NGD: 2011 Gibson Melody Maker Special

[Jonesie]

Just grabbed this earlier today from Love of Fuzz in Troy, NY, which is a fantastic shop. I've been craving the Gibson + P90 thing. They were willing to take in some gear I wasn't using on a direct trade for it. This sounds and plays great, weighs well under 7lbs. Definitely reminds me of the early 00s Melody Maker I used to own (one of the single cut / single P90 / Tuneomatic bridge ones) and sold like an idiot. Also got a JHS Kodiak Trem and Wampler Tumnus thrown in one this.

Needless to say, real happy.











and a bonus picture with Sgt. Nicholas Angel checking it out, giving it a once over.

[Larry Mal]

I remember those, those were cool. How's the neck on it? They were using some pretty thick necks on the previous generation of Melody Makers.

[Jonesie]

I remember those, those were cool. How's the neck on it? They were using some pretty thick necks on the previous generation of Melody Makers.

It’s kind of a Goldilocks neck. Not as thin as my Yamaha studio lord or Gretsch Dio Jet and not as thick as my Ric or Tele.

[stevejamsecono]

[BoringPostcards]

I love those. I missed out on them, when they were released.
They’ll probably never make them again (with the p90s at least).

[Unicorn Warrior]

Very cool. I didn’t know they made them like this. I remember seeing them as the smaller single coil and thought someone may have just nodded one until I read further. Congrats on a cool one

[Jonesie]

I think I just finished the only mod I'm doing to this guitar. It came with speed knobs, as shown below.



I never liked speed knobs, especially on a guitar like this. They're just gigantic. Too wide, too tall. So I bought some reflector knobs, and I gotta say, this is much better.

[crazyzeke]

P90 Melody Makers are firmly in the "massively underrated Gibson" territory along with the SG Special and Les Paul Doublecut Special... which come to think of it also have P90s, but it's not just that. Often you get unbound necks with dots, which I much prefer. As with Fender, the "off(set) the beaten path" models end up being the favourites, although a good Tele is analogous to a good SG Standard in my book too.

This is a really pretty example of that kind of MM, the faded cherry is aging just right and showing off the thicker grain underneath. Some kind of Badass bridge or modern equivalent of that in place of the wrap tail might give a touch more sustain without being an expensive upgrade if you ever need to adjust the intonation

Interesting you don't like speed knobs though - I have them on the Jag and they just fall under the fingers so easily, unlike the stock ones.