I think I'm in love with this Midtown

hobbio

Want! Pelham Blue is just about my favourite colour and I love the shape

It's on EvilBay at the moment here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINT-Unused-GIBSON-MIDTOWN-Rare-Pelham-Blue-P90s-EbonyBoard-like-335-Les-Paul-/331497895433?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4d2ed07609

Chalky

It is a great colour. I'm curious about his ebony board comment. My midtown standard Bigsby has a black ebony looking board but I always thought that meant it was Richlite? Any experts know the answer?

Phil_aka_Pip

I'm not a fan of blue, but I'd be interested to read about how you get on with the Midtown if you buy it

dindude

I have a Midtown P90, they are harder to come by than the Humbucker models which means they seem to hold there value pretty well despite that they were a few hundred quid cheaper at the time. I'd be very surprised if the fretboard was ebony. The spec for these (standard P90) was Rosewood, not the richlite of the HB model. They also had a two-piece top unlike the 3 piece of the HB model (not that that matters when covered in lovely Pelham Blue).

It's a great guitar, mines a bit rough around the edges on the build front in places but it plays nice and tone-wise has seen off some far more esoteric guitars.

Phil_aka_Pip

@dindude my GAS list might just get a bit bigger!

brucegill

WOW, LIKE THAT! Never knew they did these with P90s!!! 

Chalky

@dindude - I've got the midtown p90 too, as you say with rosewood. My point was that the seller may be mistaken, it may be richlite on the pelham blue and not ebony?

Babones

According to the Gibson website, it's rosewood.
http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Designer/Gibson-USA/Midtown-Standard-P-90/Specs.aspx

Bogwhoppit

I was going to buy that, but was put off by the butterised fretboard. I prefer the feel of an hard substance - like wood. If I wanted that treacle, greasy feel, I would rub lard all over my fretboard to ruin the playability and tone. 

 

dindude

Bogwhoppit;551345" said:

I was going to buy that, but was put off by the butterised fretboard. I prefer the feel of an hard substance - like wood. If I wanted that treacle, greasy feel, I would rub lard all over my fretboard to ruin the playability and tone. 

 

Erm, haven't we established that it is rosewood!

Bogwhoppit

dindude said:

Bogwhoppit;551345" said:

I was going to buy that, but was put off by the butterised fretboard. I prefer the feel of an hard substance - like wood. If I wanted that treacle, greasy feel, I would rub lard all over my fretboard to ruin the playability and tone. 

 

Erm, haven't we established that it is rosewood!

The seller tells us its like butter...

"Wonderful low action all the way along the neck – no buzz or rattle – like playing on butter"

Is it Ebony, Rosewood or Butter... or even marg ?

dindude

Bogwhoppit;551371" said:

dindude said:





Bogwhoppit;551345" said:

I was going to buy that, but was put off by the butterised fretboard. I prefer the feel of an hard substance - like wood. If I wanted that treacle, greasy feel, I would rub lard all over my fretboard to ruin the playability and tone.   Erm, haven't we established that it is rosewood!

The seller tells us its like butter...

"Wonderful low action all the way along the neck – no buzz or rattle – like playing on butter"

Is it Ebony, Rosewood or Butter... or even marg ?

Ah gotcha! Sorry, I'm taking this fingerboard thing far too seriously.

hobbio

How is it established that it's rosewood? The seller is claiming ebony, how can anyone here establish anything if they haven't even seen the guitar?

Bogwhoppit

hobbio said:

How is it established that it's rosewood? The seller is claiming ebony, how can anyone here establish anything if they haven't even seen the guitar?

Gibson claim Rosewood in their specs, the seller claims Buttered Ebony

 

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Designer/Gibson-USA/Midtown-Standard-P-90/Specs.aspx

 

Fingerboard

Species

Rosewood

dindude

hobbio;551470" said:

How is it established that it's rosewood? The seller is claiming ebony, how can anyone here establish anything if they haven't even seen the guitar?

It's a bog standard Midtown Standard P90 and they came with rosewood, it's in the spec sheet posted elsewhere and I also have the same guitar. If I was thinking of buying it I would challenge the buyer as to the ebony, unless it's a special custom order (I doubt it) then the spec for this guitar is rosewood.

dindude

Here's mine by the way. I changed the plastics from cream to black.

http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n505/dindude/464b84d87f91f4903c2a0fedee3e159a_zps342eaaae.jpg

hobbio

No, I get that the standard spec shows as rosewood but the seller is saying that it is actually ebony due to Gibson's timber problems at the time. It wouldn't be the first time that a manufacturer has substituted materials in an otherwise standard product.

All I'm saying is that nobody here can call the seller a lying bastard without examining the guitar. Why would he claim ebony when that would leave himself open to a claim for the goods being other than described? It makes no real difference to the price.

hobbio

Anyway, ebony, rosewood or richlite, I'm in love!

If I had the funds I'd be having this guitar.

dindude

hobbio;551498" said:

No, I get that the standard spec shows as rosewood but the seller is saying that it is actually ebony due to Gibson's timber problems at the time. It wouldn't be the first time that a manufacturer has substituted materials in an otherwise standard product.





All I'm saying is that nobody here can call the seller a lying bastard without examining the guitar. Why would he claim ebony when that would leave himself open to a claim for the goods being other than described? It makes no real difference to the price.

Fair comment. Someone buy it. Worse case rosewood, best case ebony.

chrisj1602

It does look dark like ebony, but I really doubt that they would put ebony on a Midtown while putting Richlite on Custom Shop Les Pauls.

lamf68