Talk me out of Gibson Midtown Custom in ebony

dindude

For those saying just buy a 335, one of the best things about the midtown for me is the size, it's perfect for a semi. The 339 is too small and a 335 is too big - if they made an arch top, Midtown sized ES I would be all over it.

57Deluxe

yes - save up and buy the grown-ups version... You need to be a real man to play a 335!

badlydrawnbanjo

I had one when they very first came out in natural. Really good guitars, think more Les Paul than 335 though. Swapped it in the end as it felt a bit "weird". I think it was because of the flat top…

xmrchi

Oooh no, I'm with the get a 335 camp, midtowns I experienced just ain't that great, the flat top, muddy pick ups etc, are not what I call a great guitar

Chalky

Midowns are great guitars and the Custom is best of all. But not 335ish at all.

PVO_Dave

I had a burst one, made it look better by changing all the hardware to gold, but never really bonded with it.

Nice enough guitar, very well built (less QC issues than my LP Custom), fretboard felt great. 

Not enough of a departure sound wise to my Les Paul's (sounded like a brighter LP to me) for me to keep it. 

johnonguitar

andy1839;645552" said:

johnonguitar said:

andy1839;645507" said:I had a natural finish one when they first came out. It was a fine guitar, but I traded it within a few months.

Why did you trade it and what did you replace it with?



Do you buy and sell a lot of guitars?


















Yeah, I chop and change a lot, occasionally one will stay. I traded a USA Jackson DK1 for the Midtown, then the midtown went as part of a number of amps and guitars I traded for a PRS Private Stock. I had issues with the neck pickup sounding really muddy. I think it was Burstbuckers in it, I also have them in a CR8 Les Paul and they were very different in the two guitars. I tried bare knuckle Emeralds in the Midtown as well as the original Scrapyard Dog prototype pup from Ash and nothing made it really sing like a good 335 or 336/359 does.

May have been the super solid back, which was just a slab of mahogany carved out from the front and then the tops stuck on. Didn't really vibrate unplugged. It was by no means a bad guitar, it was built well. Finished superbly for a production Gibson, but not a patch on my '68 335 which I decided was the only 335-a-like I needed.

That's great info cheers. I'm already covered for 335 sounds with one of these



Which is never going anywhere, I've had it a decade now. And I have an eastman Norman brown model for real archtopness. I'm not really looking for a 335 on the cheap, more a smaller, long gig friendly versatile instrument that will pair well with either a strat or a Tele

John_P

If I could justify gigging it when I have too many guitars and I wasn't expecting a big car service bill this week I would have been very tempted to get one.   IMO they look great and at that price they are a bargain.    The ones I've seen for sale used, don't seem that much cheaper.

johnonguitar

That's my collection so far. I need a Les Paul gold Top, R7 or VOS type and something with P90's so was gonna go for a Fano JM6 and them a Ramirez nylon acoustic. Complete set. So this would be a departure I wasn't expecting in "johns big scheme of an awesome guitar collection"

Babones

Midtown Customs are great (value) guitars. Very versatile in sound and look. Equally at home playing Jazz, Blues, R&B, Punk, Garage etc etc. I think the Burstbucker 1&2 are pretty good. No, it's not an archtop. If you want an archtop, get an archtop and don't nit pick.

bobliefeld

I've had one for a little while now. 

It's a bit rough around the edges, a bit "working mans guitar".  It looks like they broke the nut and glued it back together in the factory which is a bit wtf.  It's got a bit of a imprecise, hand made feel to it.

At home, sitting around I'm unlikely to play it.  It's not a very comfy sofa guitar and doesn't sound particularly good unplugged.  I've got an american deluxe strat that's my go to home guitar, the Midtown doesn't really compete with it.

Plugged in and played loud it's easily my favourite guitar though.  I play something like Melvins type guitar stuff , it sounds and feels perfect for that.  It's a pretty versatile guitar but definitely excels at sounding "tough". 

The fretboard is "richlite" but you wont even notice.  Looks and feels like ebony to me.

The pickups are good.  Some people say they're harsh or too bright.

Arrived from Thomann set up ok.

Gassage

Sure. Buy my CS356 for 2500.

johnonguitar

Gassage;646823" said:

Sure. Buy my CS356 for 2500.

I refuse to help fund your Cornish fetish. It's for your own good

fretfinder

If they didn't have a slim neck I'd buy one!

grungebob

I've had one, very nice guitar couldn't fault it but they are not as light as you may think.

57Deluxe

C356 are only for diehard '24' fans...

johnonguitar

right fuck it I'm gonna order one next week... i like the fact its a working mans guitar. No thrills. Just shit that works and sounds good and can rock up, fusion up through my zendrive and it has a nice smokey bark on the neck pickup for jazz. sold.

John_P

I'm so close to getting one as well - trying hard to be strict and put money towards a les paul custom but I really like idea of a slightly smaller than 335 semi and the price is great.   

 I wonder how many thomann have - iirc they bought them all (or it was a special order) so they won't be around forever.

Looking forward to hearing what you think about it. 

Bucket

It's yet another guitar I desperately want but shouldn't buy. I've been spending far too much on gear recently and I need to stop... even though I have a burning desire for a Les Paul and a newfound desire for something superstratty with a Floyd.

bobliefeld

John P : it's not really a semi or anything like a 335. It's more an oversized chambered les Paul with f holes.