume controls and one master tone knob, which is great, but I don't have three position switching, it has Strat five way switching so I can't get neck and bridge together.

Which I want.

I tried to have a switch put in to turn one of the pickups on and off for seven way switching, but my luthier thought it sounded too complicated and I didn't want to push it.

One day.

Your guitar look great and by the way there is a company that makes some products in Germany and they

[Maggieo]

That's what I'm talking about right there. Good show.

Thanks, Larry! I thought you dig them.

[leokula]

Holy shit, they're amazing but that SG......

[Maggieo]

Holy shit, they're amazing but that SG......

When I saw the photo of it on Dave's Guitars' website, I plotzed. Like, Weaponized Plotzing!!

[Maggieo]

OK, time for a couple of nicer photos, taken with an actual camera, not my phone:


Gary Clark Jr Gibson SG, May 16, 2019 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr


Gary Clark Jr Gibson SG, May 16, 2019 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr

You know what's weird? It even smells good.

[Larry Mal]

Yep. The smell of a new Gibson is a wonderful thing- it lasts for a couple of years. My non-reverse Firebird still smells that way, and so does my J-35.

[Maggieo]

Yep. The smell of a new Gibson is a wonderful thing- it lasts for a couple of years. My non-reverse Firebird still smells that way, and so does my J-35.

That is so cool. Must be the lacquer.

OK, time for a photo of the LP Studio from a "real" camera:


Les Paul Studio Gibson Guitar, May 14, 2019 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr

I love that burst.