Opinions on the cheaper Gibsons

fendergibson

Paul7926 said:

Dan_Halen said:

On a personal note I'm not really sure why it matters to me who has made it.  In other walks of life I can easily ignore what some people might refer to as 'brand snobbery' so why does it matter to me when buying a lump of wood with 6 metal strings attached?        

You're a guitarist - wanting to own a Fender Strat or a Gibson LP is fairly normal in my eyes. If you get something else, that desire to own the real deal might be suppressed for a while but it won't go away. Do it!

This is exactly why I need to figure out how much it means to me.  If it is the case that only a Gibson will do then buying something else, however good, will end up being just an expense on the way to the Gibson.  Taking the Epi g400 pro as an example.  I could end up dropping about £300 on that and then £600 on the Gibson faded down the line.  If that is all that is going to happen then it makes more sense to go straight for the Gibson and 'save' £300 or spend £900 to move up the range.

For £350 at GAK you could have a brand new Gibson Melody Maker in cherry red. Under 7lb giggable and you won’t cry your eyes out if it gets dinged. 

Dan_Halen

Very true. If you're determined to avoid the secondhand market and buy new then just get what you really want otherwise you'll be spending money now to delay the inevitable.

Or... keep an eye on the forum classified section here. There are some great deals to be had and often the guitar has had common upgrades or whatever creases it may have had ironed out for you. It won't take long for something you like the look of to come up. If it's just the murky world of Gumtree and eBay that puts you off then I'd recommend having a look as your money goes a lot further if you get something used.

Modellista

I was underwhelmed by my 2013 Tribute I got in the sale they had in GuitarGuitar a few years ago.  The bridge was jacked up really high and it never really sounded properly in tune.  An A chord always sounded slightly out.  Weird.

It does seem like the builds are inconsistent.  So if you get a good one, you're sorted.

With PRS you're getting totally consistent quality, albeit with a different brand on the headstock.  Something like an S2 Vela (or Starla for that matter) is stonkingly cool and can be picked up for £600 used.  That's what I would recommend over a budget Gibson.

Paul7926

Dan_Halen said:

Very true. If you're determined to avoid the secondhand market and buy new then just get what you really want otherwise you'll be spending money now to delay the inevitable.

Or... keep an eye on the forum classified section here. There are some great deals to be had and often the guitar has had common upgrades or whatever creases it may have had ironed out for you. It won't take long for something you like the look of to come up. If it's just the murky world of Gumtree and eBay that puts you off then I'd recommend having a look as your money goes a lot further if you get something used.

I must admit that the Classifieds here and the fact that people have invested time and energy into this forum takes away a lot of the potential issues I have with any other form of second hand market like eBay and the others.  Also I'm in no rush which helps.

mikeyrob73

Paul7926 said:

jimmyguitar said:

Look for a used studio. I can’t believe it’s taken me WEEKS to sell a brilliant gloss one with no issues for only £450!

I think that for some people and especially myself the second hand market is scary.  It might be an irrational fear but it's still there.  The possibility to end up with something that isn't what it's supposed to be with little or no comeback is real. 

Not that I'm suggesting the vast majority of private sellers are not totally genuine.  If things go bad then at least buying new you have the potential protection of having bought using a credit card and a company that you can take on legally.

I suppose the more experience you have the less risky it is.  I mean I would not buy a car privately because I'm no mechanic but plenty of people do and get good bargains.

Perhaps it's just me.

Second hand, you wont make much if any loss if you decide its not for you, and generally the folk on here are pretty damn decent, check the classifieds, plenty of Les Paul types for sale. 

horse

For an SG I'd definitely go for a used standard over a new faded - SG faded finishes have always looked surprisingly cheap to me when I've seen them hung up in shops. Just opinion though - if you like how they look then try them out and see how they play

Shrews

I think ultimately here it's about what you'll regret more.

Even if you get a great guitar without the Gibson name on and it plays brilliant, feels great etc, will you still think, 'I still wish I'd have brought the Gibson'

Or

If you get a Gibson and you don't like it, would you wish you'd have brought something else or would you still be thinking, 'Yeah, I don't like it, but I've still got a Gibson

I think in all likelihood your new Gibson would be really good and you'll love picking it up to play. You'll see that name on the headstock and it'll invite you in.   With 10 years more experience, you may well see it differently i.e come across a lesser brand that plays better and suits you better and you may regret the expense (how much did I spend on that shitty Gibson!) but this is about how you feel now and the chances are that you'll love it.

robgilmo

Are they all nitro finished?

Shrews

More affordable Gibson's are out there.  This is an example (although left-handed), it says it's in great condition (as opposed to good, very good). Not sure how often this kind of guitar comes on the market, or whether it's a good price, how old it is etc.  But it's less than £450 and in supposed 'great condition.'

Paul7926

Shrews said:

I think ultimately here it's about what you'll regret more.

Even if you get a great guitar without the Gibson name on and it plays brilliant, feels great etc, will you still think, 'I still wish I'd have brought the Gibson'

Or

If you get a Gibson and you don't like it, would you wish you'd have brought something else or would you still be thinking, 'Yeah, I don't like it, but I've still got a Gibson

I think in all likelihood your new Gibson would be really good and you'll love picking it up to play. You'll see that name on the headstock and it'll invite you in.   With 10 years more experience, you may well see it differently i.e come across a lesser brand that plays better and suits you better and you may regret the expense (how much did I spend on that shitty Gibson!) but this is about how you feel now and the chances are that you'll love it.

A very interesting way of looking at it and one I'd not considered.  Just writing the following response has helped me figure things out. 

Nowhere locally sells them new so I'd be looking at some sort of 'day out' to go see them in the flesh.  

Now if I don't like the look or feel then that will probably 'cure' me of the Gibson idea as I don't have the money to go top of the line and I can live with that.  I'll never have a Nissan Skyline or a Harley Davidson either.  I can also grab some other guitars off the walls to make a comparison which will be useful.

If I do like everything about it then I'll know that not going down the Gibson route will be a mistake because I'll probably always look at anything else as 'Not Gibson' which is unfair and illogical but what can I do?

Over time, as I get better and have more experience, there is a chance that I'll find other guitars that either suit me more or have something that I personally consider superior to the Gibson.  I can't possibly know that yet as I'm way too early on the journey.  Heck I might end up thinking a tricked out glossy Ibanez shred machine is what I really want instead who knows. If that happens I have two choices.  I feel that because it's a Gibson it would have some resale value if it had been looked after or I might decide that it represent the fulfilment of a life goal and it looks good on the living room wall.  I mean if it takes me 6 years to decide that then that's less than a tenner a month for the use of it over that time!

    

Paul7926

Did this in a separate post because it's a response to everyone who has taken the time to comment with their opinions and ideas.  A huge thanks to you all because it's helped me think through the options and formulate some sort of plan instead of being totally lost about what to do.

First I need to get my hands on one to turn this whole thing from a theoretical exercise into something real and to be able to personally decide if reality matches expectations.

From there I can decide if new or second hand is the way forward along the Gibson path or maybe I should be just trying out whatever grabs my attention as I look along the wall in the store.

Thanks everyone for the help.

fendergibson

Paul7926 said:

Did this in a separate post because it's a response to everyone who has taken the time to comment with their opinions and ideas.  A huge thanks to you all because it's helped me think through the options and formulate some sort of plan instead of being totally lost about what to do.

First I need to get my hands on one to turn this whole thing from a theoretical exercise into something real and to be able to personally decide if reality matches expectations.

From there I can decide if new or second hand is the way forward along the Gibson path or maybe I should be just trying out whatever grabs my attention as I look along the wall in the store.

Thanks everyone for the help.

No worries - we are good at spending other peeps money 

DB1

I always find that a day out looking for a guitar is a great way of spending a day, but I am a bit sad. Don't worry about the used market, and the difference between private seller's prices and shop prices isn't that great, if at all (in my experience anyway). The advantage of buying used is that you shouldn't lose money if you decide it's not for you, and then you've got the money to go and buy something else! If you go down the 'new' route, then you'll lose perhaps 40% of your money if you don't bond with it, and want to sell it - you might then be forced into being stuck with it

Do play it first, because quality, feel, sound, etc, is variable - IF you have your heart set in a Gibson (or any brand, for that matter) you're not going to be satisfied until you've got one. 

OR - if you want, say, a 335 - buy an Epi Sheraton, and then go and try a few used 335's - you might find that they're still what you want, or you might think 'you know what, these are great'. I did something like that when I was considering my first 335, and the Epi's were great. Badge snobbery won the day for me, and although I've found the Gibsons to be great instruments (with a few exceptions - mainly because they didn't suit me) the Sheratons and Dots were 90% of the way there for 20% of the cost.

I say that as a bit of a fan (and collector, in a small way) of Gibsons.

mikeyrob73

i have been few many singlecuts over the years, and when you WANT a Gibson only will do, you will always be wanting and yearning having that name on the headstock. 

sunshinewelly

i think its pretty much hit or miss on this. I have owned a couple of tribute models and they have been excellent. You only have to look at the R8 threads and you will see some shocking defects on such expensive guitars. I owned a R9 last year which was pretty mediocre and sounded dead unplugged.

I also bought a new DG 335 which i had to send back to Gibson as the fretboard was badly scratched. They repaired it and now its lovely but it does seem to be a Gibson thing as i have never had any issues when buying Fender or PRS guitars

frown

Another vote for Tribute. While not perfect, they are classy lookers and great starting points.

My 2013 50’s Tribute:

https://imgur.com/gallery/ImL0S

crunchman

One thing that I don't think has been mentioned is that a lot of those lower end Gibsons come with the "thin taper" neck - which I find horrible.  Someone must like them, but make sure you are happy with the neck before you buy.

One alternative is the Satin finished PRS S2 SInglecut.  You ought to be able to get one around £600 second hand, and the neck on that is lovely.

Fifty9

crunchman said:

One thing that I don't think has been mentioned is that a lot of those lower end Gibsons come with the "thin taper" neck - which I find horrible.  Someone must like them, but make sure you are happy with the neck before you buy.

One alternative is the Satin finished PRS S2 SInglecut.  You ought to be able to get one around £600 second hand, and the neck on that is lovely.

I had a 50s tribute that seems to be what you have to go for if you like a big neck. It had a good sized neck but not what I’d consider big.

breakstuff

My LPJ has quite a chunky neck.Very comfortable,and that coming from someone with pretty small hands.

thegummy

I was in a similar boat to you - I realise that brand names don't matter but I was scared in to believing that nothing else can get that Les Paul sound by reading countless forum posts and the likes (not necessarily this forum) of people saying that.

As much as people are saying the low end Gibsons are fine in their own right, if you look at the same priced PRS or even a higher end Epiphone, you'll see immediately that you're giving up a lot to get the Gibson logo at that price.

It might take you buying a Gibson to avoid that "what if" feeling. If I didn't I'd probably have a paranoia that it would be better. As it happens, when I replaced the pickups in both, I put paf style humbuckers in the PRS because it feels more like a classic LP with the chunky neck and it definitely gets me the classic tones I wanted.