LP Classic - ngd

rlw

Spent the morning in Andertons yesterday.  I'd been agonising about what to buy/if to replace my 2015 Standard and wanted to get an idea about necks and sounds.  I didn't much like the Burstbuckers Pros in the Standard, but liked the neck profile (if not the width).   Also, I'd had a 2015 Studio which had Classic 57s in it which I didn't like much as they were  muddy, and I wasn't overkeen on the slim taper neck.  

I tried a Goldtop Classic which felt good but sounded muddy - Classic 57s again, then a Traditional with Burstbucker 1/2 which, again, wasn't that bright and weighed quite a bit too, although the neck was not vastly different to the slim taper on the Classic.

I found a lighter Traditional which sounded just the same, so tried a Standard with Burstbucker Pros which, to my astonishment, was utterly underwhelming.  All the fancy controls just managed to make it sound less good than the one I'd sold, and very little difference between combinations.

I looked at the green Classic but couldn't deal with the green back - would have been better in the wood colour IMO - and picked up a Classic in heritage cherry.   This was chalk and cheese compared to the Goldtop, a brighter guitar with tone controls that made a difference and very distinct neck and bridge sounds. But it was not a great top and not the colour I really wanted.

I asked the salesmen - who had apparently worked at Gibson Nashville for two years - for an opinion, between the lightest Traditional and the two Goldtops.  This was a great move as he asked me all the right questions which eliminated the Traditional quickly and he demoed the two Classics far better than I could.  

We agreed that the Goldtop was the classic LP look, and that it looked fantastic and played really well BUT the heritage cherry one was a little bit brighter and more articulate and did respond better to the controls.  And it has a classic plain top with good colour too and is flawlessly finished.    So I bought it and I'm really happy with it.

The point of the post is this.  I nearly bought another Standard, online from Peach, but hesitated at the very last step, not wanting the grief of having to send it back if I wasn't happy.  The spec was fantastic and the top was fabulous but....      In the end, there's no substitute for going to the shop and trying them out.  I managed to buy a guitar that does the things I want and nothing superfluous, and I saved myself £500 in the process over the cost of the Standard, and found a sound I really liked but hadn't achieved previously.

Additionally, if those Goldtops do ever end up under £1K, I'll nab one very quickly and try different pickups....  the quality of the things is so good.

And full marks to Andertons and, I think, Mike for their assistance and time.

Bridgehouse

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